Component C24 – Helm Chart Artifact

By Raj Marni. March 23, 2025. Revised. Version: 0.1.12

Overview

Helm Chart Artifact (C24) represents the finalized, packaged deployment configuration generated by the system. It is the tangible output of the chart generation process (typically orchestrated by the Manifestor in C12) and serves as the blueprint for deploying applications within Kubernetes environments. While its metadata and references are managed by the Chart Store (C20), C24 itself embodies the actual Helm chart package ready for deployment.

Orbit Component C24 Diagram

Key Functions

1. Deployment Blueprint

   • Configuration Packaging: Encapsulates all necessary Kubernetes resource definitions (deployments, services, config maps, etc.) into a single, versioned Helm chart.

   • Standardization: Ensures that deployment configurations adhere to predefined standards and best practices, facilitating consistent deployments across environments.

2. Version Control & Traceability

   • Versioned Artifacts: Each Helm chart artifact is versioned, enabling rollbacks, updates, and precise tracking of changes over time.

   • Immutable Artifacts: Once generated, a chart artifact remains immutable, ensuring that deployments reference a specific, unaltered configuration.

3. Integration with Deployment Workflows

   • Seamless Retrieval: Acts as the deployable package that ephemeral clusters in the Cluster Plane retrieve and apply during deployment cycles.

   • Interoperability: Integrates with other tools such as Kustomize (C28) for environment-specific customization, and it is referenced by monitoring and orchestration systems to track deployment status.

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Architecture & Interaction

Internal Structure

• Packaging Engine:

  • Uses templating engines and configuration files to compile various Kubernetes resource definitions into a single Helm chart.

  • Manages variables, dependencies, and overrides that define how the application should be deployed.

• Versioning & Metadata:

  • Embeds version information and metadata (such as build number, deployment environment, and commit hash) within the Helm chart.

  • Works in tandem with the Chart Store (C20) to ensure that each artifact is cataloged and retrievable.

External Interactions

• Upstream (from C12 – Manifestor & C8 – OpsBoard):

  • Helm Chart Generation: Receives input from the Manifestor, which transforms image metadata and configuration data into a deployable chart.

  • User-Driven Configuration: In some cases, parameters entered in the K8or Portal (C8) may influence chart customization prior to final packaging.

• Downstream:

  • Deployment Pipelines: Acts as the primary artifact for deployment processes, where CI/CD pipelines or orchestration tools fetch and deploy the Helm chart to the Cluster Plane.

  • Kustomize (C28): May be used to apply additional environment-specific overlays on top of the base chart artifact, tailoring deployments to specific clusters or environments.

  • Monitoring & Auditing Systems: Refer to C24 artifacts to ensure deployments are consistent and to facilitate audits or rollbacks when necessary.

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Benefits & Impact

• Consistency & Reproducibility:

  • By standardizing deployment configurations into immutable, versioned artifacts, C24 ensures consistent behavior across all deployments.

• Efficient Rollbacks & Updates:

  • Versioned artifacts allow for quick rollbacks in case of deployment issues and facilitate controlled updates to application configurations.

• Seamless Integration:

  • Serves as a well-defined contract between the development pipeline and the runtime environment, enabling automated, reliable deployments in dynamic, ephemeral clusters.

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