|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: Scalable Composition |
| 3 | +weight: 84 |
| 4 | +description: "Expose the Kubernetes scale subresource on a composite resource to |
| 5 | + enable kubectl scale, HPA, and KEDA" |
| 6 | +--- |
| 7 | + |
| 8 | +An XRD can expose the Kubernetes |
| 9 | +[`scale` subresource](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/extend-kubernetes/custom-resources/custom-resource-definitions/#scale-subresource) |
| 10 | +on a composite resource. Exposing the `scale` subresource enables standard |
| 11 | +Kubernetes scaling tools, including `kubectl scale`, the |
| 12 | +[Horizontal Pod Autoscaler](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/run-application/horizontal-pod-autoscale/), |
| 13 | +and [KEDA](https://keda.sh/), to control the composite resource without knowing |
| 14 | +its full schema. |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +## Example overview |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +This guide shows how to expose the `scale` subresource by creating a `MyApp` |
| 19 | +composite resource that wraps a Kubernetes `Deployment`. |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +When a user creates a `MyApp`, Crossplane provisions a `Deployment` and wires |
| 22 | +the replica count between the composite resource and the `Deployment`. Standard |
| 23 | +Kubernetes scaling tools can then drive the replica count without knowing the |
| 24 | +full schema of `MyApp`. |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +An example `MyApp` XR looks like this: |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +```yaml {copy-lines="none"} |
| 29 | +apiVersion: example.org/v1alpha1 |
| 30 | +kind: MyApp |
| 31 | +metadata: |
| 32 | + name: my-app |
| 33 | +spec: |
| 34 | + replicas: 1 |
| 35 | +``` |
| 36 | +
|
| 37 | +**Behind the scenes, Crossplane:** |
| 38 | +
|
| 39 | +1. Creates a `Deployment` (the composed resource) with the requested replica |
| 40 | + count |
| 41 | +2. Writes back the observed replica count from the `Deployment` to |
| 42 | + `status.replicas` on the `MyApp` |
| 43 | +3. Marks `MyApp` as ready when the `Deployment` is healthy |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +Because `MyApp` exposes the `scale` subresource, you can scale it without |
| 46 | +knowing its full schema: |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +```shell {copy-lines="none"} |
| 49 | +kubectl scale myapp/my-app --replicas=3 |
| 50 | +``` |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +The Horizontal Pod Autoscaler and KEDA can also target `MyApp` directly using |
| 53 | +the same `scale` subresource. |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +## Prerequisites |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +This guide requires: |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +* A Kubernetes cluster |
| 60 | +* Crossplane [installed on the Kubernetes cluster]({{<ref "../get-started/install">}}) |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +## Install the functions |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +Install `function-patch-and-transform` to compose resources and patch |
| 65 | +fields between the composite resource and its composed resources: |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | +```yaml |
| 68 | +apiVersion: pkg.crossplane.io/v1 |
| 69 | +kind: Function |
| 70 | +metadata: |
| 71 | + name: function-patch-and-transform |
| 72 | +spec: |
| 73 | + package: xpkg.crossplane.io/crossplane-contrib/function-patch-and-transform:v0.10.3 |
| 74 | +``` |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +Save the function as `fn-pat.yaml` and apply it: |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +```shell |
| 79 | +kubectl apply -f fn-pat.yaml |
| 80 | +``` |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +This guide also uses `function-auto-ready`. This function automatically |
