How to deploy a Bonny operator to Kubernetes?

Use `mix bonny.gen.manifest` to generate a YAML manifest, then apply it with `kubectl apply -f manifest.yaml`. Ensure your service account has the RBAC permissions configured in `bonny.exs`, as per the documentation.

Bonny vs Kubebuilder: which should I choose for custom controllers?

Bonny is best if your team already uses Elixir and values its concurrency model, while Kubebuilder (Go-based) offers a larger community, more integrations, and is the CNCF standard. Consider your language stack and support needs.

Can I test a Bonny operator without a real Kubernetes cluster?

Yes, you can run it locally by configuring kubeconfig, but the README warns this isn't for production. It's useful for development, though RBAC permissions must still be set up manually.

What telemetry events does Bonny emit for monitoring?

Bonny emits events like `[:reconciler, :reconcile, :start]` and `[:watcher, :watch, :stop]` via the Telemetry library. You can integrate these with tools like Prometheus using telemetry handlers for real-time insights.

How to handle CRD version migrations with Bonny?

Refer to the CRD Versions guide included in the repository, which covers strategies for managing custom resource definition updates, though implementation details may require custom Elixir code.

Is Bonny good for building custom Kubernetes schedulers?

Yes, Bonny supports custom schedulers through its scheduler module, allowing advanced workload placement. However, it requires Elixir expertise and may have fewer examples compared to scheduler-specific tools.

Bonny — Elixir Framework for Kubernetes Operators

What is Bonny?

Bonny is an Elixir-based framework for building Kubernetes operators, controllers, and custom schedulers. It allows developers to extend the Kubernetes API by creating custom resources and controllers that manage application-specific logic on a Kubernetes cluster. The framework provides mix tasks and configuration helpers to streamline operator development.

Target Audience

Elixir developers and DevOps engineers who need to build custom Kubernetes operators or extend Kubernetes functionality for specific applications or infrastructure needs.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Bonny because it brings Elixir's concurrency and fault-tolerance to Kubernetes operator development, offering a productive and structured way to create robust extensions with built-in tooling and telemetry.

The Elixir based Kubernetes Development Framework

Use Cases

Best For

Building custom Kubernetes operators for application-specific management
Extending the Kubernetes API with Elixir-based controllers
Creating custom schedulers for specialized workload placement
Developing operators that encode domain knowledge into Kubernetes resources
Managing custom resource definitions (CRDs) with Elixir tooling
Running operators outside a cluster for development and testing

Not Ideal For

Teams standardized on Go or Java for Kubernetes development, as Bonny is Elixir-exclusive
Projects requiring a large ecosystem of pre-built operators and community plugins, since Elixir's Kubernetes tooling is less mature
Organizations with no existing Elixir infrastructure or expertise, due to the significant language and toolchain learning curve
Simple automation tasks that could be handled with basic Kubernetes manifests or Helm charts, without needing a full operator framework

Pros & Cons

Pros

Streamlined Bootstrapping

Mix tasks like `mix bonny.init` and `mix bonny.gen.manifest` automate operator setup and manifest generation, reducing initial boilerplate as shown in the Getting Started guide.

Built-in Telemetry

Emits comprehensive metrics for reconciler, watcher, scheduler, and task events via the Telemetry library, enabling easy monitoring and debugging without extra setup.

Elixir Concurrency Leverage

Utilizes Elixir's actor model and fault-tolerance for building reliable, concurrent controllers, aligning with the philosophy of encoding domain knowledge into robust systems.

Configuration and RBAC Support

Provides ready-to-use configuration for Kubernetes connections, API groups, and service accounts, with examples in the generated `config/bonny.exs` file.

Cons

Niche Language Lock-in

Tied exclusively to Elixir, limiting adoption for teams using more common Kubernetes languages like Go, and reducing community support compared to frameworks like Operator SDK.

Ecosystem and Documentation Gaps

The README notes example operators are built with older versions, indicating potential inconsistencies and a smaller pool of up-to-date resources for troubleshooting.

Complex Cluster Integration

Running outside a cluster requires manual RBAC setup and kubeconfig management, which can be error-prone and is admitted as not recommended for production.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bonny?

Target Audience

Elixir developers and DevOps engineers who need to build custom Kubernetes operators or extend Kubernetes functionality for specific applications or infrastructure needs.

Value Proposition

Use Cases

Best For

Building custom Kubernetes operators for application-specific management
Extending the Kubernetes API with Elixir-based controllers
Creating custom schedulers for specialized workload placement
Developing operators that encode domain knowledge into Kubernetes resources
Managing custom resource definitions (CRDs) with Elixir tooling
Running operators outside a cluster for development and testing

Not Ideal For

Teams standardized on Go or Java for Kubernetes development, as Bonny is Elixir-exclusive
Projects requiring a large ecosystem of pre-built operators and community plugins, since Elixir's Kubernetes tooling is less mature
Organizations with no existing Elixir infrastructure or expertise, due to the significant language and toolchain learning curve
Simple automation tasks that could be handled with basic Kubernetes manifests or Helm charts, without needing a full operator framework

Pros & Cons

Pros

Streamlined Bootstrapping

Mix tasks like `mix bonny.init` and `mix bonny.gen.manifest` automate operator setup and manifest generation, reducing initial boilerplate as shown in the Getting Started guide.

Built-in Telemetry

Emits comprehensive metrics for reconciler, watcher, scheduler, and task events via the Telemetry library, enabling easy monitoring and debugging without extra setup.

Elixir Concurrency Leverage

Utilizes Elixir's actor model and fault-tolerance for building reliable, concurrent controllers, aligning with the philosophy of encoding domain knowledge into robust systems.

Configuration and RBAC Support

Provides ready-to-use configuration for Kubernetes connections, API groups, and service accounts, with examples in the generated `config/bonny.exs` file.

Cons

Niche Language Lock-in

Tied exclusively to Elixir, limiting adoption for teams using more common Kubernetes languages like Go, and reducing community support compared to frameworks like Operator SDK.

Ecosystem and Documentation Gaps

The README notes example operators are built with older versions, indicating potential inconsistencies and a smaller pool of up-to-date resources for troubleshooting.

Complex Cluster Integration

Running outside a cluster requires manual RBAC setup and kubeconfig management, which can be error-prone and is admitted as not recommended for production.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bonny

What is Bonny?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

Bonny

What is Bonny?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?