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Demo System for Vidra Operator

· 3 min read
Simon Linder
Simon Linder
Vidra maintainer
Ramon Stutz
Ramon Stutz
Vidra maintainer

🚀 From Zero to GitOps: Spinning Up the Infrahub + Vidra Demo in Codespaces​

Are you curious about how modern infrastructure modeling meets hands-off Kubernetes deployment? The infrahub-vidra-demo is your playground! In this post, we’ll walk through how you can launch a complete, production-like GitOps environment—right in your browser, with no local setup—using GitHub Codespaces.

Why This Demo?​

Traditional GitOps workflows often require you to handcraft YAML files and wire up complex pipelines. With Infrahub and Vidra, you get a streamlined, user-friendly approach: model your infrastructure visually, let Vidra handle the deployment, and enjoy full traceability—all in a few clicks.

Step 1: Launch Codespaces and Initialize​

Start by opening the demo repository in GitHub Codespaces. Just hit the green “Code” button and select “Open with Codespaces”. Once your environment is ready, initialize everything with:

task init

This single command spins up a local kind Kubernetes cluster and installs Infrahub, Vidra Operator, Vidra CLI, and a self-service frontend. No Docker, no Kubernetes setup—just code.

Verify that Vidra Operator is running:

kubectl get pod -n vidra-system
note

Heads up: Shell completion and the k alias might not work in Codespaces, so use the full kubectl command.

Step 2: Explore the UI​

  • Open the Ports tab in Codespaces.
  • Click the globe icon for port 8000 (Infrahub) and 5001 (Frontend).
  • In the frontend, submit a webserver request like test/test. This action creates a proposed change in Infrahub.
  • Log in to Infrahub (admin / infrahub), review, and merge the proposed change. Artifacts are generated and ready for deployment.

Step 3: Sync with Vidra​

Bring your modeled infrastructure to life in the cluster:

host_ip=$(hostname -I | awk '{print $1}')
vidra-cli credentials apply https://${host_ip} --username admin --password infrahub
vidra-cli infrahubsync apply "http://${host_ip}:8000" -a Webserver_Manifest -b main -N default -e

If you’re running locally (not in Codespaces), you can use:

task vidra-add-sync

Step 4: Dive Deeper​

Want to see what Vidra is managing? Try:

kubectl get infrahubsyncs.infrahub.operators.com -o yaml
kubectl get vidraresources.infrahub.operators.com
kubectl get vidraresources.infrahub.operators.com -o yaml
kubectl get <kind> <name> -n <namespace>

Or launch k9s for a terminal UI:

k9s

Step 5: Forward to the Webserver​

To access the deployed webserver, forward the service port:

kubectl port-forward svc/svc-test 8080:80 -n ns-test

List all available tasks with:

task

Final Thoughts​

This demo isn’t just a quickstart—it’s a glimpse into the future of infrastructure management. Model your systems in Infrahub, let Vidra automate the deployment, and manage everything through intuitive UIs. Whether you’re a platform engineer or just exploring GitOps, this Codespaces-powered demo is the fastest way to experience the workflow.

Ready to try it? Jump in, experiment, and see how easy GitOps can be!