Vishal Kurane
Contents
Introduction to Helm Chart........................................................................................................... 3
1. What is Helm? .................................................................................................................. 3
2. Purpose of Helm in Kubernetes Ecosystem ......................................................................... 3
3. Key Components of Helm .................................................................................................. 3
Helm CLI .......................................................................................................................................... 4
Helm Charts..................................................................................................................................... 4
Helm Repositories ........................................................................................................................... 4
Helm Releases ................................................................................................................................. 4
4. Difference Between Helm and Plain Kubernetes Manifests ................................................. 5
5. Installation of Helm Chart ................................................................................................. 6
Folder Structure of Helm Chart ..................................................................................................... 7
1. Chart.yaml ........................................................................................................................ 7
2. values.yaml....................................................................................................................... 7
3. charts/ (Directory) ............................................................................................................ 8
4. Common Files in templates/ .............................................................................................. 8
5. .helmignore ...................................................................................................................... 8
Additional Notes on Templates ..................................................................................................... 9
Overall Significance of Helm Chart Structure ............................................................................. 9
Deploy an application through Helm chart .................................................................................. 10
1. Create a helm chart ................................................................................................................... 10
2. Update the template manifest .................................................................................................. 10
3. Install the helm chart ................................................................................................................ 10
4. Application Deployed through Helm Chart is accessible .......................................................... 11
5. Uninstall the helm chart............................................................................................................ 11
Helm Commands........................................................................................................................ 12
1. Helm Version Commands ................................................................................................ 12
helm version.................................................................................................................................. 12
2. Helm Chart Management Commands .............................................................................. 12
helm create ................................................................................................................................... 12
helm lint ........................................................................................................................................ 12
helm package ................................................................................................................................ 12
helm show values .......................................................................................................................... 12
3. Helm Chart Repository Management Commands ............................................................. 13
helm repo add ............................................................................................................................... 13
helm repo update.......................................................................................................................... 13
helm repo list ................................................................................................................................ 13
helm repo remove......................................................................................................................... 13
4. Helm Chart Installation and Management Commands ...................................................... 13
helm install .................................................................................................................................... 13
helm upgrade ................................................................................................................................ 13
helm uninstall................................................................................................................................ 14
helm rollback................................................................................................................................. 14
helm list ......................................................................................................................................... 14
helm status .................................................................................................................................... 14
5. Helm Release Management and Debugging Commands ................................................... 15
Helm dry run ................................................................................................................................. 15
helm history .................................................................................................................................. 15
helm get all.................................................................................................................................... 15
helm get values ............................................................................................................................. 15
helm template ............................................................................................................................... 15
helm test ....................................................................................................................................... 15
helm diff upgrade .......................................................................................................................... 15
6. Helm Chart Customization and Value Overrides ............................................................... 16
helm get manifest ......................................................................................................................... 16
helm show chart ........................................................................................................................... 16
helm show all ................................................................................................................................ 16
7. Helm Plugin Management Commands ............................................................................. 16
helm plugin list .............................................................................................................................. 16
helm plugin install ......................................................................................................................... 16
helm plugin update ....................................................................................................................... 16
8. Helm Environment and Configuration .............................................................................. 17
helm env........................................................................................................................................ 17
helm completion ........................................................................................................................... 17
9. Helm Chart Search and Repository Management ............................................................. 17
helm search repo .......................................................................................................................... 17
helm search hub............................................................................................................................ 17
Introduction to Helm Chart
1. What is Helm?
Helm is a package manager specifically designed for Kubernetes, much like apt for Debian or yum for
RHEL-based systems. It simplifies the deployment and management of applications on Kubernetes by
bundling together all the Kubernetes resources required for an application into a single package called
a Helm Chart.
Key Features of Helm:
• Package Management: Helm uses "charts" as the package format to describe Kubernetes
resources.
• Versioning: Helm supports version control for application releases, allowing easy rollback to
previous versions if necessary.
• Templating: Helm allows parameterized templates to be used in charts, making deployments
flexible and customizable.
• Release Management: Helm tracks deployed applications as “releases” and manages them
throughout their lifecycle (installation, upgrades, rollback).
2. Purpose of Helm in Kubernetes Ecosystem
Helm's purpose in the Kubernetes ecosystem is to streamline the complexity of managing Kubernetes
applications by providing a higher-level tool that abstracts many repetitive and error-prone tasks
involved in configuring Kubernetes resources manually.
Key Benefits of Helm in Kubernetes:
• Simplified Deployment: Helm packages multiple Kubernetes resources (pods, services, config
maps, etc.) into a single unit (a Helm chart) and deploys them with a single command.
• Reusability and Sharing: Helm charts can be shared and reused across different projects. This
allows teams to use pre-built charts for popular software (e.g., databases, web servers) or
build their own reusable, parameterized templates.
