Helm releases represent deployed instances of Helm charts in your cluster. You can view release status, chart information, deployed resources, revision history, and related events.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shiftlabs.dev/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Key Concepts
Helm Release
A deployed instance of a Helm chart with a specific configuration.
Chart
A Helm package containing Kubernetes resource templates and default values.
Revision
A version of the release. Each upgrade or rollback creates a new revision.
Values
Configuration values used to customize the chart deployment.
Required Permissions
| Action | Permission |
|---|---|
| View releases | iam:project:infrastructure:kubernetes:read |
| Delete release | iam:project:infrastructure:kubernetes:delete |
Helm releases are managed externally via Helm CLI or CD tools. The platform provides read-only visibility and the ability to delete releases.
Release Status Values
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| deployed | Release is successfully deployed and running |
| failed | Release deployment or upgrade failed |
| pending-install | Initial installation in progress |
| pending-upgrade | Upgrade operation in progress |
| pending-rollback | Rollback operation in progress |
| superseded | Previous revision, replaced by a newer one |
| uninstalling | Uninstall operation in progress |
How to View Helm Releases
Select Namespace
Choose a namespace to filter releases, or select “all” to view releases across all namespaces.
How to View Release Details
Review Details
View comprehensive release information including:
- Overview: Name, namespace, revision, age, deployment timestamps
- Chart Info: Chart name, chart version, app version, description
- Resources: Deployments, StatefulSets, DaemonSets, Services, and Pods created by the release
- Revision History: All revisions with status, chart version, and timestamps
- Events: Kubernetes events related to the release resources
How to Delete a Helm Release
Understanding Release Resources
When viewing a release’s details, the Resources section shows Kubernetes objects created by the chart:| Resource Type | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Deployments | Name, replica count, ready replicas |
| StatefulSets | Name, replica count, ready replicas |
| DaemonSets | Name, desired nodes, ready nodes |
| Services | Name, type, cluster IP, ports |
| Pods | Name, phase, ready status |
Understanding Revision History
Each Helm operation creates a new revision:- Install: Creates revision 1
- Upgrade: Creates a new revision (2, 3, 4…)
- Rollback: Creates a new revision with the old configuration
- Revision number
- Status at that revision
- Chart version used
- Timestamp
- Description (upgrade notes)
Helm keeps release history as Kubernetes secrets with the
owner=helm label. By default, Helm retains the last 10 revisions.Troubleshooting
Release shows 'failed' status
Release shows 'failed' status
- Check the Events section for error details
- Review pod logs for application errors
- Verify ConfigMaps and Secrets exist
- Check resource quota limits in the namespace
- Use
helm history <release>CLI command for more details
Release stuck in pending state
Release stuck in pending state
- Check if pods are starting successfully
- Review events for scheduling issues
- Verify node resources are available
- Check for PVC binding issues if using persistent storage
Resources not showing in release details
Resources not showing in release details
- Ensure resources have standard Helm labels
- Check
app.kubernetes.io/instance=<release-name>label - Some charts use custom labeling schemes
Cannot find a release
Cannot find a release
- Verify the correct namespace is selected
- Check if the release was installed in a different namespace
- Helm secrets may have been manually deleted
Deleted release but resources remain
Deleted release but resources remain
- Platform deletion only removes Helm metadata
- Use
kubectl deleteto remove remaining resources - Or reinstall and use
helm uninstallfor clean removal
Release history missing
Release history missing
- Helm secrets may have been deleted
- Check
helm.sh/release-max-historysetting - Old revisions are automatically pruned based on history limit
FAQ
Can I upgrade or rollback releases from the platform?
Can I upgrade or rollback releases from the platform?
Currently, the platform provides read-only access to Helm releases. Use the Helm CLI or your CD pipeline to perform upgrades and rollbacks.
How does Helm store release information?
How does Helm store release information?
Helm stores release information as Kubernetes secrets with the
owner=helm label. Each revision is stored as a separate secret containing the release manifest, values, and chart metadata.What's the difference between deleting here vs 'helm uninstall'?
What's the difference between deleting here vs 'helm uninstall'?
Platform deletion removes only the Helm secrets (metadata).
helm uninstall removes both the metadata AND all resources deployed by the chart. Use helm uninstall for a complete cleanup.Why do I see multiple revisions with 'superseded' status?
Why do I see multiple revisions with 'superseded' status?
Each upgrade creates a new revision and marks the previous one as superseded. This is normal and allows rollbacks to previous configurations.
How many revisions are kept?
How many revisions are kept?
By default, Helm keeps the last 10 revisions. This can be configured with
--history-max flag during install/upgrade or the HELM_MAX_HISTORY environment variable.Can I see the values used for a release?
Can I see the values used for a release?
The current view shows chart and version information. For detailed values, use
helm get values <release> CLI command.Why are some resources not associated with a release?
Why are some resources not associated with a release?
Resources need Helm-standard labels to be associated with a release. If a chart uses custom labels or creates resources without proper labeling, they won’t appear in the resources list.
What happens if I delete a release with running workloads?
What happens if I delete a release with running workloads?
The workloads continue running. Deleting the release only removes Helm’s tracking metadata. The Deployments, Services, and Pods remain active until manually deleted.