docs: Improve Dynamo Deploy Documentation (#1692)

Signed-off-by: hhzhang16 <54051230+hhzhang16@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Julien Mancuso <jmancuso@nvidia.com>
Co-authored-by: hhzhang16 <54051230+hhzhang16@users.noreply.github.com>

deploy/CONTRIBUTING.md

+# Contributing to Dynamo Deploy
+
+Welcome to the Dynamo Deploy project! This guide will help you get started with contributing to the deployment infrastructure and tooling for the Dynamo distributed inference platform.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+
+### Quick Setup
+
+### Project Structure
+
+The deploy directory contains several key components:
+
+```
+deploy/
+├── cloud/                    # Cloud deployment platform
+│   ├── helm/                # Cloud platform Helm charts
+│   └── operator/            # Kubernetes operator (Go)
+├── helm/                    # Manual deployment Helm charts
+├── metrics/                 # Monitoring and observability
+├── sdk/                     # Python scripts
+└── inference-gateway/       # Gateway components
+```
+
+## Development Environment
+
+### Setting Up Your Environment
+
+
+### IDE Configuration
+
+**VS Code:**
+
+- Install Go extension
+- Install Python extension
+- Configure settings for Go formatting and linting
+- Add workspace settings for consistent formatting
+
+### Contribution Workflow Caveats
+
+- We do signed commits
+
+```bash
+commit -S
+```
+
+- Every time you modify `deploy/cloud/helm/crds/templates/*.yaml`, please bump up the version of the CRD helm chart in
+    1. deploy/cloud/helm/platform/components/operator/Chart.yaml
+    2. deploy/cloud/helm/platform/Chart.yaml
+then
+
+```bash
+deploy/cloud/helm/platform
+helm dependency update
+```
+
+#### Commit Message Guidelines
+
+Follow conventional commit format:
+
+- `feat:` new features
+- `fix:` bug fixes
+- `docs:` documentation changes
+- `test:` adding or updating tests
+- `refactor:` code refactoring
+- `perf:` performance improvements
+- `ci:` CI/CD changes
+
+Examples:
+
+```
+feat(operator): add support for custom resource limits
+fix(sdk): resolve service discovery timeout issue
+docs(helm): update deployment guide with new examples
+test(e2e): add integration tests for disaggregated serving
+```
+
+## Style Guide
+
+### Go Code Style (Operator)
+
+Follow standard Go conventions.
+
+
+### Python Code Style (SDK)
+
+Follow PEP 8 and use modern Python practices:
+
+
+### YAML/Helm Templates
+
+```yaml
+# Use consistent indentation (2 spaces)
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  name: {{ include "dynamo.fullname" . }}
+  labels:
+    {{- include "dynamo.labels" . | nindent 4 }}
+spec:
+  replicas: {{ .Values.replicaCount }}
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      {{- include "dynamo.selectorLabels" . | nindent 6 }}
+```
+
+## Testing
+
+Once you have an MR up and standard checks pass trigger the integration tests by adding the comment “/ok to test <COMMIT-ID> “
+
+
+### Unit Tests
+
+**Go Tests (Operator):**
+
+```bash
+cd deploy/cloud/operator
+go test ./... -v
+go test -race ./...
+```
+
+**Python Tests (SDK):**
+
+```bash
+cd deploy/sdk
+pytest tests/ -v
+pytest tests/ --cov=dynamo.sdk
+```
+
+### Integration Tests
+
+**End-to-End Deployment Tests:**
+
+```bash
+# Run full deployment test suite
+pytest tests/serve/test_dynamo_serve.py -v
+
+# Test specific deployment scenarios
+pytest tests/serve/test_dynamo_serve.py::test_serve_deployment[agg] -v
+```
+
+**Operator Integration Tests:**
+
+```bash
+cd deploy/cloud/operator
+make test-e2e
+```
+
+### Writing Tests
+
+**Example Unit Test:**
+
+**Example Integration Test:**
+
+
+### Examples Testing
+
+Ensure documentation examples work.
+
+
+Thank you for contributing to Dynamo Deploy! 🚀

deploy/cloud/helm/README.md

@@ -17,72 +17,38 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 # 🚀 Deploy Dynamo Cloud to Kubernetes
 
-## 🏗️ Building Docker images for Dynamo Cloud components
+Dynamo Cloud acts as an orchestration layer between the end user and Kubernetes, handling the complexity of deploying your graphs for you.
+Before you can deploy your graphs, you need to deploy the Dynamo Runtime and Dynamo Cloud images. This is a one-time action, only necessary the first time you deploy a DynamoGraph.
 
-You can build and push Docker images for the Dynamo cloud components (API server, API store, and operator) to any container registry of your choice. Here's how to build each component:
+[See Dynamo Cloud Guide](../../../docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/dynamo_cloud.md) for advanced cases and details on how to install and use Dynamo Cloud. For a quick start follow the steps below.
 
-### 📋 Prerequisites
-- [Earthly](https://earthly.dev/) installed
-- Docker installed and running
-- Access to a container registry of your choice
 
-### ⚙️ Building and Pushing Images
+## 🏗️ Building Docker images for Dynamo Cloud components
 
-First, set the required environment variables:
-```bash
-export DOCKER_SERVER=<CONTAINER_REGISTRY>
-export IMAGE_TAG=<TAG>
-```
+You can build and push Docker images for the Dynamo cloud components to any container registry of your choice.
 
-As a description of the placeholders:
-- `<CONTAINER_REGISTRY>`: Your container registry (e.g., `nvcr.io`, `docker.io/<your-username>`, etc.)
-- `<TAG>`: The tag you want to use for the image (e.g., `latest`, `0.0.1`, etc.)
+**Important** Make sure you're logged in to your container registry before pushing images. For example:
 
-Note: Make sure you're logged in to your container registry before pushing images. For example:
 ```bash
 docker login <CONTAINER_REGISTRY>
 ```
 
-You can build each component individually or build all components at once:
-
-#### 🛠️ Build and push platform components
-```bash
-earthly --push +all-docker --DOCKER_SERVER=$DOCKER_SERVER --IMAGE_TAG=$IMAGE_TAG
-```
-
-## 🚀 Deploy Dynamo Cloud Platform
-
-### 📋 Prerequisites
-Before deploying Dynamo Cloud, ensure your Kubernetes cluster meets the following requirements:
+#### 🛠️ Build and push images for the Dynamo Cloud platform components
 
-#### 1. 🛡️ Istio Installation
-Dynamo Cloud requires Istio for service mesh capabilities. Verify Istio is installed and running:
+[One-time Action]
+You should build the images for the Dynamo Cloud Platform.
+If you are a **👤 Dynamo User** you would do this step once.
 
 ```bash
-# Check if Istio is installed
-kubectl get pods -n istio-system
-
-# Expected output should show running Istio pods
-# istiod-* pods should be in Running state
+export DOCKER_SERVER=<your-docker-server>
+export IMAGE_TAG=<TAG>
+earthly --push +all-docker --DOCKER_SERVER=$DOCKER_SERVER --IMAGE_TAG=$IMAGE_TAG
 ```
 
-#### 2. 💾 PVC Support with Default Storage Class
-Dynamo Cloud requires Persistent Volume Claim (PVC) support with a default storage class. Verify your cluster configuration:
-
-```bash
-# Check if default storage class exists
-kubectl get storageclass
+If you are a **🧑‍💻 Dynamo Contributor** you would have to rebuild the dynamo platform images as the code evolves. To do so please look at the [Cloud Guide](../../../docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/dynamo_cloud.md).
 
