Deploy the dapr-dashboard helm chart on Linode Kubernetes Engine

Question

Pulumi · Accepted Answer

To deploy the Dapr dashboard using a Helm chart on Linode Kubernetes Engine, you'll need to follow a few steps. Pulumi provides an excellent way to manage infrastructure using code, which includes deploying Helm charts to Kubernetes clusters.

In this guide, we'll use the Pulumi Kubernetes provider to manage the deployment of the Dapr dashboard Helm chart. Ensure you have access to a Linode Kubernetes cluster and the necessary credentials to connect to it.

Here's a step-by-step TypeScript program that uses Pulumi to deploy a Helm chart to a Kubernetes cluster on Linode:

1. **Import Necessary Libraries**: Include the Pulumi Kubernetes library to interact with Kubernetes resources.
2. **Create the Kubernetes Provider**: Configure the Kubernetes provider to connect to your Linode Kubernetes cluster.
3. **Deploy Helm Chart**: Use the `helm.v3.Chart` resource to deploy the Dapr dashboard Helm chart.

Before we start with the TypeScript code, ensure you have Pulumi installed, along with `@pulumi/kubernetes`. You should also have the `kubeconfig` file that allows you to connect to your Linode Kubernetes cluster.

Here is the program that accomplishes the deployment:

```typescript
import * as k8s from "@pulumi/kubernetes";

// Ensure that your KUBECONFIG environment variable is set properly to the path of your Linode Kubernetes config file.
// The Pulumi Kubernetes provider will use this configuration to deploy resources to the cluster.

// Instantiate the Kubernetes provider using the above kubeconfig.
const provider = new k8s.Provider("linode-k8s-provider", {
    kubeconfig: process.env.KUBECONFIG,
});

// Deploy the Dapr dashboard using a Helm chart.
// Replace 'dapr_dashboard_version' with the specific version number you wish to deploy, if necessary.
const daprDashboardChart = new k8s.helm.v3.Chart("dapr-dashboard", {
    chart: "dapr-dashboard",
    version: "dapr_dashboard_version", // specify the version of the dapr dashboard chart here
    fetchOpts: {
      repo: "https://charts.dapr.io",  // Dapr Helm chart repository
    },
}, { provider });

// Export the dashboard URL if it’s exposed via a LoadBalancer or NodePort service, for example:
export const dashboardUrl = daprDashboardChart.getResourceProperty("v1/Service", "dapr-dashboard", "status")
    .apply(status => `http://${status.loadBalancer.ingress[0].ip}:8080`);
```

In this code:

- `@pulumi/kubernetes` library is used to interact with Kubernetes clusters.
- A `Provider` resource is created to communicate with the Linode Kubernetes Engine using your `kubeconfig`.
- The `Chart` resource represents a Helm chart. We point it to the Dapr Helm chart repository and specify the version we want to deploy. If you don't specify a version, it will use the latest.
- The `dashboardUrl` export assumes the service type is `LoadBalancer` and fetches the IP to access the Dapr dashboard. If you’re not using a `LoadBalancer`, you will need to adjust this section accordingly.

After writing this program into a file named `index.ts`, run it through the Pulumi CLI:

```bash
pulumi up
```

This command will prompt you to confirm the actions before applying changes to the infrastructure.

Remember, you'll need to have `pulumi` and `kubectl` tools installed, and you should be logged into your Linode account (with the Linode CLI) and have your Kubernetes cluster access configured correctly with `kubectl`. The `kubeconfig` for accessing your Linode Kubernetes Engine (LKE) cluster should be set either as an environment variable or located in the default `.kube/config` directory.

If you have any issues with the Helm chart (such as unavailable versions or repository changes), you may need to update the chart details accordingly. It is also essential to verify the Helm chart’s service type and ensure your Linode Kubernetes cluster supports it. If your cluster requires additional configuration (e.g., RBAC settings), you'll need to manage that within the Pulumi program as well.