operator-sdk VS spicedb-operator

operator-sdk: brew install operator-sdk

The operator that I've been working on is designed to manage the full lifecycle of a QuestDB database instance, including version and hardware upgrades, config changes, backups, and (eventually) recovery from node failure. I used the Operator SDK and kubebuilder frameworks to provide scaffolding and API support.

I've recently been working on an operator (built using the operator-sdk) that manages cluster node lifecycles. Kind allows you to spin up clusters with multiple nodes, using a Docker container per-node and joining them using a common Docker network. However, the kind executable does not allow you to modify an existing cluster by adding or removing a node.

To illustrate what we can do with an operator, I will create a proof of concept using operator-sdk. According to the official website::

Besides the frameworks TFA lists, you can also build Operators in Ansible or Helm.

https://sdk.operatorframework.io/

Operator SDK is basically just a thin wrapper for kube-builder

You mean the Operator SDK? https://sdk.operatorframework.io

yes I agree with youu, an issue has been opened on the operator-sdk github page regarding this topic https://github.com/operator-framework/operator-sdk/issues/6117

This is a common frustration of mine as well!

In the latest release of the spicedb-operator[0], I added a feature that allows users to specify arbitrary patches over operator-managed resources directly in the API (examples in the link).

There are some other projects like Kyverno and Gatekeeper that try to do this generically with mutating webhooks, but embedding a `patches` API into the operator itself gives the operator a chance to ensure the changes are within some reasonable guardrails.

[0]: https://github.com/authzed/spicedb-operator/releases/tag/v1....