---
title: OpenTelemetry Operator for Kubernetes
slug: opentelemetry-operator-for-kubernetes
docTags: 
createdAt: 2024-02-06T20:29:40.015Z
---

When installing the [OpsVerse Agent](https://docs.opsverse.io/install-the-opsverse-agent#VEqXM) onto your Kubernetes cluster, we also give the option to install the [OpenTelemetry Operator for Kubernetes](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-operator).

With the Operator on your cluster, it will auto-instrument your Kubernetes apps by injecting the OpenTelemetry instrumentation libraries into your app container.

This auto-instrumentation (via annotations) allow you enable traces without changing application code.

## Auto Instrumenting via the OpenTelemetry Operator

- Install the OpsVerse Agent ([steps here](https://docs.opsverse.io/install-the-opsverse-agent#VEqXM)) with the following flag enabled in your `values.yaml` file:

```yaml
oteloperator:
  enabled: true
```

:::hint{type="warning"}
If you've already installed the agent, please **uninstall it first**: `helm uninstall -n devopsnow devopsnow-agent` and then re-install. 

The OTel Operator chart installs CRDs, and Helm (*out of [best practice](https://helm.sh/docs/chart_best_practices/custom_resource_definitions/)*) only installs CRDs at install time; they are ignored during `helm upgrade ...`
:::



- After the agent is installed, simply add the following **annotation** to your *Pod* (depending on the language of your app):

### Java

```shell
instrumentation.opentelemetry.io/inject-java: devopsnow/devopsnow-agent-otel-operator-instrumentation
```

### NodeJS

```shell
instrumentation.opentelemetry.io/inject-nodejs: devopsnow/devopsnow-agent-otel-operator-instrumentation
```

### Python

```shell
instrumentation.opentelemetry.io/inject-python: devopsnow/devopsnow-agent-otel-operator-instrumentation
```

:::hint{type="info"}
Only the *`key`* changes per language. The *`value`* is the same (an `Instrumentation` spec which was created during Step (1) - pointing to your OpenTelemetry Collector)
:::

For **example**, a sample NodeJS app may have the following annotation:

```yaml
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  ...
spec:
  ...
  template:
    metadata:
      annotations:
        instrumentation.opentelemetry.io/inject-nodejs: "devopsnow/devopsnow-agent-otel-operator-instrumentation"
  ...
```

- Once rolled out, you'll begin seeing traces come into `Grafana Explore` under the `Traces` data source. You can also use the `APM Insights` dashboard in Grafana to get high level insights into your application traces.