Kestra is an infinitely scalable orchestration and scheduling platform that allows you to declare, run, schedule, and monitor millions of workflows declaratively in code.

Features

Declarative YAML: Define workflows in simple YAML syntax
Event-Driven: Trigger workflows based on events, schedules, or APIs
Multi-Language Support: Execute Python, Node.js, Shell, SQL, and more
Real-Time Monitoring: Live logs and execution tracking
Plugin Ecosystem: Extensive library of integrations
Version Control: Git integration for workflow versioning
Scalable: Handle millions of workflow executions

Quick Start

Copy .env.example to .env:
```
cp .env.example .env
```
(Optional) Edit .env to customize settings, especially if enabling basic auth
Start Kestra:
```
docker compose up -d
```
Wait for services to be ready (check with docker compose logs -f kestra)
Access Kestra UI at http://localhost:8080

Default Configuration

Service	Port	Description
Kestra	8080	Web UI and API
Kestra Management	8081	Management endpoints
PostgreSQL	5432	Database (internal)

Authentication: No authentication by default. Set KESTRA_BASIC_AUTH_ENABLED=true in .env to enable basic authentication.

Environment Variables

Key environment variables (see .env.example for full list):

Variable	Description	Default
`KESTRA_VERSION`	Kestra image version	`latest-full`
`KESTRA_PORT_OVERRIDE`	Host port for UI/API	`8080`
`KESTRA_MANAGEMENT_PORT`	Management port	`8081`
`POSTGRES_DB`	Database name	`kestra`
`POSTGRES_USER`	Database user	`kestra`
`POSTGRES_PASSWORD`	Database password	`k3str4`
`KESTRA_BASIC_AUTH_ENABLED`	Enable basic auth	`false`
`KESTRA_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME`	Auth username	`admin`
`KESTRA_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD`	Auth password	`admin`
`TZ`	Timezone	`UTC`

Resource Requirements

Minimum:

CPU: 1 core
RAM: 1GB
Disk: 5GB

Recommended:

CPU: 2+ cores
RAM: 2GB+
Disk: 20GB+

Volumes

postgres_data: PostgreSQL database data
kestra_data: Kestra storage (workflow outputs, files)
kestra_logs: Kestra application logs

Using Kestra

Creating a Workflow

Access the UI at http://localhost:8080
Go to "Flows" and click "Create"

Define your workflow in YAML:

id: hello-world
namespace: company.team

tasks:
  - id: hello
    type: io.kestra.plugin.core.log.Log
    message: Hello, World!

Save and execute

Using the API

Example: List flows

curl http://localhost:8080/api/v1/flows/search

Example: Trigger execution

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/v1/executions/company.team/hello-world

CLI

Install Kestra CLI:

curl -o kestra https://github.com/kestra-io/kestra/releases/latest/download/kestra
chmod +x kestra

Docker Task Runner

Kestra can execute tasks in Docker containers. The compose file mounts /var/run/docker.sock to enable this feature. Use the io.kestra.plugin.scripts.runner.docker.Docker task type.

Security Considerations

Authentication: Enable basic auth or configure SSO (OIDC) for production
Database Passwords: Use strong passwords for PostgreSQL
Docker Socket: Mounting Docker socket grants container control; ensure proper security
Network Access: Restrict access with firewall rules
SSL/TLS: Use reverse proxy with HTTPS in production

Upgrading

To upgrade Kestra:

Update KESTRA_VERSION in .env

Pull and restart:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Check logs:
```
docker compose logs -f kestra
```

Troubleshooting

Service won't start:

Check logs: docker compose logs kestra
Verify database: docker compose ps postgres
Ensure Docker socket is accessible

Cannot execute Docker tasks:

Verify /var/run/docker.sock is mounted
Check Docker daemon is running
Review task logs in Kestra UI

Performance issues:

Increase resource limits in .env
Check database performance
Monitor Java heap usage (adjust KESTRA_JAVA_OPTS)

References

Official Website: https://kestra.io
Documentation: https://kestra.io/docs
GitHub: https://github.com/kestra-io/kestra
Community: https://kestra.io/slack
Plugin Hub: https://kestra.io/plugins

License

Kestra is licensed under Apache-2.0. See LICENSE for more information.