| 83 | +marks composed resources as ready when they're healthy: |
| 84 | + |
| 85 | +```yaml |
| 86 | +apiVersion: pkg.crossplane.io/v1 |
| 87 | +kind: Function |
| 88 | +metadata: |
| 89 | + name: function-auto-ready |
| 90 | +spec: |
| 91 | + package: xpkg.crossplane.io/crossplane-contrib/function-auto-ready:v0.6.3 |
| 92 | +``` |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | +Save this as `fn-auto-ready.yaml` and apply it: |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +```shell |
| 97 | +kubectl apply -f fn-auto-ready.yaml |
| 98 | +``` |
| 99 | + |
| 100 | +Check that Crossplane installed the functions: |
| 101 | + |
| 102 | +```shell {copy-lines="1"} |
| 103 | +kubectl get pkg |
| 104 | +NAME INSTALLED HEALTHY PACKAGE AGE |
| 105 | +function.pkg.crossplane.io/function-auto-ready True False xpkg.crossplane.io/crossplane-contrib/function-auto-ready:v0.6.3 2s |
| 106 | +function.pkg.crossplane.io/function-patch-and-transform True False xpkg.crossplane.io/crossplane-contrib/function-patch-and-transform:v0.10.3 16s |
| 107 | +``` |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +## Configure the XRD |
| 110 | + |
| 111 | +Configure the `scale` subresource per version in the XRD's |
| 112 | +{{<hover label="xrdscale" line="22">}}subresources{{</hover>}} field. |
| 113 | + |
| 114 | +```yaml {label="xrdscale"} |
| 115 | +apiVersion: apiextensions.crossplane.io/v2 |
| 116 | +kind: CompositeResourceDefinition |
| 117 | +metadata: |
| 118 | + name: myapps.example.org |
| 119 | +spec: |
| 120 | + group: example.org |
| 121 | + names: |
| 122 | + kind: MyApp |
| 123 | + plural: myapps |
| 124 | + scope: Namespaced |
| 125 | + versions: |
| 126 | + - additionalPrinterColumns: |
| 127 | + - jsonPath: .spec.replicas |
| 128 | + name: DESIRED |
| 129 | + type: string |
| 130 | + - jsonPath: .status.replicas |
| 131 | + name: CURRENT |
| 132 | + type: string |
| 133 | + name: v1alpha1 |
| 134 | + served: true |
| 135 | + referenceable: true |
| 136 | + subresources: |
| 137 | + scale: |
| 138 | + specReplicasPath: .spec.replicas |
| 139 | + statusReplicasPath: .status.replicas |
| 140 | + labelSelectorPath: .status.labelSelector |
| 141 | + schema: |
| 142 | + openAPIV3Schema: |
| 143 | + properties: |
| 144 | + spec: |
| 145 | + properties: |
| 146 | + replicas: |
| 147 | + type: integer |
| 148 | + status: |
| 149 | + properties: |
| 150 | + replicas: |
| 151 | + type: integer |
| 152 | + labelSelector: |
| 153 | + type: string |
| 154 | +``` |
| 155 | + |
| 156 | +Save this as `xrd-scale.yaml` and apply it: |
| 157 | + |
| 158 | +```shell |
| 159 | +kubectl apply -f xrd-scale.yaml |
| 160 | +``` |
| 161 | + |
| 162 | +Verify the XRD exists: |
| 163 | + |
| 164 | +```shell {copy-lines="1"} |
| 165 | +kubectl get xrd |
| 166 | +NAME ESTABLISHED OFFERED AGE |
| 167 | +myapps.example.org True 6s |
| 168 | +``` |
| 169 | + |
| 170 | +The `scale` block has three fields: |
| 171 | + |
| 172 | +* {{<hover label="xrdscale" line="24">}}specReplicasPath{{</hover>}}: the |
| 173 | + JSON path to the field in the composite resource's `spec` that holds the |
| 174 | + desired replica count. This field must exist in the XRD schema. |
| 175 | +* {{<hover label="xrdscale" line="25">}}statusReplicasPath{{</hover>}}: the |
| 176 | + JSON path to the field in the composite resource's `status` that holds the |
| 177 | + observed replica count. This field must exist in the XRD schema. |
| 178 | +* {{<hover label="xrdscale" line="26">}}labelSelectorPath{{</hover>}}: an |
| 179 | + optional JSON path to a `string` field in `status` that holds a serialized |
| 180 | + label selector. Required by the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler. |
| 181 | + |
| 182 | +{{<hint "important">}} |
| 183 | +Crossplane propagates the `scale` configuration to the generated CRD. |
