Helm is a powerful package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies application deployment by bundling Kubernetes resources into reusable charts. Argo CD, a declarative GitOps tool, enhances Helm by automating deployments from Git repositories. Below is a detailed guide with practical commands and steps.
You Should Know:
1. Install Helm
To get started, install Helm on your system:
Install Helm on Linux curl -fsSL -o get_helm.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/helm/helm/main/scripts/get-helm-3 chmod 700 get_helm.sh ./get_helm.sh Verify installation helm version
2. Create a Helm Chart
Generate a new Helm chart for your application:
helm create myapp cd myapp
3. Customize `values.yaml`
Modify the default values in `values.yaml` to configure your app:
replicaCount: 3 image: repository: nginx tag: latest service: type: ClusterIP port: 80
4. Deploy Using Helm
Install the chart into your Kubernetes cluster:
helm install myapp ./myapp
5. Upgrade a Release
To update your deployment:
helm upgrade myapp ./myapp
6. Install Argo CD
Deploy Argo CD in your Kubernetes cluster:
kubectl create namespace argocd kubectl apply -n argocd -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/argoproj/argo-cd/stable/manifests/install.yaml
7. Access Argo CD Dashboard
Port-forward to access the UI:
kubectl port-forward svc/argocd-server -n argocd 8080:443
Login using the default credentials (username: admin, password: retrieve with):
kubectl -n argocd get secret argocd-initial-admin-secret -o jsonpath="{.data.password}" | base64 -d
8. Deploy Helm Chart via Argo CD
Create an `Application` YAML (`myapp-argo.yaml`):
apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1 kind: Application metadata: name: myapp namespace: argocd spec: destination: server: https://kubernetes.default.svc project: default source: chart: myapp repoURL: https://charts.myorg.com targetRevision: 0.1.0 helm: values: | replicaCount: 3
Apply the configuration:
kubectl apply -f myapp-argo.yaml
9. Verify Deployment
Check Helm releases:
helm list
Check Argo CD sync status:
argocd app get myapp
What Undercode Say
Helm and Argo CD streamline Kubernetes deployments by combining templating and GitOps automation. Key takeaways:
– Helm reduces complexity with reusable charts.
– Argo CD ensures Git-based declarative deployments.
– Together, they enhance CI/CD pipelines for cloud-native apps.
For further learning, explore:
Expected Output:
A fully automated Kubernetes deployment pipeline using Helm and Argo CD, ensuring version-controlled, scalable, and reproducible application releases.
Prediction
The adoption of Helm and Argo CD will grow as Kubernetes ecosystems demand more automation and GitOps-driven workflows, reducing manual intervention in cloud deployments.
References:
Reported By: Darryl Ruggles – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