-# Expected output should show at least one storage class marked as (default)
-# Example:
-# NAME                 PROVISIONER             RECLAIMPOLICY   VOLUMEBINDINGMODE      ALLOWVOLUMEEXPANSION   AGE
-# standard (default)   kubernetes.io/gce-pd    Delete          Immediate              true                   1d
-```
 
-> [!TIP]
-> Don't have a Kubernetes cluster? Check out our [Minikube setup guide](../../../docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/minikube.md) to set up a local environment! 🏠
-
-### 📥 Installation
+### 🚀 Deploying the Dynamo Cloud Platform
 
 1. Set the required environment variables:
 ```bash
@@ -101,16 +67,23 @@ export DYNAMO_INGRESS_SUFFIX=dynamo-cloud.com # change this to whatever you want
 cd $PROJECT_ROOT/deploy/cloud/helm
 kubectl create namespace $NAMESPACE
 kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=$NAMESPACE
+```
+
+3. Deploy Dynamo Cloud using the Helm chart via the provided deploy script:
+To deploy the Dynamo Cloud Platform on Kubernetes, run:
 
-kubectl create secret docker-registry docker-imagepullsecret \
-  --docker-server=$DOCKER_SERVER \
-  --docker-username=$DOCKER_USERNAME \
-  --docker-password=$DOCKER_PASSWORD \
-  --namespace=$NAMESPACE
+```bash
+./deploy.sh --crds
 ```
 
-3. Deploy the helm chart using the deploy script:
+if you want guidance during the process, run the deployment script with the `--interactive` flag:
 
 ```bash
-./deploy.sh
+./deploy.sh --crds --interactive
 ```
+
+omitting `--crds` will skip the CRDs installation/upgrade. This is useful when installing on a shared cluster as CRDs are cluster-scoped resources.
+
+
+
+

deploy/cloud/helm/deploy.sh

@@ -16,6 +16,17 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 set -euo pipefail
+trap 'echo "Error at line $LINENO. Exiting."' ERR
+
+required_tools=(envsubst kubectl helm)
+
+for tool in "${required_tools[@]}"; do
+  if ! command -v "$tool" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "Error: Required tool '$tool' is not installed or not in PATH."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+done
+
 
 # Use system helm
 HELM_CMD=$(which helm)
@@ -42,6 +53,7 @@ export ENABLE_LWS="${ENABLE_LWS:=false}"
 # Add command line options
 INTERACTIVE=false
 INSTALL_CRDS=false
+YAML_ONLY=false
 # Parse command line arguments
 while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
   key="$1"
@@ -54,10 +66,15 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
       INSTALL_CRDS=true
       shift
       ;;
+    --yaml-only)
+      YAML_ONLY=true
+      shift
+      ;;
     --help)
       echo "Usage: $0 [options]"
       echo "Options:"
       echo "  --interactive       Run in interactive mode"
+      echo "  --yaml-only         Only generate generated-values.yaml and exit"
       echo "  --help              Show this help message"
       echo "  --crds              Also install the CRDs"
       exit 0
@@ -122,8 +139,6 @@ retry_command() {
 
 # Update the helm repo and build the dependencies
 retry_command "$HELM_CMD repo add nats https://nats-io.github.io/k8s/helm/charts/" 5 5 && \
-retry_command "$HELM_CMD repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami" 5 5 && \
-retry_command "$HELM_CMD repo add minio https://charts.min.io/" 5 5 && \
 retry_command "$HELM_CMD repo update" 5 5
 
 
@@ -153,6 +168,10 @@ cat generated-values.yaml
 
 echo ""
 echo "Generated values file saved as generated-values.yaml"
+if [ "$YAML_ONLY" = true ]; then
+  echo "--yaml-only flag detected; skipping Helm deployment steps."
+  exit 0
+fi
 
 # Build dependencies before installation
 echo "Building helm dependencies..."
@@ -166,11 +185,16 @@ if [ "$INSTALL_CRDS" = true ]; then
   $HELM_CMD upgrade --install dynamo-crds crds/ --namespace default --wait --atomic
 fi
 
-# Install/upgrade the helm chart
-echo "Installing/upgrading helm chart..."
-$HELM_CMD upgrade --install $RELEASE_NAME platform/ \
-  -f generated-values.yaml \
-  --create-namespace \
-  --namespace ${NAMESPACE}
-
+# Build Platform
+echo "Building platform..."
+$HELM_CMD dep build ./platform/
+
+# Install platform
+echo "Installing platform..."
+helm install dynamo-platform ./platform/ \
+  --namespace ${NAMESPACE} \
+  --set "dynamo-operator.controllerManager.manager.image.repository=${DOCKER_SERVER}/dynamo-operator" \
+  --set "dynamo-operator.controllerManager.manager.image.tag=${IMAGE_TAG}" \
+  --set "dynamo-operator.imagePullSecrets[0].name=docker-imagepullsecret" \
+  --set controller.env.DYNAMO_CLOUD=${DYNAMO_CLOUD}
 echo "Helm chart deployment complete"

docs/examples/README.md

+# Examples of using Dynamo Platform
+
+## Serving examples locally
+
+Follow individual examples to serve models locally.
+
+
+## Deploying Examples to Kubernetes
+
+First you need to install the Dynamo Cloud Platform. Dynamo Cloud acts as an orchestration layer between the end user and Kubernetes, handling the complexity of deploying your graphs for you.
+Before you can deploy your graphs, you need to deploy the Dynamo Runtime and Dynamo Cloud images. This is a one-time action, only necessary the first time you deploy a DynamoGraph.
+
+### Instructions for Dynamo User
+If you are a **👤 Dynamo User** first follow the [Quickstart Guide](../guides/dynamo_deploy/quickstart.md) first.
+
+### Instructions for Dynamo Contributor
+If you are a **🧑‍💻 Dynamo Contributor** first follow the instructions in [deploy/cloud/helm/README.md](../../deploy/cloud/helm/README.md) to create your Dynamo Cloud deployment.
+
+Make sure your dynamo cloud the `deploy.sh --crds --interactive` script finished successfully.
+
+You would have to rebuild the dynamo platform images as the code evolves. For more details please look at the [Cloud Guide](../guides/dynamo_deploy/dynamo_cloud.md)
+
+Export the [Dynamo Base Image](../get_started.md#building-the-dynamo-base-image) you want to use (or built during the prerequisites step) as the `DYNAMO_IMAGE` environment variable.
+
+```bash
+export DYNAMO_IMAGE=<your-registry>/<your-image-name>:<your-tag>
+```
+
+
+### Post Install Instructions
+
+```bash
+# Set your dynamo root directory
+cd <root-dynamo-folder>
+export PROJECT_ROOT=$(pwd)
+export NAMESPACE=<your-namespace> # the namespace you used to deploy Dynamo cloud to.
+```
+
+Pick your deployment destination.
+
+If local
+
+```bash
+export DYNAMO_CLOUD=http://localhost:8080
+```
+
+If kubernetes
+```bash
+export DYNAMO_CLOUD=https://dynamo-cloud.nvidia.com
+```
+
+Deploying examples consists of the simple `kubectl apply -f` command.

docs/examples/hello_world.md

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ This example demonstrates the basic concepts of Dynamo by creating a simple mult
 3. Set up a simple HTTP API endpoint
 4. Deploy and interact with a Dynamo service graph
 
-Pipeline Architecture:
+Graph Architecture:
 
 ```
 Users/Clients (HTTP)
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ Users/Clients (HTTP)
 
 ## Running the Example Locally
 
+Make sure you are running etcd and nats
+```bash
+sudo systemctl start etcd
+sudo systemctl start nats-server
+```
+
 1. Launch all three services using a single command:
 
