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Helm Workflow

A Helm workflow simplifies the deployment and management of Kubernetes applications by using Helm charts. It enables teams to define, install, and upgrade even the most complex Kubernetes applications.

For example, when deploying a microservices application on Kubernetes, a Helm workflow would manage the configuration and deployment of each service using Helm charts, ensuring consistency and easy rollbacks.

Create a Helm Workflow​

Subscribe and use StackGuardian's helm-template, which provides a pre-configured environment for managing Kubernetes clusters with tools like kubectl and Helm, which is a package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies the deployment, management, and versioning of Kubernetes applications.

Following this guide, let's configure a Helm workflow.

  1. Navigate into the Workflow Group, click Create Workflow and choose "Use Wizard" > "Custom".

  2. StackGuardian provides two options:

  • Enable VCS settings to connect your code from the Git repository by providing the URL, then click "Next".
  • Or simply, click "Next" to proceed without it.

  1. To create a Helm action, click on "Add New Step" and configure it as follows:

    • Step Name: Enter a relevant name, such as "helm-deploy".
    • Workflow Step Template: Select /stackguardian/kubernetes.
    • Workflow Step Template Revision: Choose the latest version, e.g., kubernetes:4.
    • Command Override: Leave blank unless customization is needed.
    • Kubectl Version: Select the latest available version, e.g., 1.26.0.
    • Namespace: Set to default, or specify a custom namespace if needed.
    • Select Executable: Choose helm from the dropdown.
    • Helm Action: Select upgrade to modify an existing Helm deployment (other options: status to check a release, list to view releases, and uninstall to remove a release)
    • Release Name: Specify the name of the release you wish to upgrade, for example, wfs-demo.
    • Run with --dry-run: Check this option to simulate the upgrade before applying it.
    • Additional Parameters: Optional; use this for referencing output or vault secrets from other workflows.

  2. After configuring the step, click Next to fill in the workflow metadata. Finally, click Next to launch the workflow.

Fig: Helm Workflow for Deploying a Helm Service

Once the workflow is executed, Helm will manage the desired Kubernetes resources. You can verify the deployment using the kubectl get svc command or other relevant Helm or Kubernetes commands to check the status of the deployment.

Dive into Workflow​

StackGuardian workflows provide multiple tabs for monitoring, managing, and refining your deployments. Each tab offers specific insights and actions to optimize your workflow experience.

Overview​

The Overview tab highlights key workflow details, including compliance check results, cost estimations, and resource summaries like drift detection and schedules. It offers a quick snapshot of your workflow's status.
Learn more in the Workflow Overview Guide.

Runs​

The Runs tab lists all executions with real-time status, unique run IDs, and metadata, such as user actions and modification timestamps. Click a Run ID to view detailed logs and execution progress.
Explore the Workflow Runs Guide.

Outputs​

The Outputs tab displays execution results and downloadable artifacts like tfstate.json. Use key-value pairs to reference outputs in other workflows, making your infrastructure provisioning more dynamic.
See the Workflow Outputs Guide.

Settings​

The Settings tab enables post-creation updates, such as modifying input variables, refining Terraform runtime settings, reordering custom steps, or managing cloud connectors and environment variables.
Learn more in the Workflow Settings Guide.