What is Helm? Helm and Helm Charts Explained

Helm is a popular package manager for Kubernetes that allows you to define, install, and manage applications on your Kubernetes cluster. It simplifies the process of deploying complex applications on Kubernetes by providing a templating system and an easy-to-use command-line interface.

In this article, we will dive into the details of Helm and Helm charts and how they can make your life easier when working with Kubernetes.

What is Helm?

Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes, similar to how apt or yum are package managers for Linux. Helm helps you manage Kubernetes applications by defining, installing, and upgrading them. It is built on top of Kubernetes and follows the same architecture principles, making it a natural choice for Kubernetes users.

Helm Charts Explained:

Helm charts are the package format for Helm. They are a collection of files that define a specific application or service in Kubernetes. Helm charts contain templates, which are files that define the Kubernetes objects needed to deploy the application, as well as values files that define the configuration for the application.

Commands:

Here are some of the most common Helm commands that you will use when working with Helm:

• helm install: Installs a chart onto your Kubernetes cluster.
• helm upgrade: Upgrades a chart to a new version.
• helm uninstall: Uninstalls a chart from your Kubernetes cluster.
• helm list: Lists all the installed charts on your Kubernetes cluster.

Step by Step Instructions:

Here is a step-by-step guide to using Helm to deploy an application to Kubernetes:

1. Install Helm onto your machine by following the instructions on the official Helm website.

2. Create a new Helm chart for your application by running the command:

$ helm create myapp

3. Modify the templates and values files in the myapp chart to match your application's needs.

4. Package your chart by running the command:

$ helm package myapp

5. Install your chart onto your Kubernetes cluster by running the command:

$ helm install myapp myapp-0.1.0.tgz

Congratulations, you have now deployed your application to Kubernetes using Helm!

More Examples:

Here are some more examples of how Helm can be used:

• Helm can be used to deploy a WordPress application to Kubernetes using the Bitnami WordPress chart.
• Helm can be used to deploy a Prometheus monitoring stack to Kubernetes using the Prometheus Operator chart.
• Helm can be used to deploy a Jenkins CI/CD pipeline to Kubernetes using the Jenkins chart.

Helm is a powerful tool for managing applications on Kubernetes. It simplifies the process of deploying and managing complex applications, making it a natural choice for Kubernetes users. By understanding Helm and Helm charts, you can take full advantage of the power of Kubernetes and deploy your applications with ease.

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That's it for this post. Keep practicing and have fun. Leave your comments if any.