Deploy Confluent Platform using Confluent for Kubernetes¶

After you complete all the required configuration tasks, deploy Confluent Platform components as described in this topic.

Specify the Confluent Platform images and version to deploy¶

For the Confluent Platform components you want to deploy, specify the Docker image names and the version tags in the components custom resources (CRs).

See Confluent Docker Image Reference for the list of Confluent images.

The tags are the version of Confluent Platform. For example, for ZooKeeper version 7.4.5, set application: confluentinc/cp-zookeeper:7.4.5 in the ZooKeeper CR.
Specify the init container in spec.image.init:. The tag of the init container is the version of Confluent for Kubernetes (CFK).

To deploy the 6.2.0 and later versions of Confluent Platform, you must use the confluent-init-container instead of the legacy cp-init-container-operator.

An example ZooKeeper CR to deploy ZooKeeper 7.4.5 with CFK 2.6.5:
```
apiVersion: platform.confluent.io/v1beta1
kind: Zookeeper
metadata:
  name: zookeeper
  namespace: confluent
spec:
  image:
    application: confluentinc/cp-zookeeper:7.4.5
    init: confluentinc/confluent-init-container:2.6.5
```

See how to specify different Confluent Platform versions in the component custom resources.

Deploy Confluent Platform¶

Apply the Confluent Platform CR configurations. You can apply one configuration file for all Confluent Platform components, or apply multiple configuration files for individual Confluent Platform component.
```
kubectl apply -f <CR>
```
Check that all Confluent Platform resources are successfully deployed:
```
kubectl get pods
```

Validate deployment¶

After you set up your Confluent Platform environment, validate the deployment, starting with the following list:

Pods are running and healthy
Services are deployed
Control Center is accessible and monitors Kafka and other components
Client can create topics

Refer to the Confluent for Kubernetes example Git Hub repo for sample steps to validate a basic deployment. You can also review the other scenarios for validating various deployment configurations, such as with various external access methods and security setups.