 ```bash
@@ -87,65 +93,37 @@ curl -X 'POST' \
 }'
 ```
 
-## Deploying to and Running the Example in Kubernetes
-
-This example can be deployed to a Kubernetes cluster using [Dynamo Cloud](../../docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/dynamo_cloud.md) and the Dynamo CLI.
-
-### Prerequisites
-
-You must have first followed the instructions in [deploy/cloud/helm/README.md](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/blob/main/deploy/cloud/helm/README.md) to create your Dynamo cloud deployment.
+# Deploy to Kubernetes
 
-### Deployment Steps For your Hello World graph.
+You should first deploy the Dynamo Cloud Platform.
+If you are a **👤 Dynamo User** first follow the [Quickstart Guide](../guides/dynamo_deploy/quickstart.md).
+If you are a **🧑‍💻 Dynamo Contributor** and you have changed the platform code you would have to rebuild the dynamo platform. To do so please look at the [Cloud Guide](../guides/dynamo_deploy/dynamo_cloud.md).
 
-For detailed deployment instructions, please refer to the [Operator Deployment Guide](../../docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/operator_deployment.md). The following are the specific commands for the hello world example:
+## Deploy your service using a DynamoGraphDeployment CR.
 
 ```bash
-Make sure your dynamo cloud deploy.sh script from the prior step finished successfully and setup port forwaring in another window
-per its suggestion.
-
-kubectl port-forward svc/...-dynamo-api-store <local-port>:80 -n $NAMESPACE
-
-
-# Set your dynamo root directory
-cd <root dynamo folder>
-export PROJECT_ROOT=$(pwd)
-
-# Configure environment variables (see operator_deployment.md for details)
-export KUBE_NS=hello-world
-export DYNAMO_CLOUD=http://localhost:8080  # If using port-forward
-# OR
-# export DYNAMO_CLOUD=https://dynamo-cloud.nvidia.com  # If using Ingress/VirtualService
-
-# Build the Dynamo base image (see operator_deployment.md for details)
-export DYNAMO_IMAGE=<your-registry>/<your-image-name>:<your-tag>
-
-# Build the service
-cd $PROJECT_ROOT/examples/hello_world
-DYNAMO_TAG=$(dynamo build hello_world:Frontend | grep "Successfully built" | awk '{ print $3 }' | sed 's/\.$//')
-
-# Deploy to Kubernetes
-# TODO: Deploy your service using a DynamoGraphDeployment CR.
+kubectl apply -f examples/hello_world/deploy/hello_world.yaml -n ${NAMESPACE}
 ```
 
-### Testing the Deployment
+## Testing the Deployment
 
-Once the deployment is complete, you can test it using:
+Once the deployment is complete, you can test it using commands below.
+Do the port forward in another terminal if needed.
 
 ```bash
-# Find your frontend pod
-export FRONTEND_POD=$(kubectl get pods -n ${KUBE_NS} | grep "${DEPLOYMENT_NAME}-frontend" | sort -k1 | tail -n1 | awk '{print $1}')
-
+export DEPLOYMENT_NAME=hello-world
 # Forward the pod's port to localhost
-kubectl port-forward pod/$FRONTEND_POD 8000:8000 -n ${KUBE_NS}
+kubectl port-forward svc/$DEPLOYMENT_NAME-frontend 8000:8000 -n ${NAMESPACE}
+```
 
+```bash
 # Test the API endpoint
-curl -X 'POST' 'http://localhost:8000/generate' \
-    -H 'accept: text/event-stream' \
-    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+curl -N -X POST http://localhost:8000/generate \
+  -H "accept: text/event-stream" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
   -d '{"text": "test"}'
 ```
 
-For more details on managing deployments, testing, and troubleshooting, please refer to the [Operator Deployment Guide](../../docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/operator_deployment.md).
 
 ## Expected Output
 

docs/examples/llm_deployment.md

@@ -253,11 +253,8 @@ export DEPLOYMENT_NAME=llm-agg
 Once the deployment is complete, you can test it using:
 
 ```bash
-# Find your frontend pod
-export FRONTEND_POD=$(kubectl get pods -n ${KUBE_NS} | grep "${DEPLOYMENT_NAME}-frontend" | sort -k1 | tail -n1 | awk '{print $1}')
-
-# Forward the pod's port to localhost
-kubectl port-forward pod/$FRONTEND_POD 8000:8000 -n ${KUBE_NS}
+# Forward the port to localhost
+kubectl port-forward svc/$DEPLOYMENT_NAME-frontend 8000:8000 -n ${KUBE_NS}
 
 # Test the API endpoint
 curl localhost:8000/v1/chat/completions \
@@ -274,5 +271,3 @@ curl localhost:8000/v1/chat/completions \
     "max_tokens": 30
   }'
 ```
-
-For more details on managing deployments, testing, and troubleshooting, please refer to the [Operator Deployment Guide](../../docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/operator_deployment.md).

docs/guides/dynamo_build.md

-<!--
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2025 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
-SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-
-Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-limitations under the License.s
--->
-
-# Building Dynamo (`dynamo build`)
-
-This guide explains how to use the `dynamo build` command to containerize Dynamo inference graphs (pipelines) for deployment.
-
-`dynamo build` is a command-line tool that helps containerize inference graphs created with Dynamo SDK.
-Run `dynamo build --containerize` to build a stand-alone Docker container that encapsulates your entire inference graph.
-The generated container-image can then be shared and/or run standalone.
-
-> [!Caution]
-> This experimental feature is tested on the examples in the `examples/` directory.
-> You need to make some modifications.
-> Pay particular attention if your inference graph introduces custom dependencies.
-
-
-## Building a containerized inference graph
-
-The basic workflow for using `dynamo build` includes:
-
-  1. Defining your inference graph and testing locally with `dynamo serve`.
-
-  2. Specifying a base image for your inference graph. More on this below.
-
-  3. Running `dynamo build` to build a containerized inference graph.
-
-### Basic Usage
-
-```bash
-dynamo build <graph_definition> --containerize
-```

docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/README.md

@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ The Dynamo Cloud Platform (`deploy/cloud/`) provides a managed deployment experi
 
 For detailed instructions on using the Dynamo Cloud Platform, see:
 - [Dynamo Cloud Platform Guide](dynamo_cloud.md): walks through installing and configuring the Dynamo cloud components on your Kubernetes cluster.
-- [Operator Deployment Guide](operator_deployment.md)
+- [Dynamo Operator Guide](dynamo_operator.md)
+
 
 ### Manual Deployment with Helm Charts
 

docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/dynamo_cloud.md

@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ The Dynamo Cloud platform is a comprehensive solution for deploying and managing
 The Dynamo cloud platform consists of several key components:
 
 - **Dynamo Operator**: A Kubernetes operator that manages the lifecycle of Dynamo inference graphs from build ➡️ deploy. For more information on the operator, see [Dynamo Kubernetes Operator Documentation](../dynamo_deploy/dynamo_operator.md)
-- **API Store**: Stores and manages service configurations and metadata related to Dynamo deployments. Needs to be exposed externally.
 - **Custom Resources**: Kubernetes custom resources for defining and managing Dynamo services
 
 These components work together to provide a seamless deployment experience, handling everything from containerization to scaling and monitoring.
@@ -42,8 +41,30 @@ Before getting started with the Dynamo cloud platform, ensure you have:
 - `kubectl` configured to access your cluster
 - Helm installed (version 3.0 or later)
 
-```{tip}
-Don't have a Kubernetes cluster? Check out our [Minikube setup guide](./minikube.md) to set up a local environment!
+
+> [!TIP]
+> Don't have a Kubernetes cluster? Check out our [Minikube setup guide](../../../docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/minikube.md) to set up a local environment! 🏠
+
+#### 🏗️ Build Dynamo inference runtime.
+
+[One-time Action]
+Before you could use Dynamo make sure you have setup the Inference Runtime Image.
+For basic cases you could use the prebuilt image for the Dynamo Inference Runtime.
+Just export the environment variable. This will be the image used by your individual components. You pick whatever dynamo version you want or use the latest (default)
+
+```bash
+export DYNAMO_IMAGE=nvcr.io/nvidia/dynamo:latest-vllm
+```
+
+For advanced examples make sure you have first built and pushed to your registry Dynamo Base Image for Dynamo inference runtime. This is a one-time operation.
+
+```bash
+# Run the script to build the default dynamo:latest-vllm image.
+./container/build.sh
+export IMAGE_TAG=<TAG>
+# retag the image
+docker tag dynamo:latest-vllm <your-registry>/dynamo:${IMAGE_TAG}
+docker push <your-registry>/dynamo:${IMAGE_TAG}
 ```
 
