What Is Kubernetes Helm and Why It Makes Kubernetes Easier

What Is Kubernetes Helm?

Helm is an open-source package manager for Kubernetes. It provides a way to easily package, distribute, and manage applications and their dependencies on Kubernetes. It lets you define your application as a collection of templates (charts) that describe the resources needed to run your application. Charts can be easily packaged, shared, and deployed to a Kubernetes cluster.

Kubernetes Helm helps manage application lifecycle, allowing you to upgrade, rollback, or even delete an application with a single command. It provides a repository for charts, called Helm charts repository, where you can find and share charts for popular applications. This makes it easier to deploy and manage applications on Kubernetes, and has helped to create a diverse ecosystem of third-party applications and tools that work with Helm.

What Are the Benefits of Using Helm?

There are several benefits to using Helm, including:

• Package management: Helm provides a convenient way to package and distribute applications, making it easier to deploy and manage applications on a Kubernetes cluster.

• Reproducibility: Helm charts provide a standardized way to describe an application's dependencies, configurations, and other requirements, making it easier to reproduce the application in different environments.

• Versioning: Helm tracks different versions of an application, making it easy to roll back to a previous version if necessary.

• Sharing and collaboration: Helm provides a repository for sharing charts, making it easier for teams to collaborate and share applications across different environments.

• Customization: Helm allows customizing an application's configurations and dependencies, making it easier to tailor an application to specific needs.

• Simplifies deployment: Helm automates many of the manual steps involved in deploying an application on a Kubernetes cluster, reducing the complexity and error-proneness of the process.

• Scalability: Helm makes it easier to manage the scaling of applications, allowing you to easily add or remove resources as needed.

• Storage: Helm provides a simple and intuitive way to manage storage volumes in a Kubernetes cluster, making it easier to deploy and manage your storage resources. With Helm, you can define your storage requirements in a chart, which includes all of the resources and configurations needed to run your Kubernetes storage volumes.

Helm vs. Kubernetes Operators

Helm and Kubernetes operators are tools for managing applications on Kubernetes, each with different purposes and approaches to management. Helm is designed to provide a flexible and easy to use way to manage the lifecycle of an application, while Kubernetes operators are software extensions that automate the management of complex, stateful applications. 

An operator is essentially a custom controller that runs within a Kubernetes cluster, and it uses the Kubernetes API to manage the desired state of an application. When the desired state changes, the operator updates the application to match the new desired state, ensuring that the application is always running as expected.

In general, Helm is a good choice for managing simple, stateless applications, while operators are a better choice for managing complex, stateful applications. However, both Helm and operators can be used together to manage applications on Kubernetes, with Helm providing a way to manage the application's dependencies and operators providing a way to automate the management of the application itself.

How Kubernetes Helm Makes Kubernetes Easier

Here are a two ways using Kubernetes Helm makes adoption and usage of Kubernetes easier.

Chart Versions and appVersions

In Helm, charts are used to package and manage applications and their dependencies. Chart versions are used to track changes to the chart itself, while appVersions are used to track changes to the application that the chart is deploying. It's important to properly manage both chart versions and appVersions to ensure that you are deploying the correct version of your application.

When updating a chart, you should increment the chart version, and when updating the application, you should increment the appVersion. This makes it easy to track changes and to roll back to a previous version if needed. You can also use versioning tools, such as Git or GitHub, to manage and track changes to your charts and applications.

Centralizing Charts for the Entire Organization

Centralizing your charts for the entire organization can improve collaboration and consistency. You can use a centralized repository, such as the Helm charts repository, to share and manage charts across your organization. This makes it easier to find and reuse charts, and to ensure that everyone is using the same versions of charts and applications.

Having a centralized repository also makes it easier to manage security and compliance, as you can enforce policies and procedures for accessing and using charts. Additionally, you can use tools, such as Helm Hub, to manage and distribute your charts, making it easier to share and collaborate on charts with others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Kubernetes Helm provides a way to simplify and streamline the deployment and management of applications on Kubernetes, making it easier for teams to focus on delivering value to their customers, rather than managing the underlying infrastructure. Whether you are just getting started with Kubernetes or are already an experienced user, Kubernetes Helm is a valuable tool that can help you to make the most of the platform.