Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM)
A tool to help manage the Operators running on your cluster.
Overview
The Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM) is a component of the Operator Framework, an open source toolkit to manage Kubernetes native applications, called Operators. OLM provides a declarative way to install, manage, and upgrade Operators and their dependencies. It handles packaging, discovery, and versioning of Operators, effectively acting as a package manager for these complex, stateful applications.
✨ Key Features
- Declarative Operator management
- Automatic dependency resolution
- Over-the-air updates and catalog management
- Manages CRDs and RBAC permissions
- UI integration with OpenShift and OKD
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Focus on managing Operators, not just resources
- Automated lifecycle management (updates, dependencies)
- Deep integration with the Operator Framework
Unique Value: Provides a robust, automated framework for managing the entire lifecycle of Kubernetes Operators, which are essential for running complex, stateful applications.
🎯 Use Cases (4)
✅ Best For
- The core component for managing Operators within Red Hat OpenShift.
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Managing simple, stateless applications (Helm or Kustomize may be simpler)
- Deploying applications that do not have an Operator
🏆 Alternatives
While Helm can deploy an Operator, OLM is specifically designed to manage the Operator's lifecycle, including updates, dependency management, and cataloging, which Helm does not do out-of-the-box.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Fully open-source and free.
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