Application Management in Kubernetes Environments with Helm Charts and Kubernetes Operators

We always get questions from organizations, and even from within our partner ecosystem, on when to use or build Helm charts and Operators. With an aim to dispel some confusion around these complementary technologies, we have published a new E-Book ‘Simplify application management in Kubernetes environments’ that is an incredibly quick read that speaks to the need of these technologies and how they help our customers automate day 1-2 tasks and lifecycle manage applications and software. The E-Book is based on the real-world knowledge from customer deployments and our knowledge and contributions in this area.

A short glimpse into the E-Book:

To build innovative applications, you need cloud-native development to deliver great results with agility. But, that also involves the herculean task of managing the applications, infrastructure and environments. Automating this can help increase productivity, efficiency, reduce errors and ensure consistency across various deployments.

The key technologies in the Kubernetes ecosystem for introducing automation are Helm charts and Kubernetes Operators.

Helm is a software package manager that can help you package and share your custom-built applications, along with automating app deployment and day 1 tasks.

Source: CNCF Survey 2021

Kubernetes Operators help codify operational knowledge about applications and software, and can automate both day 1 and day 2 operations and provide a lifecycle management experience.

Red Hat OpenShift supports both Helm charts and Kubernetes Operators with our broad partnership ecosystem. You can confidently incorporate certified charts and Operators into your OpenShift environments, because they meet our interoperability and security standards.

While Helm charts and Operators have some overlap in their capabilities, they also provide distinct value. Most organizations usually use a combination of both while managing applications. Here is a short guide on how to start thinking about Helm and Kubernetes when trying to build apps and automation or when trying to decide how to manage the application or software:

To learn more about Helm charts, Kubernetes Operators and their distinction, read the E-Book: Simplify application management in Kubernetes environments!