 ## Building Docker Images for Dynamo Cloud Components
@@ -61,9 +82,12 @@ export DOCKER_SERVER=<CONTAINER_REGISTRY>
 export IMAGE_TAG=<TAG>
 ```
 
-Where:
+As a description of the placeholders:
 - `<CONTAINER_REGISTRY>`: Your container registry (e.g., `nvcr.io`, `docker.io/<your-username>`, etc.)
-- `<TAG>`: The version tag for your images (e.g., `latest`, `0.0.1`, `v1.0.0`)
+- `<TAG>`: The tag you want to use for the images of the Dynamo cloud components (e.g., `latest`, `0.0.1`, etc.)
+If the runtime image tag is not explicitly set, the default is the `latest`.
+
+The tag will go into the dynamo-operator:<IMAGE_TAG> image for the Operator.  The runtime (base) image handles the inference toolchain and the sdk and built by the (`build.sh`). The tags do not have to match the runtime  image tag but the images must be compatible.
 
 **Important** Make sure you're logged in to your container registry before pushing images. For example:
 
@@ -79,7 +103,7 @@ You can build and push all platform components at once:
 earthly --push +all-docker --DOCKER_SERVER=$DOCKER_SERVER --IMAGE_TAG=$IMAGE_TAG
 ```
 
-## Deploying the Dynamo Cloud Platform
+### 🚀 Deploying the Dynamo Cloud Platform
 
 Once you've built and pushed the components, you can deploy the platform to your Kubernetes cluster.
 
@@ -87,7 +111,18 @@ Once you've built and pushed the components, you can deploy the platform to your
 
 Before deploying Dynamo Cloud, ensure your Kubernetes cluster meets the following requirements:
 
-#### PVC Support with Default Storage Class
+#### 1. 🛡️ Istio Installation
+Dynamo Cloud requires Istio for service mesh capabilities. Verify Istio is installed and running:
+
+```bash
+# Check if Istio is installed
+kubectl get pods -n istio-system
+
+# Expected output should show running Istio pods
+# istiod-* pods should be in Running state
+```
+
+#### 2. 💾 PVC Support with Default Storage Class
 Dynamo Cloud requires Persistent Volume Claim (PVC) support with a default storage class. Verify your cluster configuration:
 
 ```bash
@@ -100,21 +135,19 @@ kubectl get storageclass
 # standard (default)   kubernetes.io/gce-pd    Delete          Immediate              true                   1d
 ```
 
-### Cloud Provider-Specific deployment
-
-#### Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) deployment
 
-You can find detailed instructions for deployment in GKE [here](../dynamo_deploy/gke_setup.md)
 
-### Installation
+### Installation using the helper script
 
 1. Set the required environment variables:
 ```bash
+export PROJECT_ROOT=$(pwd)
 export DOCKER_USERNAME=<your-docker-username>
 export DOCKER_PASSWORD=<your-docker-password>
 export DOCKER_SERVER=<your-docker-server>
 export IMAGE_TAG=<TAG>  # Use the same tag you used when building the images
 export NAMESPACE=dynamo-cloud    # change this to whatever you want!
+export DYNAMO_INGRESS_SUFFIX=dynamo-cloud.com # change this to whatever you want!
 ```
 
 ``` {note}
@@ -124,12 +157,14 @@ A docker image pull secret is created automatically if these variables are set.
 
 The Dynamo Cloud Platform auto-generates docker images for pipelines and pushes them to a container registry.
 By default, the platform uses the same container registry as the platform components (specified by `DOCKER_SERVER`).
-However, you can specify a different container registry for pipelines by additionally setting the following environment variables:
+However, you can use a different container registry for the platform components by making sure an associated kubernetes secret is present:
 
 ```bash
-export PIPELINES_DOCKER_SERVER=<your-docker-server>
-export PIPELINES_DOCKER_USERNAME=<your-docker-username>
-export PIPELINES_DOCKER_PASSWORD=<your-docker-password>
+kubectl create secret docker-registry dynamo-components-imagepullsecret \
+  --docker-server=<docker-registry-for-dynamo-components> \
+  --docker-username=<username> \
+  --docker-password=<password> \
+  --namespace=${NAMESPACE}
 ```
 
 If you wish to expose your Dynamo Cloud Platform externally, you can setup the following environment variables:
@@ -168,48 +203,17 @@ if you want guidance during the process, run the deployment script with the `--i
 
 omitting `--crds` will skip the CRDs installation/upgrade. This is useful when installing on a shared cluster as CRDs are cluster-scoped resources.
 
-4. **Expose Dynamo Cloud Externally**
-
-``` {note}
-The script automatically displays information about the endpoint that you can use to access Dynamo Cloud. We refer to this externally available endpoint as `DYNAMO_CLOUD`.
-```
-
-The simplest way to expose the `dynamo-store` service within the namespace externally is to use a port-forward:
+If you'd like to only generate the generated-values.yaml file without deploying to Kubernetes (e.g., for inspection, CI workflows, or dry-run testing), use:
 
 ```bash
-kubectl port-forward svc/dynamo-store <local-port>:80 -n $NAMESPACE
-export DYNAMO_CLOUD=http://localhost:<local-port>
+./deploy_dynamo_cloud.py --yaml-only
 ```
 
-## Next Steps
-
-After deploying the Dynamo cloud platform, you can:
-
-1. Deploy your first inference graph using the [Dynamo CLI](operator_deployment.md)
-2. Deploy Dynamo LLM pipelines to Kubernetes using the [Dynamo CLI](../../examples/llm_deployment.md)
-3. Manage your deployments using the Dynamo CLI
-
-For more detailed information about deploying inference graphs, see the [Dynamo Deploy Guide](README.md).
-
 
 ### Installation using published helm chart
 
-To install Dynamo Cloud using the published Helm chart, you'll need to configure Docker registry credentials and image settings. The chart supports both direct credential configuration and existing Kubernetes secrets.
-
-
-
-
-#### Configuration Options
-
-You have two options for providing Docker registry credentials:
-
-**Option 1: Direct Credentials** (Simpler for testing)
-- Provide username and password directly via Helm values
-- Credentials are stored in a Kubernetes secret created by the chart
+To install Dynamo Cloud using the published Helm chart, you'll need to configure Docker registry credentials and image settings.
 
-**Option 2: Existing Secret** (Recommended for production)
-- Use an existing Kubernetes secret containing Docker registry credentials
-- More secure and follows Kubernetes best practices
 
 #### Environment Setup
 
@@ -217,23 +221,16 @@ Set the required environment variables:
 
