Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that helps you manage Kubernetes applications. It simplifies the deployment and management of applications by using Helm charts, which are collections of files that describe a related set of Kubernetes resources.

• Definition: A Helm chart is a collection of files that describe a set of Kubernetes resources.
• Structure: Typically includes a Chart.yaml file, a values.yaml file, templates, and other files.
• Purpose: Charts are used to define, install, and upgrade even the most complex Kubernetes applications.

• Definition: A Helm repository is a collection of Helm charts that can be shared and used by others.
• Usage: You can add repositories, search for charts, and install them from these repositories.

• Definition: A release is an instance of a chart running in a Kubernetes cluster.
• Management: Helm allows you to manage releases, including installing, upgrading, and deleting them.

To get started with Helm, you need to install it on your local machine. Follow these steps:

1. Download Helm:

   curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/helm/helm/main/scripts/get-helm-3 | bash
   

2. Verify Installation:

   helm version
   

To use Helm charts, you need to add a repository. For example, to add the official Helm stable repository:

You can search for available charts in the added repositories:

To install a chart, use the helm install command. For example, to install the nginx chart:

• my-nginx is the release name.
• stable/nginx is the chart name.

To list all the releases in your cluster:

To upgrade an existing release:

To uninstall a release:

Let's walk through a practical example of deploying a simple web application using Helm.

Create a new Helm chart for your application:

This command creates a directory structure for your chart:

Edit the values.yaml file to configure your application. For example:

Install the chart in your Kubernetes cluster:

Check the status of your release:

1. Add the Bitnami repository:

   helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami
   

2. Search for the wordpress chart:

   helm search repo bitnami/wordpress
   

3. Install the wordpress chart:

   helm install my-wordpress bitnami/wordpress
   

1. Upgrade the my-wordpress release to use a different version:

   helm upgrade my-wordpress bitnami/wordpress --set image.tag=5.7.2
   

1. Uninstall the my-wordpress release:

   helm uninstall my-wordpress
   

• Incorrect Chart Values: Ensure that the values in values.yaml are correctly set. Incorrect values can lead to deployment failures.
• Repository Issues: If you encounter issues with repositories, try updating the repository cache:

  helm repo update
  

• Release Names: Use meaningful release names to easily identify and manage your deployments.

In this section, you learned about Helm, a powerful package manager for Kubernetes. You explored key concepts such as Helm charts, repositories, and releases. You also learned how to install Helm, add repositories, search for charts, and manage releases. Finally, you practiced deploying a web application using Helm and performed common Helm operations.

Next, you will dive into another essential tool in the Kubernetes ecosystem: Kustomize.