Resource Model

Overview

The gNMIc Operator uses a set of Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) to model telemetry infrastructure. The resources are designed to be composable and reusable.

Resource Hierarchy

Separation of Concerns

Each resource type handles a single concern:

Resource Selection

Resources can be selected by the Pipeline in two ways:

Direct References

Explicit list of resource names:

spec:
  targetRefs:
    - router1
    - router2
    - switch1

Label Selectors

Select resources by labels:

spec:
  targetSelectors:
    - matchLabels:
        vendor: vendorA
        role: core

Union Semantics

Multiple selectors are combined with OR logic:

spec:
  targetSelectors:
    # Select vendorA devices OR vendorB devices
    - matchLabels:
        vendor: vendorA
    - matchLabels:
        vendor: vendorB

This selects targets matching either selector.

Relationships

Pipeline → Targets → Subscriptions

Each target in a pipeline gets all subscriptions from that pipeline:

# Pipeline selects targets and subscriptions
Pipeline:
  targets: [T1, T2]
  subscriptions: [S1, S2]

# Result: Each target gets both subscriptions
T1.subscriptions = [S1, S2]
T2.subscriptions = [S1, S2]

Subscription → Outputs

Each subscription sends data to all outputs in the same pipeline:

# Pipeline connects subscriptions to outputs
Pipeline:
  subscriptions: [S1, S2]
  outputs: [O1, O2]

# Result: Each subscription sends to both outputs
S1.outputs = [O1, O2]
S2.outputs = [O1, O2]

Input → Outputs

Inputs send received data to all outputs in the same pipeline:

# Pipeline connects inputs to outputs
Pipeline:
  inputs: [I1]
  outputs: [O1, O2]

# Result: Input sends to both outputs
I1.outputs = [O1, O2]

TunnelTargetPolicy → Subscriptions

For gRPC tunnel mode, TunnelTargetPolicies match devices that connect to the collector and apply subscriptions:

# Pipeline connects tunnel policies to subscriptions
Pipeline:
  tunnelTargetPolicies: [P1, P2]
  subscriptions: [S1, S2]

# Result: Devices matching P1 or P2 get subscriptions S1 and S2

Note: TunnelTargetPolicies require the referenced Cluster to have grpcTunnel configured.

Cross-Pipeline Aggregation

Resources can participate in multiple pipelines. The operator aggregates relationships across all pipelines:

# Pipeline A
targets: [T1]
subscriptions: [S1]
outputs: [O1]

# Pipeline B  
targets: [T1]  # Same target!
subscriptions: [S2]
outputs: [O2]

# Result: T1 gets subscriptions from both pipelines
T1.subscriptions = [S1, S2]

# S1 goes to O1, S2 goes to O2
S1.outputs = [O1]
S2.outputs = [O2]

This enables flexible architectures where:

• Different teams own different pipelines
• Same device can serve multiple use cases
• Configuration changes are isolated to specific pipelines