 ```bash
 # Docker registry configuration
-export DOCKER_SERVER="your-registry.com"                    # Docker registry server where images of dynamo cloud services (api-server and operator) are available
+export DOCKER_SERVER="your-registry.com"                    # Docker registry server where images of dynamo cloud services (operator) are available
 export IMAGE_TAG="v1.0.0"                                   # Image tag to deploy
 export NAMESPACE="dynamo-cloud"                             # Target namespace
 
-# Pipeline-specific Docker registry (can be different from DOCKER_SERVER)
-export PIPELINES_DOCKER_SERVER="your-pipeline-registry.com" # Registry for pipeline images
-
-# Option 1: Direct credentials
-export PIPELINES_DOCKER_USERNAME="your-username"
-export PIPELINES_DOCKER_PASSWORD="your-password"
-
-# Option 2: Existing secret (recommended)
-export PIPELINES_DOCKER_CREDS_SECRET="my-docker-secret"     # Name of existing secret
-# Note: If not specified, the chart will look for a secret named "dynamo-regcred"
+# Components-specific Docker registry (if different from DOCKER_SERVER)
+export COMPONENTS_DOCKER_SERVER="your-pipeline-registry.com" # Registry for Dynamo components images
 
 # Image pull secret for the operator itself
-export DOCKER_SECRET_NAME="my-pull-secret"                  # Secret for pulling images of dynamo cloud services (api-server and operator) operator images
+export DOCKER_SECRET_NAME="my-pull-secret"                       # Secret for pulling images of dynamo cloud services (operator) operator images
+export COMPONENTS_DOCKER_SECRET_NAME="my-components-pull-secret" # Secret for pulling images of dynamo components images (if needed)
 ```
 
 you can easily create an image pull secret with the following command :
@@ -241,9 +238,17 @@ you can easily create an image pull secret with the following command :
 ```bash
 kubectl create secret docker-registry ${DOCKER_SECRET_NAME} \
   --docker-server=${DOCKER_SERVER} \
-  --docker-username=${DOCKER_USERNAME} \
-  --docker-password=${DOCKER_PASSWORD} \
+  --docker-username=<docker-server-username> \
+  --docker-password=<docker-server-password> \
+  --namespace=${NAMESPACE}
+
+# Only if using a different registry for Dynamo components
+kubectl create secret docker-registry ${COMPONENTS_DOCKER_SECRET_NAME} \
+  --docker-server=${COMPONENTS_DOCKER_SERVER} \
+  --docker-username=<components-docker-server-username> \
+  --docker-password=<components-docker-server-password> \
   --namespace=${NAMESPACE}
+
 ```
 
 #### Installation Commands
@@ -259,39 +264,28 @@ helm install dynamo-crds dynamo-crds-helm-chart.tgz \
 
 **Step 2: Install Dynamo Platform**
 
-Choose one of the following approaches based on your credential configuration:
+Run the following helm command:
 
-**Using Direct Credentials:**
 ```bash
 helm install dynamo-platform dynamo-platform-helm-chart.tgz \
   --namespace ${NAMESPACE} \
-  --create-namespace \
   --set "dynamo-operator.controllerManager.manager.image.repository=${DOCKER_SERVER}/dynamo-operator" \
   --set "dynamo-operator.controllerManager.manager.image.tag=${IMAGE_TAG}" \
-  --set "dynamo-operator.imagePullSecrets[0].name=${DOCKER_SECRET_NAME}" \
-  --set "dynamo-operator.dynamo.dockerRegistry.server=${PIPELINES_DOCKER_SERVER:-$DOCKER_SERVER}" \
-  --set "dynamo-operator.dynamo.dockerRegistry.username=${PIPELINES_DOCKER_USERNAME}" \
-  --set "dynamo-operator.dynamo.dockerRegistry.password=${PIPELINES_DOCKER_PASSWORD}" \
-  --set "dynamo-api-store.image.repository=${DOCKER_SERVER}/dynamo-api-store" \
-  --set "dynamo-api-store.image.tag=${IMAGE_TAG}" \
-  --set "dynamo-api-store.imagePullSecrets[0].name=${DOCKER_SECRET_NAME}"
+  --set "dynamo-operator.imagePullSecrets[0].name=${DOCKER_SECRET_NAME}"
 ```
 
-**Using Existing Secret (Recommended):**
-```bash
-helm install dynamo-platform dynamo-platform-helm-chart.tgz \
-  --namespace ${NAMESPACE} \
-  --create-namespace \
-  --set "dynamo-operator.controllerManager.manager.image.repository=${DOCKER_SERVER}/dynamo-operator" \
-  --set "dynamo-operator.controllerManager.manager.image.tag=${IMAGE_TAG}" \
-  --set "dynamo-operator.imagePullSecrets[0].name=${DOCKER_SECRET_NAME}" \
-  --set "dynamo-operator.dynamo.dockerRegistry.server=${PIPELINES_DOCKER_SERVER:-$DOCKER_SERVER}" \
-  --set "dynamo-operator.dynamo.dockerRegistry.existingSecretName=${PIPELINES_DOCKER_CREDS_SECRET:-dynamo-regcred}" \
-  --set "dynamo-api-store.image.repository=${DOCKER_SERVER}/dynamo-api-store" \
-  --set "dynamo-api-store.image.tag=${IMAGE_TAG}" \
-  --set "dynamo-api-store.imagePullSecrets[0].name=${DOCKER_SECRET_NAME}"
-```
+### Cloud Provider-Specific deployment
+
+#### Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) deployment
+
+You can find detailed instructions for deployment in GKE [here](../dynamo_deploy/gke_setup.md)
 
-[!Note]
-- If `PIPELINES_DOCKER_SERVER` is not set, it defaults to `DOCKER_SERVER`
-- If `PIPELINES_DOCKER_CREDS_SECRET` is not set, the chart will look for a secret named `dynamo-regcred`
+## Next Steps
+
+After deploying the Dynamo cloud platform, you can:
+
+1. Deploy your first inference graph using the [Dynamo CLI](operator_deployment.md)
+2. Deploy Dynamo LLM graphs to Kubernetes using the [Dynamo CLI](../../examples/llm_deployment.md)
+3. Manage your deployments using the Dynamo CLI
+
+For more detailed information about deploying inference graphs, see the [Dynamo Deploy Guide](README.md).

docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/dynamo_operator.md

@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ Dynamo operator is a Kubernetes operator that simplifies the deployment, configu
 - **Controllers:**
   - `DynamoGraphDeploymentController`: Watches `DynamoGraphDeployment` CRs and orchestrates graph deployments.
   - `DynamoComponentDeploymentController`: Watches `DynamoComponentDeployment` CRs and handles individual component deployments.
-  - `DynamoComponentController`: Watches `DynamoComponent` CRs and manages image builds and artifact tracking.
 
 - **Workflow:**
   1. A custom resource is created by the user or API server.
@@ -29,8 +28,8 @@ Dynamo operator is a Kubernetes operator that simplifies the deployment, configu
 
 | Field            | Type   | Description                                                                                                                                          | Required | Default |
 |------------------|--------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|---------|
-| `dynamoComponent`| string | Reference to the dynamoComponent identifier                                                                                                          | Yes      |         |
-| `services`       | map    | Map of service names to runtime configurations. This allows the user to override the service configuration defined in the DynamoComponentDeployment. | No       |         |
+| `services`       | map    | Map of service names to runtime configurations. This allows the user to override the service configuration defined in the DynamoComponentDeployment. | Yes      |         |
+| `envs`           | list   | list of global environment variables.                                                                                                                | No       |         |
 
 
 **API Version:** `nvidia.com/v1alpha1`
@@ -43,7 +42,6 @@ kind: DynamoGraphDeployment
 metadata:
   name: disagg
 spec:
-  dynamoComponent: frontend:jh2o6dqzpsgfued4
   envs:
   - name: GLOBAL_ENV_VAR
     value: some_global_value
@@ -80,11 +78,8 @@ spec:
 | Field              | Type     | Description                                                   | Required | Default |
 |--------------------|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------|----------|---------|
 | `dynamoNamespace` | string   | Namespace of the DynamoComponent                               | Yes      |         |
-| `dynamoComponent` | string   | Name of the dynamoComponent artifact                           | Yes      |         |
-| `dynamoTag`       | string   | FQDN of the service to run                                     | Yes      |         |
 | `serviceName`     | string   | Logical name of the service being deployed                     | Yes      |         |
 | `envs`            | array    | Environment variables for runtime                              | No       | `[]`    |
-| `externalServices`| map      | External service dependencies                                  | No       |         |
 | `annotations`     | map      | Additional metadata annotations for the pod                    | No       |         |
 | `labels`          | map      | Custom labels applied to the deployment and pod                | No       |         |
 | `resources`       | object   | Resource limits and requests (CPU, memory, GPU)                | No       |         |
@@ -109,8 +104,6 @@ metadata:
   name: test-41fa991-vllmworker
 spec:
   dynamoNamespace: dynamo
-  dynamoComponent: frontend:jh2o6dqzpsgfued4
-  dynamoTag: graphs.disagg:Frontend
   envs:
     - name: DYN_DEPLOYMENT_CONFIG
       value: '<long JSON config>'
@@ -130,35 +123,6 @@ spec:
   serviceName: Frontend
 ```
 
