Deploy the kube-better-node helm chart on Kubernetes

Question

Pulumi · Accepted Answer

To deploy the `kube-better-node` Helm chart on Kubernetes using Pulumi, you will use the `kubernetes.helm.v3.Chart` resource from the Pulumi Kubernetes provider. This provider allows you to define Kubernetes resources using infrastructure as code, in a declarative manner. The Chart resource specifically is meant to deploy Helm charts in a Kubernetes cluster.

Here's how you can accomplish this:

1. **Install Pulumi**: If you haven't already, install Pulumi CLI from [Pulumi's installation guide](https://www.pulumi.com/docs/get-started/install/).

2. **Set up Kubernetes Cluster**: Ensure that you have a Kubernetes cluster running and that `kubectl` is configured to connect to it.

3. **Pulumi Project**: Initialize a new Pulumi TypeScript project if you don't have one already.

4. **Install Node.js and NPM**: Pulumi programs in TypeScript require Node.js. Install it from the [official Node.js website](https://nodejs.org/).

After setting up your environment, you can create a Pulumi program to deploy the Helm chart. Below is a Pulumi TypeScript program that demonstrates how to deploy the `kube-better-node` chart.

```typescript
import * as k8s from "@pulumi/kubernetes";

// Define the kube-better-node Helm chart from the repository where it is hosted.
const kubeBetterNodeChart = new k8s.helm.v3.Chart("kube-better-node", {
  // You would replace REPO_URL with your Helm chart's repository URL and CHART_VERSION
  // with the specific chart version you wish to deploy.
  repo: "REPO_URL",
  chart: "kube-better-node",
  version: "CHART_VERSION",
  // If the Helm chart requires setting custom values, you can define them below.
  // For example, you may need to specify nodeSelector or resources.
  // values: {
  //   nodeSelector: {
  //     "kubernetes.io/arch": "amd64",
  //   },
  //   resources: {
  //     requests: {
  //       memory: "64Mi",
  //       cpu: "250m",
  //     },
  //     limits: {
  //       memory: "128Mi",
  //       cpu: "500m",
  //     },
  //   },
  // },
});

// Export any necessary resources such as the deployed service's endpoint.
export const chartName = kubeBetterNodeChart.metadata.name;
```

Explanation:
- You import the Kubernetes package from Pulumi's Kubernetes provider.
- You create an instance of `Chart` which is Pulumi's way of representing a Helm chart deployment in a Kubernetes cluster.
- The `repo` property specifies the URL of the Helm chart's repository.
- The `chart` property specifies the chart you want to deploy, which in this case is `kube-better-node`.
- The `version` property specifies which version of the chart you want to deploy.
- The `values` field is a place where you can override default chart values. Here you would typically put your custom configuration, like node selectors or resource requests and limits. (The values section is commented out in this example and should be configured according to your specific requirements and the Helm chart's documentation.)

To run this Pulumi program, you would navigate to the directory containing your Pulumi project (`Pulumi.yaml`) and execute the below commands:

```bash
pulumi up
```

This command will prompt you to review the changes before applying them. Once you confirm, Pulumi will deploy the `kube-better-node` Helm chart to your Kubernetes cluster. If you need to change any chart settings, modify the values in the `values` object accordingly, then run `pulumi up` again.

The `export` statement at the end is used to export any stack outputs you may want to retrieve from the program. In this case, you're exporting the metadata name of the chart, but you could export other information like a service endpoint or other metadata.

After deployment, you can manage the lifecycle of the Helm chart directly through Pulumi, including updates, rollbacks, and deletion.