IVIA Launchpad
Chapter 5

Deploy with the Generic Helm Chart

Load the static image into Minikube and deploy it through IVIA generic chart 4.8.0.

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A generic chart separates platform mechanics from application choices. The chart owns reusable Kubernetes templates; your stage snapshot provides only values for the enabled component. This is how we automate deployments without hand-writing every Deployment and Service.

Helm values become Deployment, Pods, and a Service

Last updated: 2026-07-20

Audience

Who this chapter is for

This chapter is for beginners who have a Ready Minikube cluster (Chapter 3) and can build simple-static:local (Chapter 4). You will deploy with Helm, not by writing raw Kubernetes YAML.

Step by step

Download this chapter's files

Use your browser to download either ivia-chapter-05.tar.gz or ivia-chapter-05.zip. The archive is self-contained; you do not need this tutorial repository.

Open a terminal after the browser download:

cd ~/Downloads
tar -xzf ivia-chapter-05.tar.gz
cd ivia-chapter-05

All remaining relative paths in this chapter start from that extracted directory.

Do this

The challenge

Challenge: deploy the static nginx image as a Helm release in Minikube and fetch it through a Kubernetes Service.

Prepare

Prerequisites

  • A running, Ready Minikube cluster from Chapter 3.
  • Helm 3 and kubectl.
  • simple-static:local built in Chapter 4, or source available to build it now (commands below rebuild into Minikube).
  • The Minikube node labeled ivia.ch/nodetype=app.
Outcome

Learning goals

After this chapter, you will be able to:

  • Explain how Pods, Deployments, and Services relate in a simple app
  • Load a local image into Minikube so the cluster can pull it
  • Render and install chart version 4.8.0
  • Inspect chart-created resources and validate through port forwarding
Step by step

Concepts before commands

  • A Pod is the smallest runnable unit; it hosts your container.
  • A Deployment keeps the desired number of Pods running and replaces failed ones.
  • A Service gives those Pods a stable name and port inside the cluster.
  • Helm fills chart templates from your values and asks Kubernetes to create those objects.

Minikube does not automatically see every image on your Docker desktop. We build (or load) the image into Minikube’s environment and use pullPolicy: IfNotPresent so the node uses the local tag simple-static:local.

Step by step

Prepare the image and cluster

We rebuild into Minikube so this chapter stays self-contained even if Chapter 4’s image lived only on the host Docker daemon.

minikube image build -t simple-static:local static-app
kubectl label node minikube ivia.ch/nodetype=app --overwrite
kubectl create namespace tutorial --dry-run=client -o yaml | kubectl apply -f -
minikube image ls | grep simple-static

You should see a simple-static:local (or similarly tagged) entry in the Minikube image list.

Step by step

Render before installing

We render first because a values mistake is cheaper to catch before Helm changes the cluster.

mkdir -p work
helm template simple-app \
  oci://harbor.ivia.ch/ivia-generic-helm-chart/ivia-generic-helm-chart \
  --version 4.8.0 --namespace tutorial \
  -f static-app/values.yaml \
  > work/simple-app.yaml
kubectl apply --dry-run=client -f work/simple-app.yaml

Client dry-run should succeed without creating resources. Rendering is local and catches missing values.

Step by step

Install the release

helm upgrade --install simple-app \
  oci://harbor.ivia.ch/ivia-generic-helm-chart/ivia-generic-helm-chart \
  --version 4.8.0 --namespace tutorial --create-namespace \
  --atomic --timeout 5m \
  -f static-app/values.yaml
helm status simple-app -n tutorial
kubectl get deployment,pod,service -n tutorial
kubectl rollout status deployment/simple-app-frontend -n tutorial --timeout=120s

You should see STATUS: deployed, one Pod 1/1 Running, and a Service on port 8080. The chart names the Service and Deployment simple-app-frontend: release name plus component name.

Step by step

Reach the Service

Keep this command running so your laptop can talk to the cluster Service:

kubectl port-forward service/simple-app-frontend 8080:8080 -n tutorial

From a second terminal:

curl --fail http://localhost:8080/
curl --fail http://localhost:8080/healthz

You should see the page text and ok. Stop forwarding with Ctrl+C. Keep the release for later chapters. Remove it only when intended with helm uninstall simple-app -n tutorial.

Verify

Expected validation

helm status reports STATUS: deployed. One frontend Pod is 1/1 Running, the Service exposes 8080, the page includes Hello from Kubernetes!, and /healthz returns ok.

Troubleshoot

Troubleshooting and common pitfalls

  • ErrImagePull / ImagePullBackOff: confirm minikube image ls contains simple-static:local and values use pullPolicy: IfNotPresent.
  • Pod stays Pending: describe it and verify ivia.ch/nodetype=app appears in kubectl get node minikube --show-labels.
  • Atomic upgrade times out: inspect kubectl get events -n tutorial --sort-by=.lastTimestamp; Helm may already have rolled back.
  • Port is in use: stop the Chapter 4 container or forward 8081:8080.
  • OCI chart not found: copy the registry path and version exactly.
  • Manual object edits disappear: Helm owns these objects; change values and upgrade instead.
Practice

Recap and practice

Recap: You loaded a local image into Minikube, rendered chart 4.8.0, installed a release, and reached the app through a Service port-forward.

Try to explain in your own words:

  1. Why use helm template before helm upgrade?
  2. What problem does a Service solve that a Pod IP alone does not?

Exercise: Run kubectl describe deployment/simple-app-frontend -n tutorial and note the image name and ready replicas.

Stretch: In a copy of static-app/values.yaml, set the frontend replicaCount (or equivalent replicas field used by the chart) to 2, upgrade the release, and confirm kubectl get pods -n tutorial shows two Ready Pods. Return to one replica when finished.

Reference

Official references

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