Operator Registry is a tool that runs in a Kubernetes or OpenShift cluster to provide operator catalog data to Operator Lifecycle Manager.
The tool solves the problem of managing and serving operator catalogs within Kubernetes environments. It works by storing operator bundle metadata and manifests in a structured format, validating them against defined invariants, and exposing this data through a gRPC interface that Operator Lifecycle Manager can query. The project provides the opm binary for managing file-based catalog content and building catalog images, along with libraries for client access, registry types, bundle standards, and container tool interactions.
Operator Registry is intended for cluster operators and platform administrators who need to manage operator catalogs for Operator Lifecycle Manager instances. It suits environments where operators must be packaged, indexed, and served to clusters in a standardized way. The README distinguishes this tool from Operator-SDK, noting that while Operator-SDK helps integrate individual operator projects with Operator Lifecycle Manager, Operator Registry is specifically for managing index catalogs at the cluster level.
The project maintains active engagement with contributions, processes pull requests and issues regularly, and has established governance through a Developer Certificate of Origin requirement for all contributors. Development activity shows consistent attention to both bug fixes and feature enhancements across the codebase.
