docs: Improve Operator-related docs in how-to guides (feast-dev#5303)

docs: Improve Operator docs in how-to guides

Signed-off-by: Tommy Hughes <[email protected]>

Author: tchughesiv

docs/how-to-guides/running-feast-in-production.md

@@ -203,27 +203,48 @@ feature_vector = fs.get_online_features(
 ).to_dict()
 ```
 
-### 4.2. Deploy Feast feature servers on Kubernetes (Deprecated replaced by [feast-operator](../../infra/feast-operator/README.md))
+### 4.2. Deploy Feast feature servers on Kubernetes
 
-To deploy a Feast feature server on Kubernetes, you can use the included [helm chart + tutorial](https://github.com/feast-dev/feast/tree/master/infra/charts/feast-feature-server) (which also has detailed instructions and an example tutorial).
+To deploy a Feast feature server on Kubernetes, you should use the included [feast-operator](../../infra/feast-operator).
 
 **Basic steps**
-1. Install [kubectl](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-kubectl/) and [helm 3](https://helm.sh/)
-2. Add the Feast Helm repository and download the latest charts:
+1. Install [kubectl](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-kubectl/)
+2. Install the Operator
 
-```
-helm repo add feast-charts https://feast-helm-charts.storage.googleapis.com
-helm repo update
+```sh
+### Install the latest release -
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/feast-dev/feast/refs/heads/stable/infra/feast-operator/dist/install.yaml
+
+### OR, install a specific version -
+# kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/feast-dev/feast/refs/tags/<version>/infra/feast-operator/dist/install.yaml
 ```
 
-3. Run Helm Install
+3. Deploy a Feature Store
 
+```sh
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/feast-dev/feast/refs/heads/stable/infra/feast-operator/config/samples/v1alpha1_featurestore.yaml
+
+$ kubectl get feast
+NAME     STATUS   AGE
+sample   Ready    2m21s
 ```
-helm install feast-release feast-charts/feast-feature-server \
-    --set feature_store_yaml_base64=$(base64 feature_store.yaml)    
+
+The above will install a simple [FeatureStore CR](../../infra/feast-operator/docs/api/markdown/ref.md) like the following. By default, it will run the [Online Store feature server](../reference/feature-servers/python-feature-server.md) -
+```yaml
+apiVersion: feast.dev/v1alpha1
+kind: FeatureStore
+metadata:
+  name: sample
+spec:
+  feastProject: my_project
 ```
+{% hint style="success" %} More advanced FeatureStore CR examples can be found in the feast-operator [samples directory](../../infra/feast-operator/config/samples). {% endhint %}
+
+For first-time Operator users, it may be a good exercise to try the [Feast Operator Quickstart](../../examples/operator-quickstart). The quickstart will demonstrate some of the Operator's built-in features, e.g. git repos, `feast apply` jobs, etc.
+
+{% hint style="success" %} Important note: [Scaling a Feature Store Deployment](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/controllers/deployment/#scaling-a-deployment) should only be done if the configured data store(s) will support it.
 
-This will deploy a single service. The service must have read access to the registry file on cloud storage and to the online store (e.g. via [podAnnotations](https://kubernetes-on-aws.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user-guide/iam-roles.html)). It will keep a copy of the registry in their memory and periodically refresh it, so expect some delays in update propagation in exchange for better performance. 
+Please check the how-to guide for some specific recommendations on [how to scale Feast](./scaling-feast.md). {% endhint %}
 
 ## 5. Using environment variables in your yaml configuration
 

docs/reference/feature-servers/offline-feature-server.md

@@ -13,13 +13,21 @@ There is a CLI command that starts the Offline feature server: `feast serve_offl
 