• Lifecycle Management: Helm helps with the lifecycle management of applications, including
deployment, upgrade, and rollback, while keeping track of previous deployments as versions.
• Parameterization: Helm allows dynamic configuration of applications through the values.yaml
file, making it easy to deploy the same application with different settings across different
environments (development, staging, production).
• Multi-Environment Support: Helm makes it easy to deploy the same application to multiple
Kubernetes environments (e.g., dev, QA, prod) with different configurations by leveraging
Helm's templating and values system.
3. Key Components of Helm
Helm is made up of several core components, which work together to make Kubernetes deployments
easier and more manageable.
Helm CLI
• The command-line interface (CLI) is the main tool for interacting with Helm. With the CLI, you
can manage your Helm repositories, install charts, upgrade applications, roll back to previous
versions, and more.
• Common commands:
o helm install: Install a new chart.
o helm upgrade: Upgrade an existing release.
o helm rollback: Roll back to a previous version.
o helm repo add: Add a Helm chart repository.
o helm template: Render templates locally without deploying them.
Helm Charts
• Helm Charts are the core packaging format in Helm. They define the structure of your
Kubernetes application and its dependencies. A chart is a collection of YAML templates that
describe Kubernetes resources such as deployments, services, and config maps.
• Chart components include:
o Chart.yaml: Defines metadata about the chart, including its name and version.
o values.yaml: Contains default configurations that can be overridden at deployment
time.
o templates/: Directory containing template files that define Kubernetes resources.
o requirements.yaml: Lists any dependencies that the chart has on other charts.
• Charts make applications easily portable and configurable.
Helm Repositories
• Helm repositories are locations where charts are stored and distributed. They are similar to
software repositories in traditional package managers (e.g., npm or PyPI).
• Public repositories, such as the Artifact Hub (a Helm community hub for sharing and
discovering charts), make it easy to discover charts for common software like MySQL, Nginx,
etc.
• You can also create private repositories for internal charts.
• Commands like helm repo add or helm repo update help manage repositories.
Helm Releases
• A release is a specific deployment of a Helm chart to your Kubernetes cluster. Every time you
use helm install to deploy a chart, a new release is created.
• Helm manages releases using a versioning system, which enables you to upgrade and roll back
applications.
• Each release is named (e.g., myapp-v1) and tracked within Kubernetes. Helm also stores the
release history, making it easy to return to a previous version if necessary (using helm rollback).
4. Difference Between Helm and Plain Kubernetes Manifests
Plain Kubernetes manifests consist of YAML files that define Kubernetes resources such as Pods,
Services, and ConfigMaps. Managing applications using plain manifests can be repetitive, complex, and
error-prone, especially for larger and more sophisticated deployments.
Key Differences:
Feature Helm Plain Kubernetes Manifests
Templating Helm provides templating support, Kubernetes manifests are static and
allowing parameterized YAML require manual editing for different
configurations via values.yaml. environments or configurations.
Application Helm bundles multiple Kubernetes You must manually deploy each
Packaging resources into a single chart, making it YAML file and manage them
easy to deploy an entire application with separately.
one command.
Versioning Helm tracks releases, allowing easy Kubernetes does not natively track
upgrades and rollbacks with full history versioning across deployments. You
tracking. need to manage this manually.
Dependency Helm supports chart dependencies, so if Kubernetes manifests do not have
Management your application depends on other built-in dependency management.
charts, Helm can install and manage You must handle this manually.
those automatically.
Customization You can easily customize Helm charts for Customizing Kubernetes manifests
different environments using values.yaml for different environments requires
or --set flags at deployment time. manual editing or separate YAML
files.
Lifecycle Helm tracks the state of your Kubernetes requires custom
Management deployments and offers tools to manage scripting or manual intervention to
upgrades, rollbacks, and uninstallation handle updates and rollbacks.
easily.
Reusability Helm charts are reusable templates that Kubernetes manifests are typically
can be shared across projects and teams, tailored to individual applications
fostering consistency and efficiency. and aren’t easily reusable.
In summary, Helm extends Kubernetes manifests by adding structure, reusability, and management
features like templating, versioning, and dependency management, making it a more efficient tool for
managing complex Kubernetes applications.
5. Installation of Helm Chart
➔ curl -fsSL -o get_helm.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/helm/helm/main/scripts/get-
helm-3
➔ chmod 700 get_helm.sh
➔ ./get_helm.sh
➔ helm version
Folder Structure of Helm Chart
➔ Helm create demo
➔ Tree demo
The folder structure of a Helm chart is crucial for managing Kubernetes applications effectively. A Helm
chart is essentially a collection of files that define a related set of Kubernetes resources. The files and
directories within a chart describe the deployment, configuration, and structure of the Kubernetes
application.
