To deploy your custom application in a Kubernetes cluster using Helm, follow these steps to create a Helm chart and configure it to deploy the application:
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Set Up Your Environment
- Make sure Helm is installed on your local machine and configured to interact with your Kubernetes cluster.
-
Verify the Helm version and check connectivity to the cluster:
helm version kubectl get nodes
2. Create a New Helm Chart
-
Use Helm to scaffold a new chart for your application:
helm create myapp
This creates a directory named
myapp
with a predefined folder structure (templates
,values.yaml
, etc.).
3. Customize values.yaml
- The
values.yaml
file holds the default configuration values for your chart. Modify it to reflect the settings for your application. For example:- Set the Docker image details (e.g.,
repository
andtag
). - Define service ports, replicas, and other configurations.
- Set the Docker image details (e.g.,
-
Example:
image: repository: your-docker-repo/your-app tag: "latest" service: type: ClusterIP port: 80
4. Edit Kubernetes Manifests in templates
Directory
- The
templates
directory contains YAML templates for various Kubernetes resources. - Edit these files to fit your application requirements:
-
deployment.yaml
for deployment configurations. -
service.yaml
for exposing your application. - Add additional YAML files if you need specific resources like ConfigMaps, Ingress, or Secrets.
-
- For example, customize
deployment.yaml
with your application's container image and other specifications.
5. Package and Install the Helm Chart
-
Before deploying, package the chart to confirm that everything is structured correctly:
helm package myapp
-
Install the Helm chart in your Kubernetes cluster:
helm install myapp ./myapp
This command deploys your application using the configurations defined in your chart.
6. Verify the Deployment
-
Check that the application pods and services are running:
kubectl get pods kubectl get svc
-
To debug any issues, use:
kubectl describe pod <pod-name> kubectl logs <pod-name>
7. Expose the Application (Optional)
- If you want external access to your application, configure an Ingress resource or use a LoadBalancer service type. Update the
service.yaml
andingress.yaml
files accordingly in yourtemplates
directory.
8. Update the Application
-
For any changes to the chart or configuration, use the
helm upgrade
command:
helm upgrade myapp ./myapp
9. Uninstall the Application (Cleanup)
-
To remove the application when it’s no longer needed:
helm uninstall myapp
Summary of Key Components in Helm Chart
-
values.yaml
: Default values for your chart. -
templates/
: Directory containing Kubernetes manifests for deployment, service, and other resources. -
Chart.yaml
: Metadata about the chart (name, version, etc.).
This process gives you flexibility to manage and version control your deployments, making it easier to maintain and scale the application in Kubernetes.
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