Kubernetes monitoring with Prometheus, the ultimate guide

Prometheus has become the preferred tool for monitoring Kubernetes environments, owing to its capabilities such as a multi-dimensional data model, accessible metrics format, service discovery, and modular components. This guide details how to implement Kubernetes monitoring with Prometheus, covering steps like deploying a Prometheus server, setting up metrics exporters, and configuring alerts with Alertmanager and dashboards with Grafana. It also discusses the advantages of Prometheus over traditional monitoring tools, particularly within the context of DevOps and containerized infrastructures, and explores how Prometheus handles challenges posed by ephemeral and dynamic entities in Kubernetes. The guide further explains how to install Prometheus in various ways, including using Helm charts and the Prometheus operator, and provides insights into monitoring Kubernetes clusters, nodes, and services using Prometheus exporters. Additionally, it highlights the importance of using tools like PromCat.io for managing Prometheus exporters and scaling Prometheus with tools such as Cortex and Thanos for complex environments.