[newrelic-logging] crashes on install if cluster name is not set

[maxlemieux]

Bug description

When installing the newrelic-logging chart as a standalone chart, the pods crash if the cluster name is not set.

Version of Helm and Kubernetes

Helm 3, Kubernetes 1.24.1

Which chart?

newrelic-logging 1.11.2

What happened?

Container goes into crashLoopBackOff with these logs:

~ k logs newrelic-logging-dnpr6 
Fluent Bit v1.9.4
* Copyright (C) 2015-2022 The Fluent Bit Authors
* Fluent Bit is a CNCF sub-project under the umbrella of Fluentd
* https://fluentbit.io

[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ warn] [env] variable ${CLUSTER_NAME} is used but not set
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ info] [fluent bit] version=1.9.4, commit=08de43e474, pid=1
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ info] [storage] version=1.2.0, type=memory-only, sync=normal, checksum=disabled, max_chunks_up=128
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ info] [cmetrics] version=0.3.1
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ info] [filter:kubernetes:kubernetes.0] https=1 host=kubernetes.default.svc.cluster.local port=443
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ info] [filter:kubernetes:kubernetes.0]  token updated
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ info] [filter:kubernetes:kubernetes.0] local POD info OK
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ info] [filter:kubernetes:kubernetes.0] testing connectivity with API server...
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ warn] [filter:kubernetes:kubernetes.0] could not get meta for POD minikube
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [error] [config map] property 'Record' expects 2 values (only 1 were found)
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [error] [lib] backend failed
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [error] [plugins/filter_record_modifier/filter_modifier.c:81 errno=25] Inappropriate ioctl for device
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [error] [filter:record_modifier:record_modifier.1] configuration error
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [error] Failed initialize filter record_modifier.1
[2022/07/29 20:17:55] [ info] [input] pausing tail.0

This error points to this area of config: https://github.com/newrelic/helm-charts/blob/master/charts/newrelic-logging/values.yaml#L102

What you expected to happen?

Expected container to start successfully.

How to reproduce it?

Following the current directions in the README will reproduce the issue:

helm install newrelic-logging newrelic/newrelic-logging --set licenseKey=MY_INGEST_LICENSE_KEY

Anything else we need to know?

Workaround: set cluster name, as:

helm install newrelic-logging newrelic/newrelic-logging --set licenseKey=MY_INGEST_LICENSE_KEY --set cluster=my-cluster

This results in a successful installation.

This issue may have been overlooked since the chart bundle typically has the cluster name set during guided installation.

[kang-makes]

Hi @maxlemieux,

The expected behavior we have in other charts is to fail in case cluster is not defined: https://github.com/newrelic/helm-charts/blob/master/library/common-library/templates/_cluster.tpl#L13

You can use the common library to have the same behavior as we have with the rest of the charts (common-library docs) like we have in nri-prometheus

[maxlemieux]

Thanks @kang-makes for the clarification. In that case, would it be reasonable for me to file a pull request to update the docs to include the global.cluster setting in the install command which is documented for the standalone newrelic-logging chart? That way, users who are arriving at the standalone chart docs will have a better experience until the common library is implemented.

[kang-makes]

In that case, would it be reasonable for me to file a pull request to update the docs to include the global.cluster setting in the install command which is documented for the standalone newrelic-logging chart?

I am trying to find the documentation you are talking about but I am not able to find it.

The thing here is that this is still a bug. In case global.cluster or cluster is not defined the chart should not even install and fail before the deployment happens.

On the other hand, any extra documentation is always welcome. But I cannot talk for the logging team, only for the common-library and expected behaviors compared to other charts we are maintaining.

[maxlemieux]

The docs with the suggested install command for Helm are here. Adding one of the cluster name settings to this command could be a workaround for now:

https://github.com/newrelic/helm-charts/tree/master/charts/newrelic-logging#install-using-the-helm-chart-recommended