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Javid Mougamadou
Javid Mougamadou

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Helmfile : Deploy multiple charts in your cluster k8S

#productivity #webdev #kubernetes #devops

Prerequisites

  • Cluster K8S

  • Helmfile

  • Docker (helmfile image container, optional)

Concepts

Alt Text

Helmfile allows to declare specification for deploying multiple Helm charts. All information is saved in the helmfile.yaml file.

Here is the advantages of using Helmfile :

  • Keep a directory of chart value files and maintain changes in version control.

  • Apply CI/CD to configuration changes.

  • Environmental chart promotion.

  • Periodically sync to avoid skew in environments.

Installation 

docker run --rm --net=host -v "${HOME}/.kube:/root/.kube" -v "${HOME}/.config/helm:/root/.config/helm" -v "${PWD}:/data" --workdir /data quay.io/roboll/helmfile:helm3-v0.135.0 helmfile
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  • Use a docker container (cablespaghetti/helmfile-docker) : 
docker run --rm --net=host -v "${HOME}/.kube:/root/.kube" -v "${HOME}/.config/helm:/root/.config/helm" -v "${PWD}:/data" --workdir /data cablespaghetti/helmfile-docker helmfile
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Getting Started

Suppose the helmfile.yaml representing the desired state of your helm releases looks like:

releases: - name: prom-norbac-ubuntu namespace: prometheus chart: stable/prometheus set: - name: rbac.create value: false
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Sync your Kubernetes cluster state to the desired one by running:

# Sync all your chart releases helmfile sync # OR # Apply all your chart releases helmfile apply # OR # Sync all your chart releases (offline) helmfile charts
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Advanced Usage

Multiple values (for multiple environments)

Dev Environment

# helmfile-dev.yaml repositories: - name: bitnami url: https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami releases: - name: my-postgres namespace: my-namespace-dev chart: bitnami/postgres values: - ./values/postgres-dev-1.yaml - ./values/postgres-dev-2.yaml
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# Sync all your chart releases helmfile -f helmfile-dev.yaml sync
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Prod Environment

# helmfile-prod.yaml repositories: - name: bitnami url: https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami releases: - name: my-postgres namespace: my-namespace-production chart: bitnami/postgres values: - ./values/postgres-prod-1.yaml - ./values/postgres-prod-2.yaml
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# Sync all your chart releases helmfile -f helmfile-prod.yaml sync
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Environment Variables 

# helmfile-prod.yaml repositories: - name: bitnami url: https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami releases: - name: {{ requiredEnv "NAME" }}-postgres namespace: {{ requiredEnv "NAME" }} chart: bitnami/postgres set: - name: image value: {{ requiredEnv "DOCKER_IMAGE" }} - name: version value: {{ requiredEnv "VERSION" }} values: - ./values/postgres-prod.yaml
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# Sync all your chart releases NAME=my-project VERSION=1 DOCKER_IMAGE=postgres:latest helmfile -f helmfile-prod.yaml sync
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Templates 

# helmfile.yaml releases: - name: {{ requiredEnv "NAME" }}-vault namespace: {{ requiredEnv "NAME" }} chart: roboll/vault-secret-manager values: - values.yaml.gotmpl
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# values.yaml.gotmpl db: username: {{ requiredEnv "DB_USERNAME" }} password: {{ requiredEnv "DB_PASSWORD" }} proxy: domain: {{ requiredEnv "PLATFORM_ID" }}.my-domain.com scheme: {{ env "SCHEME" | default "https" }}
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Environement Files 

# helmfile.yaml environments: production: values: - production.yaml releases: - name: myapp values: - values.yaml.gotmpl
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# production.yaml domain: prod.example.com releaseName: prod
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# values.yaml.gotmpl domain: {{ .Values | get "domain" "dev.example.com" }}
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Secrets 

# helmfile.yaml environments: production: secrets: - environments/production/secrets.yaml releases: - name: myapp chart: mychart values: - values.yaml.gotmpl
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# environments/production/secrets.yaml foo.bar: "mysupersecretstring"
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The value can be used in your values.yaml.gotmpl like :

{{ .Values.foo.bar }}
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Examples 

repositories: - name: bitnami url: https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami releases: - name: my-nginx namespace: my-namespace-production chart: bitnami/nginx values: - ./values/nginx-production.yaml - name: my-postgres namespace: my-namespace-production chart: bitnami/postgres values: - ./values/postgres-production.yaml
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Links

https://github.com/roboll/helmfile

https://github.com/roboll/helmfile/tree/master/examples

https://lyz-code.github.io/blue-book/devops/helmfile/#:~:text=Helmfile%20is%20a%20declarative%20spec,Environmental%20chart%20promotion.

https://github.com/wkrzywiec/k8s-helm-helmfile

https://hub.docker.com/r/cablespaghetti/helmfile-docker

https://alexsimonjones.medium.com/helmfile-post-v3-helm-519c82a29c6a

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