Create a Kubernetes Helm Chart Release Install and Specify a GKE Cluster

In this guide, we’ll demonstrate how to create a Kubernetes Helm Chart Release and specify a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster using Pulumi in TypeScript. The primary services used are Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), a managed Kubernetes service by Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Helm, a package manager for Kubernetes applications.

Step-by-Step Explanation

Step 1: Set up Pulumi and GCP Provider

To begin, install the Pulumi CLI and set up a new Pulumi project. Configure the GCP provider with the necessary credentials to enable interaction with Google Cloud services.

Step 2: Create a GKE Cluster

Using the GCP provider, create a GKE cluster by defining the cluster configuration. This includes setting parameters like the number of nodes, machine type, and network settings to suit your needs.

Step 3: Deploy a Helm Chart

Once the GKE cluster is established, deploy a Helm chart to it. Specify the chart’s details, such as its name, version, and any custom values required for deployment.

Key Points

• Pulumi allows for infrastructure management as code.
• GKE provides a managed Kubernetes service on Google Cloud Platform.
• Helm facilitates the management of Kubernetes applications.
• The process involves setting up Pulumi, creating a GKE cluster, and deploying a Helm chart.

Conclusion

We have covered how to create a Kubernetes Helm Chart Release and specify a GKE cluster using Pulumi in TypeScript. By following these instructions, you can efficiently manage Kubernetes applications with Pulumi, GKE, and Helm.

Full Code Example

import * as pulumi from "@pulumi/pulumi";
import * as gcp from "@pulumi/gcp";
import * as k8s from "@pulumi/kubernetes";

// Create a GKE cluster
const cluster = new gcp.container.Cluster("gke-cluster", {
    initialNodeCount: 3,
    minMasterVersion: "1.21.5-gke.1302",
    nodeVersion: "1.21.5-gke.1302",
    nodeConfig: {
        machineType: "e2-medium",
        oauthScopes: [
            "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform",
        ],
    },
});

// Export the cluster name
export const clusterName = cluster.name;

// Generate a kubeconfig
export const kubeconfig = pulumi.all([cluster.name, cluster.endpoint, cluster.masterAuth]).apply(([name, endpoint, auth]) => {
    const context = `${gcp.config.project}_${gcp.config.region}_${name}`;
    return `apiVersion: v1
clusters:
- cluster:
    certificate-authority-data: ${auth.clusterCaCertificate}
    server: https://${endpoint}
  name: ${context}
contexts:
- context:
    cluster: ${context}
    user: ${context}
  name: ${context}
current-context: ${context}
kind: Config
preferences: {}
users:
- name: ${context}
  user:
    auth-provider:
      config:
        cmd-args: config config-helper --format=json
        cmd-path: gcloud
        token-key: '{.credential.access_token}'
      name: gcp
`;
});

// Create a Kubernetes provider instance
const k8sProvider = new k8s.Provider("k8s-provider", {
    kubeconfig: kubeconfig,
});

// Deploy a Helm chart
const helmRelease = new k8s.helm.v3.Release("my-helm-release", {
    chart: "nginx",
    version: "1.0.0",
    namespace: "default",
    values: {},
}, { provider: k8sProvider });

// Export the Helm release name
export const helmReleaseName = helmRelease.name;