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Metrics & health

Kubus reads CPU and memory from metrics-server and keeps a short rolling history, so you get little trend charts rather than a single instantaneous number.

CPU and memory history charts for a pod CPU and memory history charts for a pod
Live CPU/memory history right in the details drawer.

Where you'll see metrics

  • Metrics page: the sidebar entry below Topology, with cluster-wide CPU/memory trends, per-node lines, top pods, and a per-namespace breakdown for every selected cluster. If a cluster has no metrics-server yet, the page offers a one-click install instead.
  • Details drawer → Metrics tab: live CPU/memory charts for Pods and Nodes, with the current value called out.
  • Resource lists: CPU and memory columns on the Pods list.
  • Overview dashboard: a per-node usage table. More →
The cluster-wide Metrics page The cluster-wide Metrics page
The Metrics page: cluster trends, per-node lines and top pods.

History accumulates while Kubus is open, so the first samples appear within ~20 seconds of opening a chart and fill in from there.

Installing metrics-server from Kubus

If a cluster has no metrics-server, Kubus can install it for you without kubectl or Helm:

  • On the Overview page, the Node usage card shows an Install metrics-server button whenever usage data is unavailable.
  • The install dialog has one option: Skip kubelet TLS verification (--kubelet-insecure-tls). Enable it on local/dev clusters such as kind, minikube and docker-desktop, whose kubelets serve self-signed certificates.

Kubus applies the official pinned components.yaml (Deployment, Service, RBAC and the metrics.k8s.io APIService in kube-system) via server-side apply, and labels the resources as managed by Kubus. Graphs appear within a minute of the pod becoming ready. Re-running the install is safe: it re-applies the same manifest, which also repairs a broken install.

To remove it again, use the Uninstall button in the Metrics page header. If the metrics-server wasn't installed by Kubus (k3s bundles one; cloud distributions often manage their own), Kubus warns you first, since your distribution may recreate it or expect removal through its own tooling.

If you prefer the CLI, the equivalent manual install is:

kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/metrics-server/releases/latest/download/components.yaml

Without metrics-server

Kubus hides the charts and shows "Metrics unavailable". Every other feature works normally.

Controlling refresh

Metrics, events and the overview poll on a timer. You can speed that up or dial it back (or turn polling off) under Settings → Data & refresh. Watched lists stay live over their WebSocket regardless of this setting.

See also