Helm

As explained in Platform Engineering on Kubernetes

Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes applications that packages, configures, and manages deployments through charts and releases.

Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes applications. It groups, versions, packages, distributes, and installs the YAML resources needed to run an application, while templates allow environment-specific values without maintaining duplicate files. section 2.0 section 2.1.2

A Helm-based deployment workflow can:

• Render Kubernetes YAML from templates with substituted variables. section 2.1.2
• Distribute an application as a versioned Helm chart. section 2.1.2
• Create named releases, allowing multiple application instances in a cluster. section 2.2
• Render manifests without installing them by using helm template. section 2.2

Install the Conference application

With a Kubernetes cluster and the required command-line tools available, install the walking-skeleton Conference application from an OCI-hosted chart: helm install conference oci://docker.io/salaboy/conference-app --version v1.0.0. Helm creates the conference release and reports a deployed status; helm list displays the release. You can then use kubectl port-forward to access the frontend locally. section 2.2

Figure 2.3 Package Managers’ responsibilities: build, package, and distribute

A workflow figure summarizes the package manager responsibilities of building, packaging, and distributing Kubernetes applications. section 2.1.2

How Platform Engineering on Kubernetes covers it

How deep it goes

Demonstrates templating, chart packaging, OCI distribution, release creation, and manifest rendering through runnable commands.

Examples

Uses the Conference walking skeleton, an OCI chart, helm install, helm list, helm template, and kubectl port-forward.

What it assumes

Assumes access to a Kubernetes cluster and required command-line tools, while using KinD for local experimentation.

What you can do after

Operate/configure Helm to install a versioned chart, inspect releases, and preview rendered Kubernetes YAML.

How it connects

Connects Kubernetes applications with YAML resources, templating engines, Helm charts, releases, kubectl, and OCI container images.

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Related concepts

• Kubernetesuses · Kubernetes is an open-source platform for orchestrating and automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized workloads across computing clusters.
• Helm chartuses · A Helm chart is a versioned package of templated Kubernetes resource definitions, configuration values, and metadata for deploying an application or service.
• Kubernetes APIuses · The Kubernetes API is the programmatic interface through which clients and components define, query, modify, and manage Kubernetes resources and cluster state.
• Kustomizealternative to · Kustomize is a Kubernetes-native configuration customization tool that composes and transforms resource manifests from reusable bases, overlays, and patches without general-purpose templating.
• templating languageuses · A templating language combines predefined templates with supplied data, values, or expressions to generate text or structured output.
• templateuses · A template is a reusable structure with fixed elements and variable parts for creating or generating similar content, outputs, or artifacts.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Platform Engineering on Kubernetes. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.