1. Chart.yaml
• Purpose: This is the main file of a Helm chart. It contains metadata about the chart such as its
name, version, description, and other dependencies.
• Key fields:
o apiVersion: The version of the Chart API used (e.g., v2 for Helm 3).
o name: Name of the chart (must be unique).
o version: Version of the chart.
o description: Short description of the chart.
o appVersion: The version of the application this chart deploys (e.g., MySQL version).
o keywords: List of keywords to describe the chart.
o dependencies: Defines other charts this chart depends on.
Significance: This file provides essential metadata about the Helm chart, allowing Helm to properly
identify, version, and manage the application.
2. values.yaml
• Purpose: Contains default configuration values for the chart, which can be overridden by users
at install or upgrade time.
• Usage: Users provide custom values to override these defaults during chart installation by
using the --values or -f flag.
Significance: It’s a key file where customizable options like replicas, image versions, resource limits,
and other configurations are defined. It allows users to reuse the chart with different configurations
by simply changing values.
3. charts/ (Directory)
• Purpose: Stores any dependencies that the current chart may have, such as other charts.
• Usage: Helm allows you to bundle other Helm charts (dependencies) into your chart. These
dependencies are added here, either manually or by specifying them in Chart.yaml under the
dependencies field.
• Significance: Dependencies are managed here, making it easier to include third-party charts
(e.g., databases or other microservices) that your application relies on.
templates/ (Directory)
• Purpose: Contains all the Kubernetes resource templates that define the application. These
templates are written in YAML but are processed by Helm to substitute variables with actual
values.
• Significance: The files in this folder define the actual Kubernetes resources, like deployments,
services, config maps, and ingresses. Helm replaces placeholders with values from values.yaml
during deployment.
4. Common Files in templates/
• deployment.yaml: Defines the Kubernetes Deployment resource, which handles how the
application is deployed, including replica settings, container images, environment variables,
and resource constraints.
• service.yaml: Defines the Kubernetes Service resource, which exposes the application to other
services or the outside world.
• ingress.yaml: Defines the Ingress resource for routing external traffic to the service.
• configmap.yaml: Defines a ConfigMap resource for storing non-sensitive configuration data
that can be consumed by containers.
• _helpers.tpl: Contains helper templates that can be used in other templates to avoid
repetition. Often contains functions for generating names or combining strings.
o Significance: Keeps the templates DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) by providing reusable
code snippets.
• NOTES.txt: Contains helpful instructions that are printed to the user after chart installation,
often including how to access the application.
o Significance: Provides useful post-installation information for end users.
5. .helmignore
• Purpose: Similar to .gitignore, this file specifies files or directories that should be ignored when
packaging the Helm chart.
• Usage: Helps to exclude unnecessary files (e.g., .DS_Store, temporary files) from being
included in the Helm chart package.
• Significance: Helps reduce the size of the Helm package and prevents sensitive or irrelevant
files from being uploaded.
Additional Notes on Templates
• Template Processing: Helm templates support Go templating. Variables, loops, conditions,
and functions can be used to dynamically build the YAML configurations. This is how the values
from values.yaml are injected into the templates during runtime.
• Values Insertion: Helm injects values into the templates using the {{ .Values }} syntax. For
example, in deployment.yaml, the image might be specified as:
spec:
containers:
- name: mycontainer
image: "{{ .Values.image.repository }}:{{ .Values.image.tag }}"
This line dynamically inserts the image name and tag from values.yaml.
Overall Significance of Helm Chart Structure
• Modular and Reusable: By organizing Kubernetes resources into templates and providing
customizable values in values.yaml, Helm charts allow users to deploy applications flexibly
across different environments.
• Version Control: The Chart.yaml file maintains versioning for the chart, allowing for easy
upgrades and rollbacks.
• Dependency Management: The charts/ directory handles dependencies, making it possible to
bundle other charts (such as databases or third-party services) that your application might rely
on.
• Post-installation Guidance: The NOTES.txt file gives users important information on how to
use the deployed resources, making the chart more user-friendly.
Each component of the Helm chart folder structure serves a purpose, contributing to the chart's
reusability, configurability, and ease of deployment in Kubernetes.
Deploy an application through Helm chart
1. Create a helm chart
2. Update the template manifest
3. Install the helm chart
4. Application Deployed through Helm Chart is accessible
5. Uninstall the helm chart
Helm Commands
1. Helm Version Commands
helm version
• Displays the Helm version information.
• Command:
➔ helm version
Example output: version.BuildInfo{Version:"v3.10.2", GitCommit:"...", GoVersion:"go1.18"}
2. Helm Chart Management Commands
helm create
• Creates a new Helm chart with a default directory structure.
