A while back, we used to distribute simple demo applications through pre-configured virtual machines. Users could just run the VM without needing to dive into installation and configuration details. Now, I'm looking to replicate that ease for more complex applications on Kubernetes. I've been using ArgoCD with Kustomize or Helm, but I'm worried it complicates things for users who aren't familiar with Kubernetes. For instance, apps like MySQL might involve multiple Helm charts just to get started, and that can escalate quickly with other services. I'm exploring options like Helmfile and am curious if there are better package managers or even if creating an operator would be a sensible approach to help users set some basic configurations and deploy all the necessary layers. Any thoughts?
4 Answers
You could explore Kro and Crossplane. Both allow creating custom resource definitions (CRDs) for your setups and offer more flexibility in your compositions. Also, if you want to leverage ArgoCD, Flux has features that allow you to order Helm releases, so maybe look into Flamingo if you’re set on using Argo.
You might want to check out Replicated. It’s designed to simplify application distribution, although it might be overkill for what you need. Some companies opt for simpler setups, like an easy-to-run all-in-one container for local demos or a more streamlined version that's still production-ready but less complex.
Many complex apps offer a mix of setups: an easy demo version for local use, a simplified but production-ready version, and a full chart for more advanced deployments. Unfortunately, you generally need to stick with Helm charts, but you can also provide a Docker Compose and basic YAML manifests for a smoother onboarding experience.
Helm can function as a package manager since it lets you manage dependencies. You could build a Helm chart that includes all your services as dependencies and configure everything in the main value overrides to simplify setups.
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