Kubernetes with Helm

Deploy OpenOps on Kubernetes using Helm charts

This guide explains how to deploy OpenOps on a Kubernetes cluster using the official Helm chart. The Helm chart provides a complete OpenOps stack with all necessary components.

Before following the instructions, make sure that your Kubernetes cluster meets the system requirements for OpenOps.

The Helm chart is currently a work in progress and may not be production-ready. Use with caution in production environments.

Prerequisites

• Kubernetes cluster (version 1.19+)
• Helm 3.x installed
• kubectl configured to access your cluster
• At least 8GB of available memory and 4 CPU cores
• Persistent storage support (for databases and file storage)

Architecture Overview

The Helm chart deploys the following components:

• nginx: Reverse proxy and load balancer (exposed via LoadBalancer)
• openops-app: Main application server
• openops-engine: Task execution engine
• openops-tables: Data tables service (Baserow)
• openops-analytics: Analytics dashboard (Superset)
• postgres: PostgreSQL database
• redis: Redis cache

Installation

Step 1: Clone the Repository

First, clone the OpenOps repository to access the Helm chart:

git clone https://github.com/openops-cloud/openops.git
cd openops

Step 2: Create Values Override File

Create a custom values file to override the default configuration. Start by copying the example:

cp deploy/helm/openops/values.overrides-example.yaml values.overrides.yaml

Edit values.overrides.yaml and customize the following required values:

openopsEnv:
  # Replace with your actual domain or IP
  OPS_PUBLIC_URL: "http://your-domain.com"
  
  # Admin credentials - change these!
  OPS_OPENOPS_ADMIN_EMAIL: [e-mail]
  OPS_OPENOPS_ADMIN_PASSWORD: your-secure-password
  
  # Security keys - generate new ones!
  OPS_ENCRYPTION_KEY: your-32-character-encryption-key
  OPS_JWT_SECRET: your-jwt-secret
  OPS_POSTGRES_PASSWORD: your-postgres-password
  OPS_ANALYTICS_ADMIN_PASSWORD: your-analytics-password
  ANALYTICS_POWERUSER_PASSWORD: your-poweruser-password

Make sure to generate strong, unique passwords and secrets. Never use the example values in production.

Step 3: Install the Helm Chart

Install OpenOps using Helm:

helm install openops ./deploy/helm/openops \
  -n openops \
  --create-namespace \
  -f values.overrides.yaml

Step 4: Wait for Deployment

Monitor the deployment status:

kubectl get pods -n openops -w

Wait until all pods are in the Running state. This may take several minutes as images are pulled and databases are initialized.

Step 5: Access the Application

Get the external IP address of the nginx service:

kubectl get services/nginx -n openops

If you’re using a LoadBalancer service type, wait for the EXTERNAL-IP to be assigned. You can then access OpenOps at:

http://<EXTERNAL-IP>

If you’re using NodePort or need to access via port-forward:

kubectl port-forward service/nginx 8080:80 -n openops

Then access OpenOps at http://localhost:8080.

Configuration

Storage Configuration

The chart creates PersistentVolumeClaims for:

• PostgreSQL data (20Gi)
• Redis data (5Gi)
• Tables data (10Gi)

To use a specific storage class, update your values file:

postgres:
  storage:
    storageClass: "your-storage-class"
    size: 50Gi

redis:
  storage:
    storageClass: "your-storage-class"
    size: 10Gi

tables:
  storage:
    storageClass: "your-storage-class"
    size: 20Gi

Resource Limits

Configure resource limits for better resource management:

app:
  resources:
    limits:
      cpu: 2000m
      memory: 4Gi
    requests:
      cpu: 500m
      memory: 1Gi

engine:
  resources:
    limits:
      cpu: 2000m
      memory: 2Gi
    requests:
      cpu: 500m
      memory: 512Mi

Ingress Configuration

To use an Ingress controller instead of LoadBalancer:

nginx:
  service:
    type: ClusterIP

ingress:
  enabled: true
  className: "nginx"
  annotations:
    cert-manager.io/cluster-issuer: "letsencrypt-prod"
  hosts:
    - host: openops.your-domain.com
      paths:
        - path: /
          pathType: Prefix
  tls:
    - secretName: openops-tls
      hosts:
        - openops.your-domain.com

Upgrading

To upgrade your OpenOps installation:

# Update the repository
git pull origin main

# Upgrade the release
helm upgrade openops ./deploy/helm/openops \
  -n openops \
  -f values.overrides.yaml

Uninstalling

To completely remove OpenOps:

# Delete the Helm release
helm uninstall openops -n openops

# Delete persistent volumes (optional - this will delete all data)
kubectl delete pvc -n openops --all

# Delete the namespace
kubectl delete namespace openops

Deleting persistent volume claims will permanently delete all your data including workflows, connections, and analytics dashboards.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Pods stuck in Pending state:

• Check if your cluster has sufficient resources
• Verify storage classes are available
• Check node selectors and taints

Database connection errors:

• Ensure PostgreSQL pod is running and ready
• Check database credentials in your values file
• Verify network policies allow communication

External access issues:

• Confirm LoadBalancer service has an external IP
• Check firewall rules and security groups
• Verify DNS configuration if using custom domains

Viewing Logs

Check application logs:

# Main application logs
kubectl logs -f deployment/openops-app -n openops

# Engine logs
kubectl logs -f deployment/openops-engine -n openops

# Database logs
kubectl logs -f deployment/postgres -n openops

Debugging

Access a pod for debugging:

kubectl exec -it deployment/openops-app -n openops -- /bin/bash

Support

For additional help:

• Join our Slack community
• Check the GitHub repository for issues
• Review Kubernetes and Helm documentation for cluster-specific issues