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    Container Service for Kubernetes:Use Helm to simplify application deployment

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    Container Service for Kubernetes:Use Helm to simplify application deployment

    Last Updated:Sep 18, 2024

    Helm simplifies the definition, installation, and upgrade of applications, enhancing the efficiency and convenience of application management within Kubernetes clusters. The Container Service for Kubernetes (ACK) console is integrated with Helm to provide popular third-party applications, such as cert-manager and ack-fluid.

    Introduction to Helm

    Helm is an open source tool used for application management in Kubernetes clusters. Helm provides a unified method to package software and manage software versions. You can use Helm to simplify application distribution and deployment. The following table describes the terms and components of Helm. For more information, see Helm official documentation.

    Term

    Description

    Chart

    A packaging format used by Helm. Each chart contains the images, dependencies, and resource definitions that are required for running an application. A chart may contain service definitions used in a Kubernetes cluster. A Helm chart is similar to a Homebrew formula, an Advanced Package Tool (APT) dpkg, or a Yum rpm.

    Release

    An instance of a chart that runs in a Kubernetes cluster. A chart can be installed multiple times in a Kubernetes cluster. After a chart is installed, a new release is created. For example, installing a MySQL chart twice for two separate databases on a server results in two distinct releases and release names.

    Prerequisites

    Deploy an application in the ACK console

    ACK offers a selection of charts for common applications. You can use these charts to deploy applications in the console.

    1. Log on to the ACK console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Clusters.

    2. On the Clusters page, find the cluster that you want to manage and click its name. In the left-side pane, choose Applications > Helm.

    3. On the Helm page, click Deploy. In the Basic Information step, configure the parameters based on the following table.

      Parameter

      Description

      Example Value

      Application Name

      The release name in the cluster.

      demo-app

      Namespace

      The namespace where the release is deployed.

      default

      Source

      The source of the chart. Select either Marketplace or ACR EE.

      Marketplace

      Chart

      The chart used to install the application.

      cert-manager

    4. At the bottom left of the panel, click Next, then select the most recent Chart Version. Review the chart details and click OK to proceed with the installation.

    Manage installed applications in the ACK console

    You can manage installed releases in the Helm page:

    • Click the Release Name or View Details to view the release information, including resources, YAML configurations, and version history.

    • Click Update, modify the parameters in the Update Release panel, and click OK to confirm the changes.

    • To delete a release, click Delete, select Clear Release Records in the Delete dialog box, and click OK to confirm the deletion. This action deletes the release and all associated resources, such as Services and Deployments.

      Important

      If Clear Release Records is not selected, the release will remain in the list, potentially leading to application deployment failures due to name conflicts.

    Use Helm CLI to deploy an application with a third-party repository

    If the available charts in the ACK console cannot meet your requirements, you can run the following sample commands to deploy an application from a third-party repository by using the Helm CLI:

    helm repo add <REPO_NAME> <REPO_URL> # Add a chart repository. Replace REPO_NAME with the name of the chart repository and REPO_URL with the repository URL.
helm repo update # Update repository information
helm install <APP_NAME> <REPO_NAME>/<CHART_NAME> # Install an application. Replace APP_NAME with the name of the application and CHART_NAME with the name of the chart.

    For more information about Helm commands, see Use Helm.

    References