Introduction

The gaming industry is known for its fast-paced environment, where delivering high-quality experiences to players is paramount. Kubernetes, coupled with Helm, provides a powerful platform for managing the deployment of gaming applications. In this article, we'll dive into creating a custom Helm chart from scratch, tailored specifically for a gaming application. We'll use an example of deploying a multiplayer game server, showcasing how Helm simplifies the process of managing Kubernetes deployments in the gaming industry.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

Kubernetes cluster: Set up a Kubernetes cluster using Minikube or any other preferred method.
Helm: Install Helm on your local machine following the instructions provided in the Helm documentation.

Directory Structure

Before we begin, let's establish a directory structure for our custom Helm chart:

game-server/
├── charts/
├── templates/
│   ├── deployment.yaml
│   ├── service.yaml
├── values.yaml
├── Chart.yaml
└── README.md

Step 1: Creating the Helm Chart Structure

Open your terminal and navigate to a directory where you'd like to create your custom Helm chart.
Run the following command to create a new Helm chart named "game-server":
```
 helm create game-server
```
Navigate into the "game-server" directory:
```
 cd game-server
```

Step 2: Defining the Chart Metadata

Open the Chart.yaml file in your preferred text editor.

Define metadata about your chart, including its name, version, description, and other relevant information. For example:

 apiVersion: v2
 name: game-server
 description: A Helm chart for deploying a multiplayer game server.
 version: 0.1.0

Step 3: Creating Kubernetes Manifests

Navigate to the templates/ directory within your Helm chart.

Create Kubernetes manifest files to define the resources needed to deploy the game server. For example, you might create a deployment.yaml file to define the game server deployment and a service.yaml file to define the associated Kubernetes service.

Example deployment.yaml:

 apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: game-server-deployment
 spec:
   replicas: 3
   selector:
     matchLabels:
       app: game-server
   template:
     metadata:
       labels:
         app: game-server
     spec:
       containers:
       - name: game-server
         image: my-game-server:latest
         ports:
         - containerPort: 8080

Example service.yaml:

 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Service
 metadata:
   name: game-server-service
 spec:
   selector:
     app: game-server
   ports:
   - protocol: TCP
     port: 8080
     targetPort: 8080

Step 4: Customizing Values

Open the values.yaml file in your preferred text editor.
Define default configuration values for your chart. For example, you might specify the Docker image repository and tag for the game server, as well as any other configurable parameters.

Example values.yaml:
```
 image:
   repository: my-game-server
   tag: latest
```

Step 5: Testing and Deployment

Before deploying the chart, validate it using the following Helm command:
```
 helm lint .
```
Once the chart passes validation, deploy it to your Kubernetes cluster using the following Helm command:
```
 helm install game-server .
```
Helm will create the necessary Kubernetes resources based on your chart's definitions.

Step 6: Provide Documentation

Finally, update the README.md file in the root directory of your chart to provide documentation for users on how to install, configure, and use your custom Helm chart. Include any specific instructions or considerations relevant to your gaming application.

Conclusion

By following these detailed instructions, you've created a custom Helm chart from scratch tailored for deploying a multiplayer game server in the gaming industry. Helm's templating capabilities, combined with Kubernetes' robustness, streamline the process of managing deployments in the dynamic and fast-paced gaming environment. With Helm charts, deploying gaming applications on Kubernetes becomes efficient, scalable, and maintainable, empowering developers to focus on delivering exceptional gaming experiences to players.

Saurabh Adhau's Blog