Adding and Removing Clusters

In this guide, you’ll master Kubernetes cluster management using Lens. You will learn to:

• Launch the Lens application
• Add a cluster automatically via detected kubeconfig
• Add a cluster manually with a pasted kubeconfig
• View and customize cluster settings
• Enable and explore Lens Metrics powered by Prometheus
• Utilize the built-in smart terminal
• Navigate cluster overview and inspect pod details
• Edit a live pod manifest in the UI
• Create, view, and scale an Nginx deployment
• Remove a cluster from Lens safely

Launching Lens

Start the Lens desktop application to reach the Home screen, where you can connect and manage multiple Kubernetes clusters.

Adding a Cluster Automatically

1. Click Browse Clusters in the catalog sidebar.
2. Lens scans your system for kubeconfig files.
3. Select a detected cluster (e.g., minikube) and hit Open.

Once added, Lens presents performance metrics over the last hour using a built-in Prometheus dashboard:

Adding a Cluster Manually

If your kubeconfig isn’t auto-detected, you can paste it directly:

1. Navigate to File → Add Cluster.
2. Paste the full kubeconfig YAML into the editor.
3. Click Add Cluster to register it in Lens.

Viewing and Configuring Cluster Settings

Select your cluster and open Settings to:

• Rename the cluster (e.g., Edwards Performance Cluster)
• Upload a custom icon
• Manage namespace visibility
• Configure HTTP/HTTPS proxy
• Tweak metrics collection intervals

Enabling Lens Metrics

Under the Metrics tab, install a Prometheus monitoring stack to get detailed resource insights:

Click Enable next to each component to deploy it on your cluster.

Smart Terminal

Lens’ built-in terminal automatically switches context to the active cluster. No extra kubectl config use-context commands are needed when you switch clusters in the UI.

Cluster Overview

The Overview dashboard gives you a high-level look at all workloads:

Pod Details and Logs

Click Pods to inspect each pod’s metrics over the last hour—CPU, memory, network I/O, and filesystem usage. You can also:

• exec or attach to a pod shell
• View container logs
• Edit the live manifest

Editing a Pod Manifest

Hit Edit, modify the YAML in place, then Save to apply changes instantly:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: kube-apiserver-minikube
  namespace: kube-system
  labels:
    tier: control-plane
  annotations:
    kubedam.kubernetes.io/kube-apiserver.advertise-address.endpoint: "192.168.49.2:8443"
    kubernetes.io/config.hash: e30e12caf2cdbac2939b18e4
    kubernetes.io/config.mirror: e30e12caf2cdbac2939b18e4
    kubernetes.io/config.seam: "2021-08-24T18:07:09Z"
    kubernetes.io/config.source: file
ownerReferences:
  - apiVersion: v1
    kind: Node
    name: minikube
    uid: 7deb6c0a-5ab5-46b9-8975-ec5398777a71
    controller: true
    blockOwnerDeletion: true

Creating an Nginx Deployment

Lens simplifies resource creation—no CLI required. Select Add Resource and paste:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: nginx-deployment
  labels:
    app: nginx
spec:
  replicas: 3
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: nginx
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: nginx
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: nginx
        image: nginx:1.14.2
        ports:
        - containerPort: 80

Click Create & Close. Once the deployment is live, select nginx-deployment to view its status and annotations:

kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration: >
  {"apiVersion":"apps/v1","kind":"Deployment","metadata":{"annotations":{},"name":"nginx-deployment","namespace":"default"},"spec":{"replicas":3,"selector":{"matchLabels":{"app":"nginx"}},"template":{"metadata":{"labels":{"app":"nginx"}},"spec":{"containers":[{"name":"nginx","image":"nginx:1.14.2","ports":[{"containerPort":80}]}]}}}}

Scaling the Deployment

1. Select your nginx-deployment.
2. Click the Scale icon.
3. Adjust the replica count slider or input a number.

Lens will automatically reflect new pods under Pods as they come online:

Removing a Cluster

When you no longer need a cluster in Lens:

• Right-click the cluster icon in the sidebar.
• Select Delete to remove its kubeconfig entry and dashboards.

After removal, your Lens Home screen will show no connected clusters.

Further Reading and References

• Lens Documentation
• Kubernetes Basics
• Prometheus Official Site

For advanced cluster operations, explore the Kubernetes API Reference.