Anchore Kubernetes Inventory

The Anchore Kubernetes Inventory (KAI), which is a core component of Anchore Enterprise's Runtime Inventory, addresses the critical security and operational challenge of maintaining visibility into the containers and images in use within Kubernetes clusters. This tool polls Kubernetes Cluster APIs to gather detailed information on currently running containers and images, ensuring that Anchore Enterprise has an up-to-date inventory.

Technically, KAI leverages Helm for deployment, making it straightforward to integrate into existing Kubernetes environments. It utilizes the Kubernetes API to collect data, which allows for real-time monitoring of container and image usage. The architecture is designed to be scalable, but it does come with operational considerations such as ensuring proper namespace handling and managing API request rates to avoid overwhelming the Kubernetes API server.

Operationally, KAI requires careful configuration to ensure it can access the necessary Kubernetes resources. This includes setting up the appropriate RBAC permissions and configuring the polling intervals to balance between real-time data and API load. Additionally, the tool's performance can be influenced by the size and complexity of the Kubernetes cluster, as well as the frequency of inventory updates.

From a technical standpoint, KAI is built using Go and utilizes standard Kubernetes APIs for data collection. It supports various Kubernetes versions and can be customized through user configuration files. However, it may encounter limitations such as dependency issues during deployment, as seen in some CI/CD pipelines where cache restoration can fail if the correct dependency files are not found.