# Helm Charts

> Source: https://parallelworks.com/docs/kubernetes/helm-charts

# Helm Charts

Parallel Works provides a built-in Helm chart manager that lets you install, upgrade, roll back, and uninstall Helm releases on your Kubernetes clusters directly from the web UI. You can configure chart repositories, customize values with the integrated YAML editor, and track release history without leaving the platform.

## Installing a Helm Chart

Navigate to **Kubernetes > Helm Charts** and click **Install Helm Chart** in the action bar. A configuration drawer opens with two steps: chart configuration and values customization.

### Step 1: Configure the Chart

Fill in the following fields:

| Field | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| **Cluster Name** | Yes | The target Kubernetes cluster |
| **Repository Name** | Yes | A name for the Helm repository (e.g., `bitnami`) |
| **Repository URL** | Yes | The URL of the Helm repository (e.g., `https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami`) |
| **Chart Name** | Yes | The name of the chart to install (e.g., `nginx`) |
| **Chart Version** | No | A specific chart version. Leave empty to install the latest version |
| **Release Name** | Yes | A unique name for this Helm release (lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only) |
| **Namespace** | Yes | The target namespace for the release |
| **Load default values** | No | Toggle to load the chart's default `values.yaml` for editing |

Click **Next** to proceed to the values editor.

### Step 2: Customize Values

The second step presents a full-screen YAML editor where you can customize the chart's configuration values.

- If **Load default values** is enabled, the editor is pre-populated with the chart's default `values.yaml`. Edit any values you want to override before installing.
- If **Load default values** is disabled, the editor starts empty. Enter only the values you want to set.

:::tip Default Values
Loading default values gives you a complete reference of every configurable option the chart supports. This is useful when you are installing a chart for the first time and want to see all available settings.
:::

Click **Back** to return to the configuration step, or click **Install** to deploy the chart. The platform adds the repository, resolves the chart, parses your YAML values, and runs the Helm install operation against the selected cluster and namespace.

:::info Install Timeout
The install operation has a 15-minute timeout. For large or complex charts, the release may continue reconciling in the background after the initial install completes.
:::

## Viewing Helm Releases

The **Kubernetes > Helm Charts** page displays a table of all Helm releases across your clusters. Each row shows:

| Column | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| **Name** | The release name (click to view details) |
| **Status** | Current release status: Deployed, Pending, Failed, Superseded, or Uninstalled |
| **Namespace** | The Kubernetes namespace the release is installed in |
| **Cluster** | The cluster the release belongs to (hidden when filtering by a single cluster) |
| **Chart** | The chart name |
| **Version** | Chart version and application version |
| **Rev** | Current revision number |
| **Updated** | Time since the last update |

Use the filter bar at the top of the page to narrow results by cluster, namespace, or status. You can also search by release name, namespace, or chart name.

## Release Details and History

Click a release name to open its detail page. The detail view shows the current release status, chart version, revision number, and last update time.

The release history lists every revision of the release, including:

- **Revision number** -- incremented with each install, upgrade, or rollback
- **Status** -- the outcome of that revision (e.g., deployed, superseded, failed)
- **Chart** -- the chart name and version used for that revision
- **App version** -- the application version from the chart metadata
- **Updated** -- when the revision was created

## Upgrading a Release

To upgrade an existing Helm release to a new chart version or with updated values, use the upgrade operation. The upgrade accepts the same fields as installation (repository URL, chart name, version, release name, namespace, and YAML values). If the target namespace does not exist and namespace creation is enabled, the platform creates it automatically.

:::warning Values Replacement
Upgrading replaces the release's current configuration with the values you provide. Make sure to include all values you want to keep, not just the ones you are changing.
:::

## Rolling Back a Release

From the release detail page, click **Rollback** in the action bar. Enter the revision number you want to roll back to in the dialog that appears, then confirm.

- The revision number must be less than the current revision and greater than zero.
- A successful rollback creates a new revision with the configuration from the target revision.

## Uninstalling a Release

From the release detail page, click **Delete** in the action bar. Confirm the deletion in the dialog. This uninstalls the Helm release from the namespace and removes all associated Kubernetes resources created by the chart.

:::warning Irreversible Action
Uninstalling a Helm release permanently removes its resources from the cluster. This action cannot be undone.
:::

## Chart Repository Configuration

When you install a Helm chart, the platform automatically registers the repository using the **Repository Name** and **Repository URL** you provide. There is no separate repository management step -- the repository is configured as part of the install flow.

To install charts from different repositories, provide the appropriate repository name and URL each time you install. Common public repositories include:

| Repository | URL |
|-----------|-----|
| Bitnami | `https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami` |
| Ingress-NGINX | `https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx` |
| Jetstack (cert-manager) | `https://charts.jetstack.io` |
| Prometheus Community | `https://prometheus-community.github.io/helm-charts` |