Installing the Instana agent on Kubernetes

Before you install the Instana agent on Kubernetes, make sure to meet the conditions that are explained in Checking the prerequisites.

• In an offline (air-gapped) environment, you must install the agent with the Kubernetes package manager Helm. To continue, see Installing the agent in an air-gapped environment. You can also install the agent in an air-gapped environment by using an operator. For more information, see Installing an agent using an operator in an air-gapped environment.

• In an online environment, to use all available configuration options, you can install the agent by using the following methods:

• Instana agent operator

• Helm chart

• Static YAML file (not suggested, this method is deprecated and will be removed by the end of 2025.)

For more information about installation, see Installing the agent.

To monitor remote systems such as IBM Concert, Turbonomic, Kubecost, or other platforms that require remote monitoring, you can install the Instana remote agent by using the Instana agent operator. For more information, refer to Install Instana remote agent.

1. Check whether the agent works as described in Checking the status of the agent.

   When you install the agent, it is configured to start automatically at system boot. To turn off this behavior, set the environment variable INSTANA_AGENT_AUTOSTART=false when you install the agent.

2. After you install the agent, configure Instana agent sensors to monitor specific technologies. For the list of supported sensors, see Agent sensors.

   Note: Most Instana agent sensors are automatically installed, and some sensors are also automatically configured after the agent is installed. But for the other sensors, you need to configure them first to make them operational.

3. If you have problems when you install the agent, see Potential problems during installation.

4. You can do installation-related activities on the agent such as to customize the agent configuration or update the agent. For more information, see Administering the agent on Kubernetes.

5. You can uninstall the agent if it's not needed. For more information, see Uninstalling the agent on Kubernetes.

6. You can upgrade the Instana agent when new versions are released. For more information, see Updating the agent.