Application Services
Kibana
Chkk coverage for title: Kibana. We provide version recommendations, preflight/postflight checks, and Upgrade Templates—ensuring worry-free operations.
Coverage Matrix
| Chkk Curated Release Notes | v7.17.5 to latest |
| Private Registry | Supported |
| Custom Built Images | Supported |
| Safety, Health, and Readiness Checks | v8.5.0 to latest |
| Supported Packages | Helm, Kustomize, Kube |
| EOL Information | Available |
| Version Incompatibility Information | Available |
| Upgrade Templates | In-Place, Blue-Green |
| Preverification | Available |
Kibana Overview
Kibana is an open-source analytics and visualization platform designed to complement Elasticsearch, enabling real-time data insights through interactive dashboards. Serving as the primary UI for the Elastic Stack, Kibana simplifies log and metric analysis for platform engineers and developers. It facilitates the creation and sharing of dynamic dashboards without extensive query writing, supporting observability and security analytics within Kubernetes environments. Kibana’s intuitive, browser-based interface converts complex data into actionable operational intelligence.Chkk Coverage
Curated Release Notes
Chkk actively monitors Kibana release notes, highlighting significant features, breaking changes, and deprecated settings relevant to your deployment. It flags updates that affect security defaults, authentication, configuration requirements, or plugin APIs. For instance, if a new Kibana version mandates TLS by default, Chkk alerts you to preempt configuration issues. This targeted approach allows platform engineers to anticipate and manage critical changes efficiently.Preflight & Postflight Checks
Chkk executes preflight checks to validate Elasticsearch version compatibility, detect unsupported upgrade paths, and identify deprecated settings. After the upgrade, postflight checks ensure Kibana’s health, successful Elasticsearch connectivity, and proper plugin functionality. Issues such as index migration failures or incompatible plugins are quickly flagged. This comprehensive checking process ensures reliable and smooth upgrades.Version Recommendations
Chkk tracks Kibana’s support lifecycle, alerting teams when their version approaches end-of-life or risks losing security updates. Recommendations emphasize stable upgrade paths based on community feedback, known issues, and Elasticsearch compatibility. Chkk balances the urgency of new features against operational stability, suggesting practical versions that minimize risk. This informed guidance supports compliance and operational continuity.Upgrade Templates
Chkk provides structured Upgrade Templates for both in-place and blue-green Kibana upgrades. Templates detail key upgrade steps, including resource backup, configuration updates, and rollback procedures, aligning closely with Elastic’s recommended practices. For major upgrades, Chkk advocates verifying new versions in controlled staging environments before production deployment. These templates integrate seamlessly into existing GitOps and CI/CD workflows, ensuring minimal disruption.Preverification
Chkk’s preverification feature rehearses Kibana upgrades in isolated environments mirroring your production setup. This “dry run” identifies potential startup errors, plugin conflicts, and migration issues before affecting live deployments. Platform engineers receive detailed anomaly reports, allowing them to adjust resources or configurations proactively. This reduces upgrade risk by ensuring issues are resolved preemptively.Supported Packages
Chkk supports various Kibana deployment methods, including Helm charts, Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes (ECK), and standard Kubernetes manifests. It accurately recognizes custom Docker images, private registries, and vendor-specific configurations, preserving operational consistency. Chkk also integrates with existing GitOps and configuration management processes, streamlining manifest updates and version synchronization. This comprehensive support maintains deployment flexibility without sacrificing upgrade reliability.Common Operational Considerations
- Elasticsearch Version Alignment: Ensure Kibana’s version matches Elasticsearch precisely to avoid startup failures and compatibility errors.
- Resource Allocation: Monitor Kibana’s memory and CPU use, scaling horizontally if necessary to maintain performance and availability.
- Saved Objects Migration: Back up Kibana indices before upgrades and verify migrations complete fully to prevent data corruption.
- Plugin Compatibility: Check plugin compatibility before upgrading, updating or removing incompatible plugins to ensure seamless operation.
- Authentication & Connectivity: Verify Kibana’s Elasticsearch credentials and TLS settings, particularly when enabling X-Pack security, to avoid connectivity issues.
- High Availability Setup: Configure consistent encryption keys and session settings across multiple Kibana instances to ensure session persistence and seamless load balancing.