In this guide, we'll walk through the process of installing a Node.js application on a Kubernetes cluster using Helm, a package manager for Kubernetes. Helm simplifies application deployments by packaging them into charts and providing a consistent way to manage, upgrade, and roll back applications.
Prerequisites
Before we get started, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:
Kubernetes Cluster: You should have a Kubernetes cluster up and running.
Helm: Helm should be installed on your local machine. If you haven't already installed Helm, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Install Helm
Helm is the tool that will help you manage your Kubernetes applications using charts. Here's how you can install Helm:
Linux:
curl https://baltocdn.com/helm/signing.asc | gpg --dearmor > /usr/share/keyrings/helm-archive-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/helm-archive-keyring.gpg] https://baltocdn.com/helm/stable/debian/ all main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/helm-stable-debian.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install helm
Windows:
You can download the Windows installer from the Helm GitHub Releases page and follow the installation instructions.
macOS:
brew install helm
Ensure that Helm is successfully installed by running:
helm version
Step 2: Create a Helm Chart
Let's create a Helm chart for our Node.js application. Helm provides a helm create
command to generate a basic chart structure.
helm create node-app
This command will generate a node-app
directory containing the chart files.
Step 3: Customize the Helm Chart
In the node-app
directory, you'll find various files, including values.yaml
, templates
, and Chart.yaml
. You can customize these files to suit your application's needs. For example, you can specify container image details, environment variables, and resource limits in the values.yaml
file.
Step 4: Install the Helm Chart
Now, it's time to install your Node.js application using Helm. Run the following command:
helm install node-app ./node-app/
This command deploys your Node.js application to the Kubernetes cluster with the name node-app
.
Step 5: Verify the Deployment
After installation, you can verify the deployment by checking the Kubernetes services:
kubectl get svc
This will display the services created by your Helm chart, including the Node.js application service.
Step 6: Upgrade or Rollback (if needed)
As your application evolves, you can easily upgrade or roll back using Helm. Suppose you make changes to your Node.js application or the Helm chart itself. In that case, you can use the following commands:
To upgrade:
helm upgrade node-app ./node-app/
To rollback to a previous release:
helm rollback node-app <revision_number>
Additional Resources
To explore more Helm charts and installers, visit the Artifact Hub, a repository of Helm charts for various applications and services.
For official Helm documentation and additional information, check out the Helm website.
Connect with Me
If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: Muhammad Zubair.
Conclusion
Helm simplifies the deployment and management of applications on Kubernetes, making it easier to maintain and scale your Node.js applications. With Helm, you can ensure consistency in deployments, upgrades, and rollbacks, simplifying the management of complex Kubernetes workloads.
Now you have a complete guide to installing a Node.js application on Kubernetes using Helm, including the installation of Helm itself. Feel free to customize this guide with your own content and add emojis to make it engaging for your readers.
Happy Helm charting! ๐๐