How do I deploy LlamaIndex on Kubernetes?

Deploying LlamaIndex on Kubernetes involves containerizing the application, defining Kubernetes resources, and configuring the environment for scalability and reliability. Start by creating a Docker image that packages your LlamaIndex application. This requires writing a Dockerfile that installs Python dependencies (like llama-index and related libraries), copies your application code, and sets up the runtime environment. For example, your Dockerfile might include steps to install dependencies via pip, expose necessary ports, and define the command to start the service. Once the image is built, push it to a container registry like Docker Hub or a private registry accessible to your Kubernetes cluster.

Next, define Kubernetes manifests to deploy the application. A basic setup includes a Deployment, Service, and ConfigMap or Secrets. The Deployment specifies the number of replicas, container image, resource limits, and environment variables (e.g., API keys for LLM providers like OpenAI). For instance, if your LlamaIndex app requires an OpenAI API key, store it as a Kubernetes Secret and inject it into the container. A Service exposes the application internally or externally, depending on your use case—use a LoadBalancer type for public access or ClusterIP for internal communication. If your application relies on persistent data (e.g., indexed documents), configure a PersistentVolumeClaim to store data outside the pods.

Finally, optimize for scalability and observability. Use Horizontal Pod Autoscaling (HPA) to automatically adjust replica counts based on CPU or memory usage. Implement readiness and liveness probes in your Deployment to ensure pods are healthy and traffic is routed correctly. For monitoring, integrate tools like Prometheus and Grafana to track metrics such as request latency or error rates. Log aggregation with Fluentd or Loki helps troubleshoot issues. Test the deployment locally using kubectl port-forward before exposing it publicly, and consider using an Ingress controller (e.g., Nginx) for advanced routing. By following these steps, you’ll create a robust Kubernetes deployment for LlamaIndex that balances performance, scalability, and maintainability.