How do you use Kubernetes Helm to deploy applications?

Deploying applications using Helm simplifies the management process on Kubernetes clusters. Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that allows you to define, install, and upgrade applications in a streamlined manner using charts.

?????Begin by installing Helm, the package manager for Kubernetes, on your local machine or the cluster where you intend to deploy your applications. Follow the official Helm installation instructions for your operating system and environment to ensure a smooth setup process.

To deploy applications in a Kubernetes cluster using Helm, start by installing Helm, a Kubernetes package manager, and authorize kubectl with your cluster to manage resources effectively. After setting up Helm and configuring kubectl, create a sample Helm chart by running the helm create command, which generates a template for your application's deployment. Customize this chart by editing the YAML files to include the configurations for your apps, services, and any required ingress resources. Finalize the process by deploying your applications with the helm install command, leveraging Helm to package and deploy your configurations to the cluster, streamlining the deployment process with efficiency and ease.

1. **Install Helm**: First, ensure you have Helm installed on your local machine and Tiller (Helm’s server-side component) installed on your Kubernetes cluster 2. **Create a Helm Chart** 3. **Customize Values** 4. **Package the Chart** 5. **Deploy the Chart** 6. **Manage Releases** Here's an example command to deploy a Helm chart named `myapp`: ```bash helm install myapp ./myapp-chart-0.1.0.tgz ``` Remember to replace `myapp` with the desired release name and `./myapp-chart-0.1.0.tgz` with the path to your packaged chart. Additionally, Helm charts often come with documentation explaining how to use them, including any required or optional configuration options. Be sure to consult the documentation provided with the chart you're deploying

you need to install Helm on your local machine or your cluster. Once Helm is installed, you need to initialize it by running the helm init command. A Helm chart is a package that contains all the Kubernetes YAML manifests necessary to deploy your application. Modify the values.yaml file in your Helm chart to specify configuration options for your application. Once you've configured your Helm chart, you need to package it into a .tgz file using the helm package command.and then use the helm install command, passing in the name of your release and the path to your Helm chart package. Helm keeps track of your application deployments as releases. You can use the helm upgrade and helm rollback commands to perform upgrade/rollback operations.

A good security practice within the organizations is to pull official images from HELM charts and store them in their own repositories. Then modify the original HELM chart to point to the local repo to pull the images. Lastly package the custom HELM and store it in your own artifactory repo. This approach enhance security, deployment speed and avoid risks if the official HELM for whatever reason is not available.

????Create a Helm chart, which is a collection of files that define your Kubernetes application's structure, dependencies, and configurations. Use the Helm CLI to generate a new chart scaffold or customize an existing one according to your application's requirements and specifications.

Having a functional and optimized helm chart is must for quickly deploying and delivering applications. It reduces chance of failure and error during new deployments.

Helm uses charts to package and deploy Kubernetes applications. A Helm chart contains all the Kubernetes manifest files required to deploy your application. You can create a new Helm chart using the helm create command or use an existing one.

For the organization of my files for an application I always create a basic chart and then modify it according to my needs. I delete some files that I don’t need.

????Customize the values in your Helm chart to configure your application's parameters, such as environment variables, resource limits, and service endpoints. Modify the values.yaml file within your chart to specify the desired configurations or override default settings as needed to tailor the deployment to your environment.

In values file I give the specifications of my app and create a values.yaml file for each environment (prod, dev, test etc...)

Having a customized variable adds more value in the process of fast deployment of a new application. It makes best utilization of helm chart based deployment where custom variables replaces default values.

Edit the values.yaml file within your Helm chart to specify the configuration parameters for your application, such as image tags, environment variables, and resource requests/limits.

Once you've configured your Helm chart, you can package it using the helm package command. This will create a .tgz file containing your chart and its dependencies. To deploy your application using Helm, you can use the helm install command, providing the name you want to give to the release and the path to the packaged chart.

A helm install is usually enough to deploy the application on the kubernetes cluster. In case of error I debug until I find the solution.

????Deploy your Helm chart to your Kubernetes cluster using the Helm CLI. Use the helm install command, specifying the chart name and any custom values or options required for deployment. Helm will handle the installation process, deploying your application components, and managing Kubernetes resources based on the chart specifications.

???? Before deploying your Helm chart to a production environment, perform thorough testing and validation to ensure compatibility, stability, and reliability. Adhere to security best practices when deploying applications with Helm, such as limiting access to sensitive information, validating chart sources, and scanning for vulnerabilities in dependencies. Configure monitoring and observability tools to monitor the health, performance, and availability of your applications deployed via Helm. Integrate Helm deployments into your CI/CD pipelines to automate the application delivery process, from building container images to deploying Helm charts.

Helm provides additional features such as repositories for sharing and discovering charts, templating for dynamically generating Kubernetes manifests, and plugins for extending Helm's functionality. You can explore these features to further streamline your application deployment workflow.

Helm is a tool that streamlines the installation and management of Kubernetes applications. Key concept of helm: Chart: A Helm package that contains all of the resources and definitions of you application. Repository: A place where charts can be collected and shared. Release: An instance of a chart running in a Kubernetes cluster. Apps need phases: development, testing, staging, then production. That sounds anoying but better to test thoroughly than fix issues later. Greates benefits of it: - Simplifies Kubernetes Deployments - Version control for Deployments - Easy Updates - Sharing and reusability - Customization

Using Kubernetes Helm to deploy applications streamlines the process by managing Kubernetes resources through charts. Security considerations are paramount, including secure storage of sensitive values, RBAC configuration for Helm deployments, and regular scanning of container images for vulnerabilities. These measures fortify applications and Kubernetes environments against potential risks, ensuring robust security posture throughout the deployment lifecycle.