DevSecOps Tools

Source: Dev.to

Helm — Overview of the Tool

Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes: it helps you define, install, upgrade, and manage applications running in Kubernetes clusters using reusable packages called Charts. It streamlines complex deployments, manages dependencies, supports versioning and rollbacks, and simplifies configuration across environments.

Key Features

• Package Management with Charts – Packages (called Charts) bundle Kubernetes resources and metadata so you can install complex applications with a single command.
• Deployments & Upgrades – Helm handles install, upgrade, rollback, and uninstall tasks for Kubernetes applications.
• Release Versioning – Every installation creates a release, allowing version control and easy rollback to a previous state.
• Config & Templating – Charts use YAML + Go template syntax so you can customize parameters per environment via values.yaml.
• Dependency Management – Charts can define and manage dependencies on other charts.
• Repository Support – Helm dependencies and charts can be hosted in public or private repositories like Artifact Hub.
• Rollbacks – Easily revert to a previous release version.

How It Fits into DevOps / DevSecOps

• CI/CD Integration – Works well with CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Argo CD, etc.) to automate deployments.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) – Helm abstracts manifest files into reusable packages, aligning with IaC practices.
• Consistency Across Environments – Charts enforce consistent deployments across dev, staging, and production.
• Security & Audit Controls – Removing server‑side components like Tiller (from Helm 3 onwards) improves security posture by relying on Kubernetes’ native RBAC and API access.
• Reusable Components – Helm promotes modular reuse of configurations, reducing human error and boosting team productivity.

Programming Language

Helm is written in Go, a language commonly used in the cloud‑native ecosystem, especially in Kubernetes‑related tools.

Parent Company / Governance

Helm doesn’t have a traditional “parent company.” Instead:

• It was originally created by Deis (later acquired by Microsoft).
• Today, it’s an open‑source project maintained under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) — the same foundation that governs Kubernetes.

This means it’s supported by a community of contributors from many organizations rather than being owned by a single company.

Open‑Source or Paid?

✅ Open‑Source Tool – Helm is released under the Apache License 2.0, meaning the core project itself is free to use, modify, and distribute. Commercial products like repository managers (Artifactory, private chart registries, etc.) may offer paid services around Helm usage, but Helm itself remains free.

Thanks to @santhoshnc for introducing and explaining Helm in a clear and practical way.