Prerequisites & Installation

Before deploying your first MonoVertex or Pipeline, set up the required tools and install the Numaflow controller.

Before You Begin: Prerequisites

To get started with Numaflow, ensure you have the following tools and setups ready:

Container Runtime

You need a container runtime to run container images. Choose one of the following options:

• Docker Desktop
• Podman

Local Kubernetes Cluster

Set up a local Kubernetes cluster using one of these tools:

• Docker Desktop Kubernetes
• k3d
• kind
• minikube

Kubernetes CLI (kubectl)

Install kubectl to manage your Kubernetes cluster. Follow the official guide for installation instructions. If you're unfamiliar with kubectl, refer to the kubectl Quick Reference Page for a list of commonly used commands.

Once these prerequisites are in place, you're ready to install Numaflow.

Installing Numaflow

Numaflow runs as a controller in your cluster. Installing it is a two-step process: create a namespace and apply the install manifest.

Create a namespace for Numaflow

kubectl create ns numaflow-system

Install Numaflow components

kubectl apply -n numaflow-system -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/numaproj/numaflow/main/config/install.yaml

That's all you need to deploy a MonoVertex. The Inter-Step Buffer Service is only required for Pipelines, so we install it later, on the Pipeline page.

Next Step

With Numaflow installed, continue to the MonoVertex guide to deploy the simplest possible workload.