-### CRD: `DynamoComponent`
-
-| Field                           | Type                     | Description                                                                          | Required | Default |
-|---------------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|---------|
-| `dynamoComponent`               | string                   | Name of the dynamoComponent artifact                                                 | Yes      |         |
-| `image`                         | string                   | Custom container image. If not specified, an image will be built                     | No       |         |
-| `imageBuildTimeout`             | Duration                 | Timeout duration for the image building process                                      | No       |         |
-| `buildArgs`                     | []string                 | Additional arguments to pass to the container image build process                    | No       |         |
-| `imageBuilderExtraPodMetadata`  | ExtraPodMetadata         | Additional metadata to add to the image builder pod                                  | No       |         |
-| `imageBuilderExtraPodSpec`      | ExtraPodSpec             | Additional pod spec configurations for the image builder pod                         | No       |         |
-| `imageBuilderExtraContainerEnv` | []EnvVar                 | Additional environment variables for the image builder container                     | No       |         |
-| `imageBuilderContainerResources`| ResourceRequirements     | Resource requirements (CPU, memory) for the image builder container                  | No       |         |
-| `imagePullSecrets`              | []LocalObjectReference   | Secrets required for pulling private container images                                | No       |         |
-| `dockerConfigJsonSecretName`    | string                   | Name of the secret containing Docker registry credentials                            | No       |         |
-| `downloaderContainerEnvFrom`    | []EnvFromSource          | Environment variables to be sourced for the downloader container                     | No       |         |
-
-**API Version:** `nvidia.com/v1alpha1`
-**Scope:** Namespaced
-
-#### Example
-```yaml
-apiVersion: nvidia.com/v1alpha1
-kind: DynamoComponent
-metadata:
-  name: frontend--jh2o6dqzpsgfued4
-spec:
-  dynamoComponent: frontend:jh2o6dqzpsgfued4
-```
-
 ## Installation
 
 [See installation steps](dynamo_cloud.md#overview)
@@ -214,7 +178,6 @@ kind: DynamoGraphDeployment
 metadata:
   name: llm-agg
 spec:
-  dynamoComponent: frontend:jh2o6dqzpsgfued4  # Use the tag from Step 1
   services:
     Frontend:
       replicas: 1
@@ -245,25 +208,9 @@ Commit and push this file to your Git repository. FluxCD will detect the new CR
 
 ### Step 3: Update Existing Deployment
 
-To update your pipeline:
+To update your pipeline, just update the associated DynamoGraphDeployment CRD
 
-1. Build and push a new version of your pipeline:
-```bash
-DYNAMO_TAG=$(dynamo build --push graphs.agg:Frontend | grep "Successfully built" |  awk '{ print $NF }' | sed 's/\.$//')
-```
-
-2. Update the `dynamoComponent` field in your CR with the new tag:
-```yaml
-spec:
-  dynamoComponent: frontend:new_tag_here  # Update with new tag from Step 1
-```
-3. Commit and push the changes to your Git repository.
-
-The Dynamo operator will:
-- Detect the updated CR
-- Build new container images for the updated components
-- Perform a rolling update of the deployments when the new images are ready and the components are ready to serve traffic
-- Preserve existing PVCs and their data
+The Dynamo operator will automatically reconcile it.
 
 ### Monitoring the Deployment
 
@@ -302,13 +249,6 @@ kubectl get dynamocomponentdeployment -n $KUBE_NS
 - **Status Management:**
   - `.status.conditions`: Reflects readiness, failure, progress states
 
-### DynamoComponent
-
-- **Actions:**
-  - Create a job to build the docker image
-- **Status Management:**
-  - `.status.conditions`: Reflects readiness, failure, progress states
-
 ## Configuration
 
 
@@ -316,18 +256,7 @@ kubectl get dynamocomponentdeployment -n $KUBE_NS
 
 | Name                                               | Description                          | Default                                                |
 |----------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
-| `ADD_NAMESPACE_PREFIX_TO_IMAGE_NAME`               | Adds namespace prefix to image names | `false`                                                |
-| `DYNAMO_IMAGE_BUILD_ENGINE`                        | Engine used for building images      | `buildkit`                                             |
-| `BUILDKIT_URL`                                     | BuildKit daemon URL                  | `tcp://dynamo-platform-dynamo-operator-buildkitd:1234` |
-| `DOCKER_REGISTRY_DYNAMO_COMPONENTS_REPOSITORY_NAME`| Repository name for dynamo images    | `dynamo-components`                                    |
-| `DOCKER_REGISTRY_SECURE`                           | Use secure connection for registry   | `true`                                                 |
-| `DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER`                           | Docker registry server address       | `nvcr.io/nvidian/dynamo`                               |
-| `DOCKER_REGISTRY_USERNAME`                         | Registry authentication username     | `username`                                             |
-| `ESTARGZ_ENABLED`                                  | Enable eStargz image optimization    | `false`                                                |
-| `INTERNAL_IMAGES_BUILDKIT`                         | BuildKit image                       | `moby/buildkit:v0.20.2`                                |
 | `LOG_LEVEL`                                        | Logging verbosity level              | `info`                                                 |
-| `API_STORE_ENDPOINT`                               | Api store service endpoint           | `http://dynamo-store`                                  |
-| `DYNAMO_IMAGE_BUILDER_NAMESPACE`                   | Namespace for image building         | `dynamo`                                               |
 | `DYNAMO_SYSTEM_NAMESPACE`                          | System namespace                     | `dynamo`                                               |
 
 - **Flags:**

docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/gke_setup.md

@@ -136,23 +136,16 @@ dynamo-operator:
         iam.gke.io/gcp-service-account: your-sa@your-gcp-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com
   ...
   dynamo:
-    dockerRegistry:
-      useKubernetesSecret: false
-      server: us-central1-docker.pkg.dev/your-project/your-registry
     components:
       serviceAccount:
         annotations:
           iam.gke.io/gcp-service-account: your-sa@your-gcp-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com
-    imageBuilder:
-      serviceAccount:
-        annotations:
-          iam.gke.io/gcp-service-account: your-sa@your-gcp-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com
     ...
 