• Command:
➔ helm create <chart-name>
This will generate a new directory structure for a Helm chart named <chart-name>.
helm lint
• Runs a linter to check for syntax issues and best practices in Helm charts.
• Command:
➔ helm lint <chart-name>
The command checks for issues with the chart templates before installation.
helm package
• Packages a Helm chart directory into a .tgz archive file for distribution.
• Command:
➔ helm package <chart-directory>
The .tgz package can be uploaded to a Helm chart repository.
helm show values
• Displays the default values for a Helm chart.
• Command:
➔ helm show values <chart>
3. Helm Chart Repository Management Commands
helm repo add
• Adds a new Helm chart repository.
• Command:
➔ helm repo add <repo-name> <repo-url>
Example:
helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami
helm repo update
• Fetches the latest list of charts from all configured repositories.
• Command:
➔ helm repo update
helm repo list
• Lists all configured Helm repositories.
• Command:
➔ helm repo list
helm repo remove
• Removes a configured repository.
• Command:
➔ helm repo remove <repo-name>
4. Helm Chart Installation and Management Commands
helm install
• Installs a Helm chart to a Kubernetes cluster.
• Command:
➔ helm install <release-name> <chart> --namespace <namespace>
Example:
helm install my-release bitnami/nginx --namespace my-namespace
helm upgrade
• Upgrades an existing Helm release with a new chart or updated values.
• Command:
➔ helm upgrade <release-name> <chart> --namespace <namespace>
Example:
helm upgrade my-release bitnami/nginx --set replicaCount=3
helm uninstall
• Uninstalls a Helm release and deletes associated resources.
• Command:
➔ helm uninstall <release-name> --namespace <namespace>
Example:
helm uninstall my-release --namespace my-namespace
helm rollback
• Rolls back a Helm release to a previous version.
• Command:
➔ helm rollback <release-name> <revision-number>
Example:
helm rollback my-release 1
helm list
• Lists all Helm releases in a namespace (or all namespaces if --all-namespaces is specified).
• Command:
➔ helm list --namespace <namespace>
Example:
helm list --all-namespaces
helm status
• Displays the status of a specific Helm release.
• Command:
➔ helm status <release-name> --namespace <namespace>
Example:
helm status my-release
5. Helm Release Management and Debugging Commands
Helm dry run
• It will validate and verify your chart by connecting to kubernetes api server and after successful
validation it will render the manifest in the form of YAMLs(kubernetes resources)
• Command:
➔ helm install <release-name> --debug --dry-run <chart>
helm history
• Shows the revision history of a Helm release.
• Command:
➔ helm history <release-name> --namespace <namespace>
Example:
helm history my-release
helm get all
• Retrieves all information about a Helm release, including deployed resources and chart values.
• Command:
➔ helm get all <release-name>
helm get values
• Shows the values currently used in a Helm release.
• Command:
➔ helm get values <release-name>
helm template
• Renders templates locally without deploying them to Kubernetes. Useful for debugging and
previewing.
• Command:
➔ helm template <release-name> <chart>
Example:
helm template my-release bitnami/nginx
helm test
• Runs tests (if available) for a Helm release.
• Command:
➔ helm test <release-name> --namespace <namespace>
helm diff upgrade
• Compares the currently deployed version of a release with a new chart or values, showing the
differences.
• Command:
➔ helm diff upgrade <release-name> <chart>
(This requires the helm-diff plugin to be installed).
6. Helm Chart Customization and Value Overrides
helm get manifest
• Shows the Kubernetes manifest that was generated by Helm from a specific release.
• Command:
➔ helm get manifest <release-name>
helm show chart
• Displays the metadata of a Helm chart (name, version, appVersion, etc.).
• Command:
➔ helm show chart <chart>
helm show all
• Displays detailed information about a Helm chart, including chart metadata, values, and
templates.
• Command:
➔ helm show all <chart>
7. Helm Plugin Management Commands
helm plugin list
• Lists all installed Helm plugins.
• Command:
➔ helm plugin list
helm plugin install
• Installs a Helm plugin.
• Command:
➔ helm plugin install <url>
Example:
helm plugin install https://github.com/databus23/helm-diff
helm plugin update
• Updates an installed Helm plugin.
• Command:
➔ helm plugin update <plugin-name>
8. Helm Environment and Configuration
helm env
• Displays environment variables that Helm is using.
• Command:
➔ helm env
helm completion
• Generates shell autocompletions for Helm.
• Command:
➔ helm completion > /etc/_completion.d/helm
➔ source /etc/_completion.d/helm
9. Helm Chart Search and Repository Management
helm search repo
• Searches for charts in a Helm repository.
• Command:
➔ helm search repo <search-term>
Example:
helm search repo nginx
helm search hub
• Searches for Helm charts in the Helm Hub.
• Command:
➔ helm search hub <search-term>
