Helm Hands On

WordPress Setup

Workflow for Helm

Create Kubernetes Definition Files
- Set up WordPress using Kubernetes objects:
  - Deployment
  - Service
  - Persistent Volume Claim (PVC)
  - Ingress
  - Secret
Convert to Helm
- Use AI tools to develop Helm charts efficiently.
  - Amazon Q (Generative AI)
Deploy and Manage
- Deploy the chart: helm install <release-name> <chart-path>
- Upgrade the chart: helm upgrade <release-name> <chart-name> -f values.yaml
- Uninstall the chart: helm uninstall <release-name>
- List releases: helm list
More Options in Helm
- Use Code Assistant to implement Dev Best practices.

Demo

Have a kubernetes cluster installed on your AWS EC 2 instance

kubectl get nodes
# NAME        STATUS         ROLE
# i-dg3       Ready          node
# i-gha       Ready          control-plane
# i-7df       Ready          node

setup ingress controller:

kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/controller-v1.12.2/deploy/static/provider/aws/deploy.yaml

Display and copy entire cubeconfig file:

cat ~/.kube/config

create a kubeconfig file on your PC

mkdir ~/.kube
vim ~/.kube/config # Paste the entire cubeconfig contet here.

Create a Worpress App & MySQL DB in Helm

How?

Open a browser, find the definition files, copy paste and make changes.
1. In google, search for wordpress kubernetes definitions
2. You should find a page like Deploying WordPress and MySQL with Persistent Volumes
3. Teke this resources and create files, change settings and run it
Ask AmazonQ AI to create it for us.
1. Install and Setup AmazonQ from VSC Extensions
2. Use the prompt to create the resources/files
3. AmazonQ is currently the most accurate AI for Kubernetes

Build with AmazonQ

Make sure we have Nginx ingress controller:

kubectl get ns  # NameSpaces
# NAME              STATUS   AGE
# default           Active   46m
# ingress-nginx     Active   21m   <---
# kube-node-lease   Active   46m
# kube-public       Active   46m
# kube-system       Active   46m

Check storage class:

kubectl get sc # StorageClass

# OUTPUT
NAME                   PROVISIONER             RECLAIMPOLICY   VOLUMEBINDINGMODE      ALLOWVOLUMEEXPANSION   AGE
default                kubernetes.io/aws-ebs   Delete          Immediate              false                  47m
gp2                    kubernetes.io/aws-ebs   Delete          Immediate              false                  47m
kops-csi-1-21 (default) ebs.csi.aws.com        Delete          WaitForFirstConsumer   true                   47m
kops-ssd-1-17          kubernetes.io/aws-ebs   Delete          WaitForFirstConsumer   true                   47m

As you see we have EBS type volume that was created by 'Kops' for AWS.

So we need to mention this EBS volume type as 'Storage Class'.

Make sure to have all the information before writing the prompt.

AmazonQ Prompt Demo

Open a new foulder with VSC.

Prompt AmazonQ this text and wait for AI to build the files.

Wordpress setup kubernetes definitions files. Separate files for wordpress app, mysql (needs to be version 8.0), app service, db service, PVC, secret and ingress. PVC should use storage class default, secret file should contain all the db users and db passwords for mysql and wordpress both. Ingress will be nginx with hostname wordpress.alexanderlindholm.net.

7 files should be created:

.
├── mysql-deployment.yaml
├── mysql-pvc.yaml
├── mysql-service.yaml
├── wordpress-deployment.yaml
├── wordpress-ingress.yaml
├── wordpress-pvc.yaml
├── wordpress-secret.yaml
├── wordpress-service.yaml

1 directory, 7 files

Install Helm

Create Helm chart

helm create wp-chart

Additional example/template files should be created in wp-chart directory:

.
├── mysql-deployment.yaml
├── mysql-pvc.yaml
├── mysql-service.yaml
├── wordpress-deployment.yaml
├── wordpress-ingress.yaml
├── wordpress-pvc.yaml
├── wordpress-secret.yaml
├── wordpress-service.yaml
└── wp-chart
    ├── charts
    ├── Chart.yaml
    ├── templates
    │   ├── deployment.yaml
    │   ├── _helpers.tpl
    │   ├── hpa.yaml
    │   ├── ingress.yaml
    │   ├── NOTES.txt
    │   ├── serviceaccount.yaml
    │   ├── service.yaml
    │   └── tests
    │       └── test-connection.yaml
    └── values.yaml

5 directories, 17 files

Delete all .yaml files in templates directory:

rm wp-chart/templates/*.yaml

Delete the wp-chart directory:

rm -rf wp-chart/templates/tests/

Clear all text in values.yaml:

echo "" > wp-chart/values.yaml

File structure should now look like this:

.
├── mysql-deployment.yaml
├── mysql-pvc.yaml
├── mysql-service.yaml
├── wordpress-deployment.yaml
├── wordpress-ingress.yaml
├── wordpress-pvc.yaml
├── wordpress-secret.yaml
├── wordpress-service.yaml
└── wp-chart
    ├── charts
    ├── Chart.yaml
    ├── templates
    │   ├── _helpers.tpl
    │   └── NOTES.txt
    └── values.yaml

4 directories, 12 files

Copy ai created kubernetes definition files to templates directory:

cp ./* ./wp-chart/templates/

File Structure should now look like:

.
├── mysql-deployment.yaml
├── mysql-pvc.yaml
├── mysql-service.yaml
├── wordpress-deployment.yaml
├── wordpress-ingress.yaml
├── wordpress-pvc.yaml
├── wordpress-secret.yaml
├── wordpress-service.yaml
└── wp-chart
    ├── charts
    ├── Chart.yaml
    ├── templates
    │   ├── _helpers.tpl
    │   ├── mysql-deployment.yaml
    │   ├── mysql-pvc.yaml
    │   ├── mysql-service.yaml
    │   ├── NOTES.txt
    │   ├── wordpress-deployment.yaml
    │   ├── wordpress-ingress.yaml
    │   ├── wordpress-pvc.yaml
    │   ├── wordpress-secret.yaml
    │   └── wordpress-service.yaml
    └── values.yaml

4 directories, 20 files

in mysql-deployment.yaml

replace

metadata:
  name: wordpress-mysql

to

metadata:
  name: {{ include "word-chart.fullname" . }}-app

replace

image: mysql:8.0

to

image: {{ .Values.mysql.image.repository }}:{{ .Values.mysql.image.tag }}

Add values in mysql-deployment.yaml

mysql:
  image:
    repository: mysql
    tag: 8.0

Then to deploy the app run

helm install demo ./wp-chart