Procedure for enabling Agent DEBUG mode in a Kubernetes environment

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Ted Feyler
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In order to enable DEBUG mode when running the Agent as a Kubernetes Daemonset, the following procedure should be applied:

  1. Edit the instana-agent.yaml file and add the contents of the org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg file to the instana-configuration ConfigMap after the configuration.yaml file definition (make sure to properly name the file definition and indent)
  2. Change the value of the log4j2.logger.instana.level from INFO to DEBUG within that section.
  3. Within the volumeMounts definitions in the Daemonset section, add an additional subPath and mountPath to the volumeMount named configuration:

                    subPath: org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg
                    mountPath: /root/org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg

After making these changes, delete and reapply the Daemonset. You can verify DEBUG mode is enabled by using the Agent Management Screen in the Instana UI or checking the Agent logs.

If the Agent is deployed using the Helm Chart, please follow this procedure;

  1. Edit the templates/configmap.yaml and add the contents of the org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg file to the end (make sure to properly name the file definition and indent).
  2. Change the value of the log4j2.logger.instana.level from INFO to DEBUG within that section.
  3. Edit the templates/daemonset.yaml and add an additional subPath and mountPath to the volumeMount named configuration in the volumeMounts section:

                    subPath: org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg
                    mountPath: /root/org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg

After making these changes, purge and install the Helm Chart. You can verify DEBUG mode is enabled by using the Agent Management Screen in the Instana UI or checking the Agent logs.

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Comments

  • Avatar
    Luke Philips

    The "entire contents" of the cfg file is like this:
    https://github.com/instana/instana-agent-docker/blob/master/org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg

    do we place all contents or can one line suffice? this is within configuration.yaml or another file in data:?

    would it look something like:

    apiVersion: v1 
    kind: ConfigMap 
    metadata: 
      name: {{ template "instana-agent.baseName" . }}-configuration 
      labels: 
        {{- include "instana-agent.helmChartLabels" . | nindent 4 }} 
    data: 
      configuration.yaml: | 
        # other config.. 
        # 
        # logger: 
        org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg: 
          log4j2.logger.instana.level: 'DEBUG'

    or like:

    apiVersion: v1 
    kind: ConfigMap 
    metadata: 
      name: {{ template "instana-agent.baseName" . }}-configuration 
      labels: 
        {{- include "instana-agent.helmChartLabels" . | nindent 4 }} 
    data: 
      configuration.yaml: | 
        # other config.. 
        #

      org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg: | 
        # logger: 
        log4j2.logger.instana.level: 'DEBUG'
    Edited by Luke Philips
  • Avatar
    Luke Philips

    It's option two with the entire contents of the cfg file

    Edited by Luke Philips
  • Avatar
    Luis Sanchez

    Hi, in step 3, definition of subpath and mountPath we write the following:
    - name: logger
    subPath: org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg
    mountPath: /root/org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg

    The deployment failed with an error "Not found: "logger""

    What's the right way to include it ?

  • Avatar
    Luke Philips

    daemonset.yaml:
    in spec.spec.containers.volumeMounts:
    - name: logger
    subPath: org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg
    mountPath: /root/org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg

    then in spec.spec.volumes:
    - name: logger
    configMap:
    name: {{ template "instana-agent.baseName" . }}-configuration

    Edited by Luke Philips
  • Avatar
    Luis Sanchez

    Thank you Ted, let's try your tip.

  • Avatar
    Luis Sanchez

    Thank you Luke :-)

  • Avatar
    Mariano Dominguez

    Hello. it seems that /root/ is ignored by agent in container in latest versions
    I was able to switch it by mounting over the original file

    - name: logger
    subPath: org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg
    mountPath: /opt/instana/agent/etc/org.ops4j.pax.logging.cfg
    I can see debug messages in the log, but agent manager still reports agent level as info

    Edited by Mariano Dominguez
  • Avatar
    Vladimir Hudjan

    It is possible to enable debug with singe env variable now:
    name:"INSTANA_LOG_LEVEL"
    value: "=either INFO, DEBUG, TRACE, ERROR or OFF; default is INFO"

  • Avatar
    Cale Cohee

    Can this runbook be updated with that information above?
    I've been referred to this page many times by support and have always been frustrated with the time I've spent unsuccessfully following these steps. Didn't realize the correct procedure was actually hidden in the comments section.