Getting Started
Learn how to access and use the SRE CLI with AI assistance.
Opening the SRE CLI
- Look for the SRE CLI button in the bottom-right corner of any page
- Click the button to open the terminal
Selecting a Cluster
To use the SRE CLI with AI, you first need to select a specific cluster to work with.
If you haven’t added a cluster yet, go to Add Cluster first. If you already have a cluster, just click the Connect button next to it.
Note: The first connection may take some time, as a pod is being created to read your Kubernetes cluster.
Authenticating with AI
After connecting to a cluster, you need to authenticate with an AI provider.
Available AI providers:
| Provider | Description |
|---|---|
| DashScope OAuth (Qwen) | Alibaba’s Qwen AI - A free option |
| Google Gemini API Key | Google’s Gemini AI |
| OpenAI API Key | ChatGPT / GPT-4 |
| OpenRouter API Key | Access multiple AI models |
| DeepSeek API Key | DeepSeek AI |
| Anthropic Claude API Key | Claude AI |
Tip: For free usage or testing, we recommend DashScope (Qwen) - it works very well and doesn’t require payment.
Your First Query
Once connected and authenticated, you’ll see a prompt. Try asking:
“What is the status of my cluster?”
The AI will analyze your cluster and provide a summary of:
- Node health
- Running pods
- Any issues detected
Asking Questions
You can ask questions in natural language. Some examples:
Checking resources:
“How many pods are running in production?”
“Show me all deployments”
“What services are exposed?”
Troubleshooting:
“Why is pod xyz failing?”
“Show me the logs from nginx”
“What errors happened in the last hour?”
Security:
“Run a vulnerability scan”
“Check compliance status”
“Who has admin access?”
Tips for Better Results
Be Specific
Instead of:
“Show me pods”
Try:
“Show me pods in the production namespace that are not running”
Ask Follow-up Questions
The AI remembers the conversation context:
“Show me failing pods”
AI shows 3 failing pods
“Show me the logs from the first one”
AI knows which pod you mean
Use Natural Language
You don’t need special commands. Just describe what you want:
“I need to find out why the api service is slow”
Switching Clusters
To work with a different cluster:
- Close the current connection (click Disconnect or type
exit) - Select a different cluster from the dropdown
- Click Connect
Closing the Terminal
- Click the X button to close
- Or type
exitin the terminal
Your session is preserved - the pod stays active for a while so reconnecting is fast.
Troubleshooting
Connection Takes Too Long
The first connection to a cluster takes some time because a pod needs to be created. Subsequent connections are faster.
”Permission Denied” Error
Make sure your user has the AI permission enabled. Contact your administrator.
AI Not Responding
- Check your internet connection
- Try disconnecting and reconnecting
- If using a custom AI provider, verify your API key is valid
Next Steps
- What You Can Do - Full list of capabilities
- Examples - See practical examples