Core Concepts
Understand the fundamental concepts behind knodex
knodex and KRO
knodex is a web interface for Kubernetes Resource Orchestrator (KRO). Understanding the relationship between them is essential:
| Component | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| KRO | Defines and manages ResourceGraphDefinitions (RGDs) and their instances |
| knodex | Provides a UI to browse RGDs and deploy instances |
To understand RGDs and instances, refer to the official KRO documentation:
- What is KRO? - Introduction to Kubernetes Resource Orchestrator
- ResourceGraphDefinitions - How RGDs define resource templates
- Instances - How instances are created from RGDs
knodex does not manage the lifecycle of instances or underlying resources. It only provides a convenient interface for deployment.
knodex-Specific Concepts
The following concepts are specific to knodex:
Projects
Projects provide multi-tenant isolation for your team:
- Each project has its own namespace for deploying instances
- Users belong to one or more projects with specific roles
- RGDs can be scoped to specific projects or shared globally
See Project Management for details.
RBAC Roles
knodex uses role-based access control within projects:
| Role | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Global Admin | Full access to all resources and settings across all projects |
| Platform Admin | Manage project members, repositories, and all instances within a project |
| Developer | Deploy and manage instances within a project |
| Viewer | Read-only access to catalog and instances |
See RBAC Setup for configuration details.
Deployment Modes
When deploying an instance through knodex, you can choose how it's applied:
| Mode | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Direct | Apply directly to Kubernetes cluster | Development, quick iterations |
| GitOps | Commit manifest to Git repository for ArgoCD/Flux | Production with audit trail |
| Hybrid | Deploy to cluster AND commit to Git | Staging with immediate feedback |
See Deployment Modes for details.
Next: Getting Started to begin using knodex.