 ....
 ```
 
-You can use it during helm installation (last step of deploy.sh)
+You can use it during helm installation (last step of /deploy/cloud/helm/deploy.sh)
 
 ```bash
 helm upgrade --install ${RELEASE} platform/ -f values.yaml --namespace ${NAMESPACE}

docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/model_caching_with_fluid.md

@@ -178,7 +178,6 @@ kind: DynamoGraphDeployment
 metadata:
   name: model-caching
 spec:
-  dynamoGraph: "frontend:3x6rl5b3gcnf5skh"
   envs:
     - name: HF_HOME
       value: /model
@@ -275,7 +274,6 @@ kind: DynamoGraphDeployment
 metadata:
   name: my-hello-world
 spec:
-  dynamoGraph: frontend:214c1690
   envs:
   - name: DYN_LOG
     value: "debug"

docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/operator_deployment.md

-<!--
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2025 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
-SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-
-Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-limitations under the License.
--->
-
-# Deploying Dynamo Inference Graphs to Kubernetes using the Dynamo Cloud Platform
-
-This guide walks you through deploying an inference graph created with the Dynamo SDK onto a Kubernetes cluster using the Dynamo cloud platform and the Dynamo deploy CLI. The Dynamo cloud platform provides a streamlined experience for deploying and managing your inference services.
-
-## Prerequisites
-
-Before proceeding with deployment, ensure you have:
-
-- [Dynamo Python package](../../get_started.md#alternative-setup-manual-installation) installed
-- A Kubernetes cluster with the [Dynamo cloud platform](dynamo_cloud.md) installed
-- Ubuntu 24.04 as the base image for your services
-- Required dependencies:
-  - Helm package manager
-  - Rust packages and toolchain
-
-You must have first followed the instructions in [deploy/dynamo/helm/README.md](https://github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/blob/main/deploy/dynamo/cloud/helm/README.md) to install Dynamo Cloud on your Kubernetes cluster.
-
-## Understanding the Deployment Process
-
-The deployment process involves two main steps:
-
-1. **Local Build (`dynamo build`)**
-   - Creates a Dynamo service archive containing:
-     - Service code and dependencies
-     - Service configuration and metadata
-     - Runtime requirements
-     - Service graph definition
-   - This archive is used as input for the remote build process
-
-2. **Remote Image Build**
-   - A `yatai-dynamonim-image-builder` pod is created in your cluster
-   - This pod:
-     - Takes the Dynamo service archive
-     - Containerizes it using the specified base image
-     - Pushes the final container image to your cluster's registry
-   - The build process is managed by the Dynamo operator
-
-## Deployment Steps
-
-### 1. Configure Environment Variables
-
-First, set up your environment variables for working with Dynamo Cloud. You have two options for accessing the `dynamo-store` service:
-
-#### Option 1: Using Port-Forward (Local Development)
-This is the simplest approach for local development and testing:
-
-```bash
-# Set your project root directory
-export PROJECT_ROOT=$(pwd)
-
-# Set your Kubernetes namespace (must match the namespace where Dynamo cloud is installed)
-export KUBE_NS=hello-world
-
-# In a separate terminal, run port-forward to expose the dynamo-store service locally
-kubectl port-forward svc/dynamo-store 8080:80 -n $KUBE_NS
-
-# Set DYNAMO_CLOUD to use the local port-forward endpoint
-export DYNAMO_CLOUD=http://localhost:8080
-```
-
-#### Option 2: Using Ingress/VirtualService (Production)
-For production environments, you should use proper ingress configuration:
-
-```bash
-# Set your project root directory
-export PROJECT_ROOT=$(pwd)
-
-# Set your Kubernetes namespace (must match the namespace where Dynamo cloud is installed)
-export KUBE_NS=hello-world
-
-# Set DYNAMO_CLOUD to your externally accessible endpoint
-# This could be your Ingress hostname or VirtualService URL
-export DYNAMO_CLOUD=https://dynamo-cloud.nvidia.com  # Replace with your actual endpoint
-```
-
-``` {note}
-The `DYNAMO_CLOUD` environment variable is required for all Dynamo deployment commands. Make sure it's set before running any deployment operations.
-```
-
-### 2. Build the Dynamo Base Image
-
-Before building your service, you need to ensure the base image is properly set up:
-
-1. For detailed instructions on building and pushing the Dynamo base image, see the [Building the Dynamo Base Image](../../get_started.md#building-the-dynamo-base-image) section in the main README.
-
-2. Export the image from the previous step to your environment.
-```bash
-# Export the image from the previous step to your environment
-export DYNAMO_IMAGE=<your-registry>/<your-image-name>:<your-tag>
-
-# Navigate to your project directory
-cd $PROJECT_ROOT/examples/hello_world
-
-# Build the service and capture the tag
-DYNAMO_TAG=$(dynamo build hello_world:Frontend | grep "Successfully built" | awk '{ print $3 }' | sed 's/\.$//')
-```
-
-### 3. Deploy to Kubernetes
-
-TODO: Deploy your service using a DynamoGraphDeployment CR.
-
-#### Managing Deployments
-
-Once you have deployments running, you can manage them using the following commands:
-
-To see a list of all deployments in your namespace:
-
-```bash
-dynamo deployment list
-```
-This command displays a table of all deployments.
-
-To get detailed information about a specific deployment:
-
-```bash
-dynamo deployment get $DEPLOYMENT_NAME
-```
-
-To update a specific deployment:
-
-```bash
-dynamo deployment update $DEPLOYMENT_NAME [--config-file FILENAME] [--env ENV_VAR]
-```
-
-To remove a deployment and all its associated resources:
-
-```bash
-dynamo deployment delete $DEPLOYMENT_NAME
-```
-
-```{warning}
-This command permanently deletes the deployment and all associated resources. Make sure you have any necessary backups before proceeding.
-```
-
-### 4. Test the Deployment
-
-The deployment process creates several pods:
-1. A `yatai-dynamonim-image-builder` pod for building the container image
-2. Service pods prefixed with `$DEPLOYMENT_NAME` once the build is complete
-
-To test your deployment:
-
-```bash
-# Forward the service port to localhost
-kubectl -n ${KUBE_NS} port-forward svc/${DEPLOYMENT_NAME}-frontend 3000:3000
-
-# Test the API endpoint
-curl -X 'POST' 'http://localhost:3000/generate' \
-    -H 'accept: text/event-stream' \
-    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-    -d '{"text": "test"}'
-```
-
-## Expected Output
-
-When you send a request with "test" as input, you'll see how the text flows through each service:
-
-```
-Frontend: Middle: Backend: test-mid-back
-```
-
-This demonstrates the service pipeline:
-1. The Frontend receives "test"
-2. The Middle service adds "-mid" to create "test-mid"
-3. The Backend service adds "-back" to create "test-mid-back"
-
-## Using Kubernetes Secrets for Environment Variables
-
-Dynamo supports securely injecting environment variables from Kubernetes secrets into your deployment. This is only supported when deploying with `--target kubernetes`.
-
-### Creating a Secret
-
-First, create a Kubernetes secret containing your sensitive values:
-
-```bash
-export HF_TOKEN=your_hf_token
-kubectl create secret generic dynamo-env-secrets \
-  --from-literal=huggingface.token=$HF_TOKEN \
-  --from-literal=another_secret.key=value \
-  -n $KUBE_NS
-```
-
-### Referencing Secrets in Your Deployment
-
-You can reference secret keys in your deployment using the `--env-from-secret` flag:
-
-- `--env-from-secret HF_TOKEN=huggingface.token` will set the `HF_TOKEN` environment variable from the `huggingface.token` key in the secret.
-- `--env-from-secret ANOTHER_SECRET=another_secret.key` will set the `ANOTHER_SECRET` environment variable from the same-named key in the secret.
-- You can also mix normal envs: `--env NORMAL_ENV_KEY=value`.
-
-By default, Dynamo will look for a secret named `dynamo-env-secrets`. You can override this with the `--env-secrets-name` flag or the `DYNAMO_ENV_SECRETS` environment variable.
-
-### Example Full Command
-
-```bash
-dynamo deploy $DYNAMO_TAG -n $DEPLOYMENT_NAME -f ./configs/agg.yaml \
-  --env NORMAL_ENV_KEY=value \
-  --env-from-secret HF_TOKEN=huggingface.token \
-  --env-from-secret ANOTHER_SECRET=another_secret.key \
-  --target kubernetes
-```

