Automating Helm using Ansible

You can automate your Kubernetes infrastructure using Ansible. All Kubernetes modules are now located in the Kubernetes Collection called kubernetes.core. This Collection also contains modules to automate Helm and its related functionalities.

Another Approach

CODE

- name: Install a Helm Chart
  hosts: all
  become: yes
  tasks:
    - name: Add Helm repository
      command: helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami
      register: add_repo_result

    - name: Update Helm repositories
      command: helm repo update
      register: update_repo_result

    - name: Install NGINX Helm Chart
      command: helm install nginx-server bitnami/nginx -n default
      register: helm_install_result

    - debug:
        msg: "Helm repository add result: {{ add_repo_result.stdout }}"
    
    - debug:
        msg: "Helm repo update result: {{ update_repo_result.stdout }}"

    - debug:
        msg: "Helm chart install result: {{ helm_install_result.stdout }}"

Scenario 1 - Adding new Helm Repository

add a Helm Repository using helm_repository module:

CODE

---
- hosts: <hostname/group>
  vars:
     helm_chart_url: "https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami"
  tasks:
      - name: <Add helm repo>
        kubernetes.core.helm_repository:
            name: bitnami
            repo_url: "{{ helm_chart_url }}"

Scenario 2 - Installing a Helm Chart

Now, we have the Helm repository configured. Let us now install nginx charts from the Bitnami repository.

CODE

---
- hosts: <hostname/group>
  tasks:
     - name: <Install Nginx Chart>
       kubernetes.core.helm:
           name: nginx-server
           namespace: testing
           chart_ref: bitnami/nginx

Scenario 3 - Gather information about Helm Chart installed

Gathering information about the Helm Chart is also easy using the helm_info module.

CODE

---
- hosts: <hostname/group>
  tasks:
     - name: <Gather information about nginx-server>
       kubernetes.core.helm_info:
            name: nginx-server
            release_namespace: testing

Scenario 4 - Install Helm Plugin

Helm allows you to enhance its functionality by providing pluggable architecture. That means users can write plugins to enhance Helm functionality. There is a large number of Helm plugins available. Users can install those plugins depending on their use case and requirements.

Let us now try to install the Helm plugin called helm env. This helm plugin allows users to view the environment variables available to a helm plugin.

CODE

---
- hosts: <hostname/group>
  tasks:
     - name: <Install Helm Plugin>
       kubernetes.core.helm_plugin:
           plugin_path: https://github.com/adamreese/helm-env
           state: present
           release_namespace: <testing>

Scenario 5 - Gather information about Helm plugins

Users can gather information about installed Helm plugins from the given Kubernetes cluster.

CODE

---
- hosts: <hostname/group>
  tasks:
  - name: Gather Helm plugin info
    kubernetes.core.helm_plugin_info:
        release_namespace: testing
    register: r

  - name: Print plugin version
    debug:
    msg: "{{ ( r.plugin_list | selectattr('name', 'equalto', plugin_name) | list )[0].version }}"
    vars:
    plugin_name: "env"