HLM-101

Helm Intro

Detailed Course Outline

Course Length

1 day

Course Overview

This course deals with Helm, the Kubernetes Package Manager. Helm simplifies the deployment and management of applications on Kubernetes by packaging them into charts — collections of pre-configured Kubernetes resources.

Students will learn to install and use Helm, work with public and private chart repositories, install and manage releases, create and customise charts, write templates with values and pipelines, and extend Helm with plugins.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • • Understand Helm concepts and architecture (v2 vs v3)
  • • Install and configure Helm
  • • Work with chart repositories and find charts
  • • Install, upgrade, rollback and uninstall Helm releases
  • • Understand chart structure and components
  • • Manage chart dependencies
  • • Write and customise chart templates using values and pipelines
  • • Use flow control, variables and named templates
  • • Build and use Helm plugins

Prerequisites

Proficiency with the Linux CLI. A broad understanding of Linux system administration. Basic familiarity with Kubernetes (e.g. KBS-103 or equivalent experience) is recommended.

Structure

50% theory, 50% hands-on lab exercises

Target Audience

System administrators, developers and DevOps engineers who deploy and manage applications on Kubernetes and want to leverage Helm for repeatable, version-controlled releases.

Course Modules

Module 1: Introduction to Helm

  • What is Helm?
  • Helm concepts
  • Helm v2 (legacy) components
  • Helm v3 components
  • Installing Helm
  • Lab: Installing Helm

Module 2: Using Helm

  • Generic options and help
  • Working with repositories
  • Finding charts
  • Installing a release
  • List releases
  • Upgrade/rollback releases
  • Uninstalling releases
  • Lab: Using Helm

Module 3: Helm Charts

  • Introduction to charts
  • The structure / Chart.yaml file
  • The components of a chart
  • Chart dependencies
  • Chart dependencies (cont.)
  • Managing charts with Helm
  • Lab: Working with charts

Module 4: Chart Templates

  • Writing templates / Templates and values
  • Dependencies and values
  • Chart lifecycle hooks / Functions and pipelines
  • Flow control
  • Variables
  • Named templates
  • Lab: Writing templates

Module 5: Helm Plugins

  • Building plugins
  • Lab: Helm plugins