--- title: "Configure Kubernetes Monitoring with Helm chart | Grafana Cloud documentation" description: "Introduction to configuring Kubernetes Monitoring with Grafana Kubernetes Monitoring Helm chart using Alloy, including available platforms and activating your Grafana Cloud account." --- > For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt). # Configure Kubernetes Monitoring with Helm chart Kubernetes Monitoring deploys the most recent version of the [Grafana Kubernetes Monitoring Helm chart](https://github.com/grafana/k8s-monitoring-helm/tree/main/charts/k8s-monitoring) to your Cluster. To learn how the Helm chart configuration works, refer to [Helm chart overview](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-infrastructure/kubernetes-monitoring/configuration/helm-chart-config/helm-chart/). First, activate Kubernetes Monitoring in Grafana Cloud. Then choose a configuration method, run the Helm command on your Cluster, and confirm that data is flowing. Activation alone doesn’t start billing. Billing begins when your Cluster sends `kube-state-metrics` data. Deploy the Helm chart using one of these methods: Expand table | Method | What it does | Choose this when | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | [Configuration wizard](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-infrastructure/kubernetes-monitoring/configuration/helm-chart-config/hc-config-steps/) | Walks you through deployment choices in Grafana Cloud, then generates the Helm values and deployment command for you to copy and run. | You want a guided setup focused on monitoring your Kubernetes infrastructure. | | [Manual values file](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-infrastructure/kubernetes-monitoring/configuration/helm-chart-config/hc-manual-config/) | You write your own `values.yaml` file, and run the Helm install command. | You want full control over your values file from the start, or you manage deployments through your own scripts or a GitOps pipeline. | ## Available platforms You can install the Kubernetes Monitoring Helm chart on conformant Kubernetes clusters, including the following platforms: - Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) - EKS on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) - EKS on AWS Fargate - Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) - Broadcom VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) - Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) - GKE Standard - GKE Autopilot - IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service - Red Hat OpenShift - Self-managed Kubernetes On every platform, the Helm chart scrapes [`kubelet`](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/observe-and-act/monitor-infrastructure/kubernetes-monitoring/configuration/helm-chart-config/helm-chart/#infrastructure-metrics) and cAdvisor for container CPU and memory usage. Where Node CPU and memory usage comes from depends on the platform. Expand table | Platform | Source for Node CPU and memory usage | |---------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Kubernetes | [Node Exporter](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/observe-and-act/monitor-infrastructure/kubernetes-monitoring/configuration/manage-configuration/#node-exporter), which the chart deploys | | Amazon EKS on AWS Fargate | `kubelet` resource metrics. The chart doesn’t deploy Node Exporter because Fargate gives no access to the Node. | | AKS | Node Exporter, which the chart deploys | | GKE Autopilot | `kubelet` resource metrics. The chart doesn’t deploy Node Exporter because Autopilot doesn’t allow the privileged mounts it needs. | | IBM Cloud | Node Exporter, which the chart deploys | | OpenShift | The Node Exporter that OpenShift already runs in the `openshift-monitoring` namespace. The chart scrapes it, and the kube-state-metrics that OpenShift runs, instead of deploying its own. | | VKS | Node Exporter, which the chart deploys. The chart namespace must enforce the `privileged` Pod Security Standard; refer to [VKS security requirements](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/observe-and-act/monitor-infrastructure/kubernetes-monitoring/configuration/troubleshooting/#broadcom-vmware-vsphere-kubernetes-service-vks). | Pod logs come from the log files on each Node, except on Amazon EKS on AWS Fargate, where the chart reads them through the Kubernetes API. On VKS, deploy the chart into a namespace that enforces the `privileged` Pod Security Standard, so it can collect Pod logs and run Grafana Beyla. ## Activate and send data from your account To configure and use Kubernetes Monitoring, you must activate the product and start sending data to your account. Refer to [Activate and send data from your account](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-infrastructure/kubernetes-monitoring/configuration/activate/). ## Next steps Complete the configuration wizard on the **Cluster configuration** tab. Refer to [Configuration steps for Kubernetes Monitoring with Helm chart](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-infrastructure/kubernetes-monitoring/configuration/helm-chart-config/hc-config-steps/). To write your own values file instead of using the wizard, refer to [Configure Kubernetes Monitoring with a manual values file](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-infrastructure/kubernetes-monitoring/configuration/helm-chart-config/hc-manual-config/).