docs/guides/dynamo_deploy/quickstart.md

+# Quickstart
+
+Before deploying your inference graphs you need to install the Dynamo Inference Platform and the Dynamo Cloud.
+
+## 1. Installing from Published Artifacts
+
+Use this approach when installing from pre-built helm charts and docker images published to NGC.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+```bash
+export NAMESPACE=dynamo-cloud
+export RELEASE_VERSION=0.3.2
+```
+
+Install `envsubst`, `kubectl`, `helm`
+
+### Authenticate with NGC
+
+```bash
+helm repo add nvidia https://helm.ngc.nvidia.com/nvidia --username='$oauthtoken' --password=<YOUR_NGC_CLI_API_KEY>
+```
+
+### Fetch Helm Charts
+
+```bash
+# Fetch the CRDs helm chart
+helm fetch https://helm.ngc.nvidia.com/nvidia/charts/dynamo-crds-v${RELEASE_VERSION}.tgz
+
+# Fetch the platform helm chart
+helm fetch https://helm.ngc.nvidia.com/nvidia/charts/dynamo-platform-v${RELEASE_VERSION}.tgz
+```
+
+### Install Dynamo Cloud
+
+**Step 1: Install Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs)**
+
+```bash
+helm install dynamo-crds dynamo-crds-v${RELEASE_VERSION}.tgz \
+  --namespace default \
+  --wait \
+  --atomic
+```
+
+**Step 2: Install Dynamo Platform**
+
+```bash
+kubectl create namespace ${NAMESPACE}
+
+helm install dynamo-platform dynamo-platform-v${RELEASE_VERSION}.tgz --namespace ${NAMESPACE}
+```
+
+## 2. Installing from Source
+
+Use this approach when developing or customizing Dynamo as a contributor, or using local helm charts from the source repository.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+Ensure you have the source code checked out and are in the `dynamo` directory:
+
+```bash
+cd deploy/cloud/helm/
+```
+
+### Set Environment Variables
+
+```bash
+export NAMESPACE=dynamo-cloud
+export DOCKER_USERNAME=your-username
+export DOCKER_PASSWORD=your-password
+export DOCKER_SERVER=your-docker-registry.com
+export IMAGE_TAG=your-image-tag
+```
+
+### Install Dynamo Cloud
+
+You could run the `deploy.sh` or use the manual commands under Step 1 and Step 2.
+
+**Installing with a script (alternative to the Step 1 and Step 2)**
+
+Create the namespace and the docker registry secret.
+
+```bash
+kubectl create namespace ${NAMESPACE}
+kubectl create secret docker-registry docker-imagepullsecret \
+  --docker-server=${DOCKER_SERVER} \
+  --docker-username=${DOCKER_USERNAME} \
+  --docker-password=${DOCKER_PASSWORD} \
+  --namespace=${NAMESPACE}
+```
+
+```bash
+./deploy.sh --crds
+```
+
+if you want guidance during the process, run the deployment script with the `--interactive` flag:
+
+```bash
+./deploy.sh --crds --interactive
+```
+
+**Step 1: Install Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs)**
+
+```bash
+helm install dynamo-crds ./crds/ \
+  --namespace default \
+  --wait \
+  --atomic
+```
+
+**Step 2: Build Dependencies and Install Platform**
+
+```bash
+helm dep build ./platform/
+
+kubectl create namespace ${NAMESPACE}
+
+# Create docker registry secret
+kubectl create secret docker-registry docker-imagepullsecret \
+  --docker-server=${DOCKER_SERVER} \
+  --docker-username=${DOCKER_USERNAME} \
+  --docker-password=${DOCKER_PASSWORD} \
+  --namespace=${NAMESPACE}
+
+# Install platform
+helm install dynamo-platform ./platform/ \
+  --namespace ${NAMESPACE} \
+  --set "dynamo-operator.controllerManager.manager.image.repository=${DOCKER_SERVER}/dynamo-operator" \
+  --set "dynamo-operator.controllerManager.manager.image.tag=${IMAGE_TAG}" \
+  --set "dynamo-operator.imagePullSecrets[0].name=docker-imagepullsecret"
+```
+
+[More on Deploying to Dynamo Cloud](./dynamo_cloud.md)
+
+
+## Explore Examples
+
+### Hello World
+
+For a basic example that doesn't require a GPU, see the [Hello World](../../examples/hello_world.md)
+
+### LLM
+
+Create a Kubernetes secret containing your sensitive values if needed:
+
+```bash
+export HF_TOKEN=your_hf_token
+kubectl create secret generic hf-token-secret \
+  --from-literal=HF_TOKEN=${HF_TOKEN} \
+  -n ${NAMESPACE}
+```
+
+
+Pick your deployment destination.
+
+If local
+
+```bash
+export DYNAMO_CLOUD=http://localhost:8080
+```
+
+If kubernetes
+```bash
+export DYNAMO_CLOUD=https://dynamo-cloud.nvidia.com
+```
+
+```bash
+# Go to your main dynamo directory.
+cd ../../../
+kubectl apply -f examples/llm/deploy/agg.yaml -n $NAMESPACE
+```
+

docs/index.rst

@@ -30,9 +30,16 @@ The NVIDIA Dynamo Platform is a high-performance, low-latency inference framewor
    - `Dynamo examples repo <https://github.com/ai-dynamo/examples>`_
 
 
+Quick Start
+-----------------
+Follow the :doc:`Quick Guide to install Dynamo Platform <guides/dynamo_deploy/quickstart>`.
+
+
 Dive in: Examples
 -----------------
 
+The examples below assume you build the latest image yourself from source. If using a prebuilt image follow the examples from the corresponding branch.
+
 .. grid:: 1 2 2 2
     :gutter: 3
     :margin: 0
@@ -105,6 +112,7 @@ Dive in: Examples
    :hidden:
    :caption: Deployment Guides
 
+   Dynamo Deploy Quickstart <guides/dynamo_deploy/quickstart.md>
    Dynamo Cloud Kubernetes Platform <guides/dynamo_deploy/dynamo_cloud.md>
    Deploying Dynamo Inference Graphs to Kubernetes using the Dynamo Cloud Platform <guides/dynamo_deploy/operator_deployment.md>
    Manual Helm Deployment <guides/dynamo_deploy/manual_helm_deployment.md>

examples/llm/README.md

@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ in `dynamo deployment get ${DEPLOYMENT_NAME}` and skip the steps to find and for
 export FRONTEND_POD=$(kubectl get pods -n ${KUBE_NS} | grep "${DEPLOYMENT_NAME}-frontend" | sort -k1 | tail -n1 | awk '{print $1}')
 
 # Forward the pod's port to localhost
-kubectl port-forward pod/$FRONTEND_POD 3000:3000 -n ${KUBE_NS}
+dynamo-operator-deployment.yaml/$FRONTEND_POD 3000:3000 -n ${KUBE_NS}
 
 # Test the API endpoint
 curl localhost:3000/v1/chat/completions \