 ## Deploying as a service on Kubernetes
 
-The Offline feature server can be deployed using helm chart see this [helm chart](https://github.com/feast-dev/feast/blob/master/infra/charts/feast-feature-server).
-
-User need to set `feast_mode=offline`, when installing Offline feature server as shown in the helm command below:
-
-```
-helm install feast-offline-server feast-charts/feast-feature-server --set feast_mode=offline  --set feature_store_yaml_base64=$(base64 > feature_store.yaml)
+See [this](../../how-to-guides/running-feast-in-production.md#42-deploy-feast-feature-servers-on-kubernetes) for an example on how to run Feast on Kubernetes using the Operator.
+
+The Offline feature server can be deployed with a slight modification of the FeatureStore CR -
+```yaml
+apiVersion: feast.dev/v1alpha1
+kind: FeatureStore
+metadata:
+  name: sample-offline-server
+spec:
+  feastProject: my_project
+  services:
+    offlineStore:
+      server: {}
 ```
+{% hint style="success" %} More advanced FeatureStore CR examples can be found in the feast-operator [samples directory](../../../infra/feast-operator/config/samples). {% endhint %}
 
 ## Server Example
 

docs/reference/feature-servers/python-feature-server.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ There is a CLI command that starts the server: `feast serve`. By default, Feast
 
 ## Deploying as a service
 
-One can deploy a feature server by building a docker image that bundles in the project's `feature_store.yaml`. See this [helm chart](https://github.com/feast-dev/feast/blob/master/infra/charts/feast-feature-server) for an example on how to run Feast on Kubernetes.
+See [this](../../how-to-guides/running-feast-in-production.md#42-deploy-feast-feature-servers-on-kubernetes) for an example on how to run Feast on Kubernetes using the Operator.
 
 ## Example
 

docs/roadmap.md

@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ The list below contains the functionality that contributors are planning to deve
 * **Feature Serving**
   * [x] Python Client
   * [x] [Python feature server](https://docs.feast.dev/reference/feature-servers/python-feature-server)
+  * [x] [Feast Operator (alpha)](https://github.com/feast-dev/feast/blob/master/infra/feast-operator/README.md)
   * [x] [Java feature server (alpha)](https://github.com/feast-dev/feast/blob/master/infra/charts/feast/README.md)
   * [x] [Go feature server (alpha)](https://docs.feast.dev/reference/feature-servers/go-feature-server)
   * [x] [Offline Feature Server (alpha)](https://docs.feast.dev/reference/feature-servers/offline-feature-server)

infra/feast-operator/README.md

@@ -75,7 +75,11 @@ its dependencies.
 Users can just run kubectl apply -f <URL for YAML BUNDLE> to install the project, i.e.:
 
 ```sh
-kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/<org>/feast-operator/<tag or branch>/dist/install.yaml
+## Install the latest release -
+kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/feast-dev/feast/refs/heads/stable/infra/feast-operator/dist/install.yaml
+
+## OR, install a specific version -
+# kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/feast-dev/feast/refs/tags/<version>/infra/feast-operator/dist/install.yaml
 ```
 
 ## Contributing

infra/feast-operator/config/samples/kustomization.yaml

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ## Append samples of your project ##
 resources:
 - v1alpha1_featurestore.yaml
-- v1alpha1_featurestore_all_servers.yaml
+- v1alpha1_featurestore_with_ui.yaml
+- v1alpha1_featurestore_all_remote_servers.yaml
 #+kubebuilder:scaffold:manifestskustomizesamples

infra/feast-operator/config/samples/v1alpha1_featurestore_all_servers.yaml renamed to infra/feast-operator/config/samples/v1alpha1_featurestore_all_remote_servers.yaml

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
+# runs an optional remote server container & creates a k8s service for each supported feast component
 apiVersion: feast.dev/v1alpha1
 kind: FeatureStore
 metadata:
-  name: sample-all-servers
+  name: sample-remote-servers
 spec:
   feastProject: my_project
   services:

infra/feast-operator/config/samples/v1alpha1_featurestore_with_ui.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+apiVersion: feast.dev/v1alpha1
+kind: FeatureStore
+metadata:
+  name: sample-ui
+spec:
+  feastProject: my_project
+  services:
+    ui: {}