Skip to main content
Before diving into the demo, let’s explore the key tools, installation approaches, and observability options for Cilium on Kubernetes.

​
1. Cilium CLI: Your Primary Management Tool

The Cilium CLI is the go-to command-line utility for installing, managing, and troubleshooting Cilium:
  • View the overall status of Cilium components
  • Verify network connectivity across endpoints
  • Run built-in network tests
  • Enable Hubble for deep observability
  • Install Cilium and addons
The image shows a diagram titled "Installation Options and Components" with icons representing a management tool and various Cilium commands: status, connectivity test, hubble enable, and install.
# Check the health of your Cilium cluster
cilium status

# Run a connectivity test between pods
cilium connectivity test

# Enable Hubble for network observability
cilium hubble enable

# Install Cilium into your Kubernetes cluster
cilium install
The Cilium CLI v0.14+ supports both direct CLI installs and Helm-style deployments, giving you full flexibility.

​
2. Installation Methods: CLI vs. Helm

Cilium can be installed in two interchangeable ways:
Installation MethodCommand ExampleBenefits
Cilium CLIcilium installAll-in-one tool; built-in validation
Helm Charthelm install cilium cilium/cilium --version 1.x.yFamiliar Helm workflow; chart config
The image shows logos for "Cilium" and "Helm" under the title "Installation Options and Components," with a note about the benefits for Helm users who also use the Cilium CLI.
In this demo, we’ll walk through both methods side by side.

​
3. Observability with Hubble

Hubble provides real-time visibility into network flows, service dependencies, and security policies. You can enable it:
  • During Cilium installation: 
    cilium install --enable-hubble
  • After Cilium is up and running: 
    cilium hubble enable
You must install Cilium before enabling Hubble, as Hubble relies on core Cilium components.
To interact with Hubble: 
# Install Hubble CLI
curl -L --remote-name https://github.com/cilium/hubble-cli/releases/latest/download/hubble-linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar xzvf hubble-linux-amd64.tar.gz
sudo mv hubble /usr/local/bin/

# Check Hubble status
hubble status

# Stream live network events
hubble observe

Watch Video