| 184 | +The composition author must implement the scaling logic, for example |
| 185 | +by patching `spec.replicas` from the composite resource into a |
| 186 | +composed `Deployment`. |
| 187 | +{{</hint>}} |
| 188 | + |
| 189 | +## Implement scaling in a Composition |
| 190 | + |
| 191 | +After enabling the `scale` subresource on the XRD, wire the replica count into |
| 192 | +the composed resources in the Composition. The following example uses |
| 193 | +`function-patch-and-transform` to forward `spec.replicas` from the composite |
| 194 | +resource to a `Deployment`: |
| 195 | + |
| 196 | +```yaml |
| 197 | +apiVersion: apiextensions.crossplane.io/v1 |
| 198 | +kind: Composition |
| 199 | +metadata: |
| 200 | + name: myapp |
| 201 | +spec: |
| 202 | + compositeTypeRef: |
| 203 | + apiVersion: example.org/v1alpha1 |
| 204 | + kind: MyApp |
| 205 | + mode: Pipeline |
| 206 | + pipeline: |
| 207 | + - step: patch-and-transform |
| 208 | + functionRef: |
| 209 | + name: function-patch-and-transform |
| 210 | + input: |
| 211 | + apiVersion: pt.fn.crossplane.io/v1beta1 |
| 212 | + kind: Resources |
| 213 | + resources: |
| 214 | + - name: deployment |
| 215 | + base: |
| 216 | + apiVersion: apps/v1 |
| 217 | + kind: Deployment |
| 218 | + spec: |
| 219 | + replicas: 1 |
| 220 | + selector: |
| 221 | + matchLabels: |
| 222 | + app: nginx |
| 223 | + template: |
| 224 | + metadata: |
| 225 | + labels: |
| 226 | + app: nginx |
| 227 | + spec: |
| 228 | + containers: |
| 229 | + - name: nginx |
| 230 | + image: nginx:1.29.7-alpine |
| 231 | + ports: |
| 232 | + - containerPort: 80 |
| 233 | + patches: |
| 234 | + - type: FromCompositeFieldPath |
| 235 | + fromFieldPath: spec.replicas |
| 236 | + toFieldPath: spec.replicas |
| 237 | + - type: ToCompositeFieldPath |
| 238 | + fromFieldPath: status.readyReplicas |
| 239 | + toFieldPath: status.replicas |
| 240 | + - step: automatically-detect-readiness |
| 241 | + functionRef: |
| 242 | + name: function-auto-ready |
| 243 | +``` |
| 244 | + |
| 245 | +Save this as `composition-scale.yaml` and apply it: |
| 246 | + |
| 247 | +```shell |
| 248 | +kubectl apply -f composition-scale.yaml |
| 249 | +``` |
| 250 | + |
| 251 | +Verify the composition exists: |
| 252 | + |
| 253 | +```shell {copy-lines="1"} |
| 254 | +kubectl get compositions |
| 255 | +NAME XR-KIND XR-APIVERSION AGE |
| 256 | +myapp MyApp example.org/v1alpha1 3s |
| 257 | +``` |
| 258 | + |
| 259 | +The composition must also write back the current replica count to |
| 260 | +`status.replicas` (and `status.labelSelector` if used) so that autoscalers and |
| 261 | +`kubectl scale --current-replicas` read the correct replica count. |
| 262 | + |
| 263 | +## Create a `MyApp` composite resource |
| 264 | + |
| 265 | +With the XRD and Composition in place, create a `MyApp` composite resource: |
| 266 | + |
| 267 | +```yaml |
| 268 | +apiVersion: example.org/v1alpha1 |
| 269 | +kind: MyApp |
| 270 | +metadata: |
| 271 | + name: my-app |
| 272 | +spec: |
| 273 | + replicas: 1 |
| 274 | +``` |
| 275 | + |
| 276 | +Verify the current replica count: |
| 277 | + |
| 278 | +```shell {copy-lines="1"} |
| 279 | +kubectl get myapp/my-app |
| 280 | +NAME DESIRED CURRENT SYNCED READY COMPOSITION AGE |
| 281 | +my-app 1 1 True True myapp 108s |
| 282 | +``` |
| 283 | + |
| 284 | +## Use the scale subresource |
| 285 | + |
| 286 | +After applying the XRD and Composition, scale a composite resource with |
| 287 | +`kubectl scale`: |
| 288 | + |
| 289 | +```shell |
| 290 | +kubectl scale myapp/my-app --replicas=3 |
| 291 | +``` |
| 292 | + |
| 293 | +Verify the current replica count: |
| 294 | + |
| 295 | +```shell {copy-lines="1"} |
| 296 | +kubectl get myapp/my-app |
| 297 | +NAME DESIRED CURRENT SYNCED READY COMPOSITION AGE |
| 298 | +my-app 3 3 True True myapp 3m26s |
| 299 | +``` |
0 commit comments