Discover & Connect Cluster to Stackbooster

StackBooster Discover Cluster Guide #

Overview #

This guide walks you through connecting your first StackBooster-managed cluster on AWS using our AI DevOps agent copilot platform. You’ll make an AI-optimized cluster configuration that provides immediate cost savings and seamless cluster management.

Getting Started #

When you first access StackBooster, you’ll be presented with three main setup options:

  • Read-Only Agent (5 minutes) - AI reviews your setup and suggests improvements with no changes made
  • Discover Clusters (10 minutes) - Connect your cloud account to automatically discover existing clusters
  • Create First Cluster (10-15 minutes) - Start with an AI-optimized cluster configuration for immediate savings

This guide focuses on the Discover Cluster option, which provides seamless cluster connection and immediate cost savings.

Discover StackBooster cluster

Step 1: Add Your Cloud Account #

Account Configuration #

  1. Add Alias Name
    • Enter a friendly name for your cloud account
    • Examples: DemoAccount, production-aws, or your organization name
Add account alias

  1. Choose Cloud Provider

    • Select Amazon Web Services (AWS)

  2. Choose Permission Level

    • Read-Only Access (Discovery): Recommended for initial setup
    • Autoscaling Access: For automated scaling operations
    • Full Control (EKS Creation & Deletion): For complete cluster management
Select permissions

Deploy CloudFormation Stack #

  1. Review Template: Examine the CloudFormation template displayed in the UI
  2. Redirect to AWS: Click the “Redirect to AWS Console” button
    • Ensure you’re logged into the correct AWS account first
  3. Deploy Stack:
    • Review the template details in the AWS console
    • Under Capabilities, check: ☑️ “I acknowledge that AWS CloudFormation might create IAM resources”
    • Click “Create stack”
CloudFormation capabilities
  1. Return to StackBooster once the stack is successfully deployed
Account connecting

Step 2: Connect Existing Cluster #

Once your account is connected, StackBooster will automatically discover your clusters:

Select Your Cluster #

  • Review discovered clusters in the cluster list
  • View cluster details: K8s version, region, nodes, and expenses
  • Example: xyz-demo cluster in us-east-1 region
Select cluster

Step 3: Install StackBooster Agent #

Prerequisites #

Before you begin, ensure you have:

✅ Access to your Kubernetes cluster ✅ HELM package manager installed (v3.0+) ✅ kubectl configured with cluster admin permissions

Agent Installation #

After selecting your cluster, you’ll receive a Helm installation command:

  1. Copy the generated Helm command (use the copy button)
  2. Example command structure:
helm repo add stackbooster https://raw.githubusercontent.com/stackbooster/helm/main/charts \
  --force-update &&
helm upgrade --install stackbooster stackbooster/stackbooster-agent \
  --version 1.0.12 \
  --namespace stackbooster \
  --create-namespace \
  --set agentMode=readonly \
  --set apiUrl=https://api.dev.stackbooster.io \
  --set cloudProvider=aws \
  --set metricsfull.enabled=true \
  --set federation.enabled=false
  1. Open your terminal with kubectl access to your cluster
  2. Paste and execute the Helm command
  3. Click “Next” button
Helm installation

Step 4: Wait for Connection #

  • DO NOT close the browser tab
  • The system will wait while Helm deploys the agent
  • This typically takes 5-10 minutes
  • You’ll be automatically redirected when complete

✅ Post-Connection Steps #

Access Your Dashboard #

Once connected, you’ll be redirected to the main StackBooster interface where you can:

  • View cluster health metrics
  • Analyze resource utilization
  • Review AI-powered optimization suggestions
  • Monitor cost-saving opportunities

What Happens Next? #

  • 10-15 minutes: Full agent initialization
  • Immediate access: Most StackBooster features available
  • Read-only mode: No changes made to your cluster
  • Auto-discovery: Automatic detection of existing clusters

🔍 Verification #

To verify successful connection:

  1. Check Helm deployment status:
helm list -n stackbooster
kubectl get pods -n stackbooster
  1. All pods should be in Running state
  2. The StackBooster dashboard should display your cluster

🆘 Troubleshooting #

Connection Issues? #

  • Ensure kubectl has cluster-admin permissions
  • Verify Helm v3+ is installed: helm version
  • Check firewall allows outbound HTTPS to api.stackbooster.io

Need Help? #

  • Check pod logs: kubectl logs -n stackbooster -l app=stackbooster-agent
  • Review events: kubectl get events -n stackbooster

🎯 Next Steps #

After successful connection:

  1. Explore Dashboard: Navigate through cluster insights
  2. Review Suggestions: Check AI-powered optimization recommendations
  3. Plan Optimizations: Identify quick wins for cost and performance
  4. Upgrade Options: Consider full agent mode for automated optimizations

Time to Complete: ~10 minutes Cluster Impact: Read-only discovery mode Required Permissions: Cluster admin for Helm installation