> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mariadb.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mariadb.com/docs/tools/mariadb-enterprise-operator/metadata.md).

# Metadata

Details how to customize Kubernetes metadata, such as labels and annotations, for the resources generated and managed by the Operator.

This documentation shows how to configure metadata in the MariaDB Enterprise Kubernetes Operator CRs.

## Children object metadata

`MariaDB` and `MaxScale` resources allow you to propagate metadata to all the children objects by specifying the `inheritMetadata` field:

```yaml
apiVersion: enterprise.mariadb.com/v1alpha1
kind: MariaDB
metadata:
  name: mariadb-galera
spec:
  # [...]
  inheritMetadata:
    labels:
      database.myorg.io: mariadb
    annotations:
      database.myorg.io: mariadb
  # [...]
```

This means that all the reconciled objects will inherit these labels and annotations. For instance, see the `Services` and `Pods`:

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  annotations:
    database.myorg.io: mariadb
  labels:
    database.myorg.io: mariadb
  name: mariadb-galera-primary
```

```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  annotations:
    database.myorg.io: mariadb
  labels:
    database.myorg.io: mariadb
  name: mariadb-galera-0
```

## `Pod` metadata

You have the ability to provide dedicated metadata for `Pods` by specifying the `podMetadata` field in any CR that reconciles a `Pod`, for instance: `MariaDB`, `MaxScale`, `Backup`, `Restore` and `SqlJobs`:

```yaml
apiVersion: enterprise.mariadb.com/v1alpha1
kind: Backup
metadata:
  name: backup
spec:
  # [...]
  inheritMetadata:
    labels:
      sidecar.istio.io/inject: "true"
    annotations:
      database.myorg.io: mariadb
  podMetadata:
    labels:
      sidecar.istio.io/inject: "false"
  # [...]
```

It is important to note that the `podMetadata` field supersedes the `inheritMetadata` field, therefore the labels and annotations provided in the former will override the ones in the latter.

## `Service` metadata

Provision dedicated metadata for `Services` in the `MariaDB` resources can be done via the `service`, `primaryService` and `secondaryService` fields:

```yaml
apiVersion: enterprise.mariadb.com/v1alpha1
kind: MariaDB
metadata:
  name: mariadb-galera
spec:
  # [...]
  service:
    type: LoadBalancer
    metadata:
      annotations:
        metallb.universe.tf/loadBalancerIPs: 172.18.0.150

  primaryService:
    type: LoadBalancer
    metadata:
      annotations:
        metallb.universe.tf/loadBalancerIPs: 172.18.0.160

  secondaryService:
    type: LoadBalancer
    metadata:
      annotations:
        metallb.universe.tf/loadBalancerIPs: 172.18.0.161
  # [...]
```

In the case of `MaxScale`, you can also do this via the `kubernetesService` field.

Refer to the [High Availability documentation](/docs/tools/mariadb-enterprise-operator/topologies/high-availability.md) to know more about the `Service` fields and `MaxScale`.

## `PVC` metadata

Both `MariaDB` and `MaxScale` allow you to define a `volumeClaimTemplate` to be used by the underlying `StatefulSet`. You may also define metadata for it:

```yaml
apiVersion: enterprise.mariadb.com/v1alpha1
kind: MariaDB
metadata:
  name: mariadb-galera
spec:
  # [...]
  storage:
    size: 1Gi
    volumeClaimTemplate:
      metadata:
        annotations:
          database.myorg.io: mariadb
        labels:
          database.myorg.io: mariadb
      accessModes:
      - ReadWriteOnce
      resources:
        requests:
          storage: 1Gi
  # [...]
```

## Use cases

Being able to provide metadata allows you to integrate with other CNCF landscape projects:

#### Metallb

If you run on bare metal and you use [Metallb](https://metallb.universe.tf/) for managing the `LoadBalancer` objects, you can declare its IPs via annotations:

```yaml
apiVersion: enterprise.mariadb.com/v1alpha1
kind: MariaDB
metadata:
  name: mariadb-galera
spec:
  # [...]
  service:
    type: LoadBalancer
    metadata:
      annotations:
        metallb.universe.tf/loadBalancerIPs: 172.18.0.150
  # [...]
```

#### Istio

[Istio](https://istio.io/) injects the data-plane container to all `Pods`, but you might want to opt-out of this feature in some cases:

```yaml
apiVersion: enterprise.mariadb.com/v1alpha1
kind: Backup
metadata:
  name: backup
spec:
  # [...]
  podMetadata:
    labels:
      sidecar.istio.io/inject: "false"
  # [...]
```

For instance, you probably don't want to inject the Istio sidecar to `Backup` `Pods`, as it will prevent the `Jobs` from finishing and therefore your backup process will hang.

<sub>*This page is: Copyright © 2026 MariaDB. All rights reserved.*</sub>

{% @marketo/form formId="4316" %}