Top 10 Kubernetes alerts and why they are essential?
Running a SaaS business on Kubernetes is similar to walking a tightrope: You can easily fall if there's even a slight mistake. Problems like node failure, high traffic, and resource usage can all damage the application's environment. Managing Kubernetes at a production scale is complex for a variety of reasons, including unexpected failures, resource constraints, and unanticipated traffic spikes. Consider the case of a heavily trafficked e-commerce store—if a pod is down and a node crashes or gets delayed in the API request, it's best to act before customers are impacted. Kubernetes alerts are not an optional feature; they are the foundation for production readiness. Having the ability to handle issues in the works is a requirement if you want to maintain the system in a production state.
In this blog, we'll explore the top 10 essential Kubernetes alerts and their significance in maintaining production readiness in high-scale DevOps environments.
1) CPU and memory utilization alerts
Resource wastage, be it in the CPU or memory, can slow applications down and negatively affect performance as a whole. Kubernetes alerts for CPU and memory utilization allow you to configure thresholds to monitor these resources. When these limits are crossed, alerts notify the team, enabling them to scale resources or optimize deployment settings. Tools like Site24x7 help ensure all applications remain efficient and responsive by tracking the set CPU and memory limits.
2) High network latency alerts
A back-end service could experience increased network latency, which could lead to significant delays in API responses. This could drastically impact the overall user experience. Monitoring network latency between pods and services helps trigger alerts when latency exceeds acceptable limits. Site24x7 assists here by monitoring the overall network delay and alerting the DevOps team as soon as the delay exceeds the SLA requirements or the set network configurations.
3) Pod status alerts
A pod's state can reveal possible failures before they become more significant problems. Kubernetes pods can exist in statuses such as pending, failed, unknown, or even completed (for non-batch tasks). Pod status monitoring and configuring alerts can help teams catch anomalies, such as pods stuck in an unexpected state. Debugging Kubernetes pod pending failures can help identify underlying causes, such as resource constraints or node capacity issues. This ensures on-time debugging and recovery, avoiding downtime.
4) Pod restarts and failure alerts
Frequent pod restarts indicate underlying issues such as memory leaks, misconfigurations, or resource constraints. If a critical service keeps restarting, it can lead to performance degradation or outages. Setting up alerts for excessive pod restarts helps teams investigate root causes and resolve the issue before it impacts users.
5) Nodes under pressure alerts
Kubernetes nodes can experience resource exhaustion due to CPU, memory, or disk pressure. If a node is under sustained pressure, it may fail to schedule new pods or evict existing ones, leading to service disruptions. Optimizing Kubernetes workloads enables proactive detection of resource constraints, helping teams prevent node failures and performance degradation. Monitoring node pressure and triggering alerts when resource limits are exceeded allows teams to redistribute workloads or scale their cluster efficiently.
6) Unavailable replicas of deployments alerts
When a deployment is unable to maintain the desired number of replicas, it indicates potential pod failures or scheduling issues. If your application relies on a minimum number of replicas for high availability, missing replicas can lead to degraded performance. Setting up alerts on unavailable replicas ensures teams can take corrective actions, such as scaling or reallocating resources, before service disruptions occur.
7) Kubernetes API server error alerts
The Kubernetes API server is the control plane component that manages cluster operations. If the API server experiences errors or high latency, critical cluster operations such as scheduling and scaling can be disrupted. Monitoring for Kubernetes API server performance lags is crucial to detect early warning signs and prevent cascading failures across the cluster. Setting up Kubernetes API error alerts is a great way to solve problems before they cascade into failures across the cluster.
8) Pod CrashLoopBackOff alerts
A pod stuck in a CrashLoopBackOff state indicates repeated failures, often due to misconfigurations, insufficient resources, or application errors. These failures can lead to downtime for services dependent on the affected pod. Configuring alerts for the CrashLoopBackOff state ensures teams can quickly diagnose and resolve the issue before it impacts production.
9) Dead node alerts
A failed node can lead to application downtime or degraded performance in highly available Kubernetes clusters. When a node goes down, pods are scheduled elsewhere, resulting in increased latency or downtime. Monitoring Kubernetes node health status and triggering alerts when nodes become unreachable helps ensure quick recovery and scaling. Tools like Kubernetes-native monitoring or external solutions notify teams of dead nodes, enabling efficient and timely actions.
10) Disk I/O and read/write latency alerts
High disk I/O can cause slowdowns, especially for database-driven applications. Excessive read/write latency affects transaction processing, leading to degraded performance. Monitoring disk I/O and setting up alerts when latency crosses acceptable thresholds helps teams optimize storage performance and prevent bottlenecks.
Stop looking and start monitoring
Kubernetes alerting is critical for maintaining production readiness and preventing costly downtime. By monitoring these top 10 Kubernetes alerts you can ensure your applications run smoothly and meet performance SLAs. Proactive alerting allows DevOps teams to get ahead of problems and fine-tune system performance and reliability in a focused, scaling environment.
For companies wanting to simplify the monitoring of Kubernetes, Site24x7's Kubernetes monitoring is an all-in-one service. With advanced observability, real-time alerts, and proactive insights, Site24x7 helps DevOps teams ensure system stability and performance, preventing downtime before it becomes a critical issue.
Start optimizing your Kubernetes environment with Site24x7 today and ensure your production readiness in any high-scale DevOps scenario. Try Site24x7 today.
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