Posted On: Oct 9, 2023
AWS unveils new capabilities for cdk8s, allowing seamless synthesis of applications into Helm charts on one hand, and native import of existing Helm charts into cdk8s applications on the other. In addition, cdk8s can now interpret deploy-time tokens of the AWS CDK and CDK For Terraform, all during the cdk8s synthesis phase. Helm stands out as a widely embraced solution for the deployment and management of Kubernetes applications. By converging cdk8s and Helm, users can enjoy a unified workflow for creating and deploying Kubernetes manifests. With the recent addition to the "cdk8s synth" command, you can transform a cdk8s app directly into a Helm Chart, ready to be integrated with Helm deployments.
We've expanded the capabilities of the "cdk8s import" command, simplifying the process to incorporate Helm charts into cdk8s applications. Providing a Helm Chart URL to the "cdk8s import" command will auto-generate a custom type-safe construct for you that represents the Helm Chart in question.
In Kubernetes applications, dependency on cloud infrastructure is common. However, if cloud resource names aren't explicitly defined in manifests, since they are unknown at the synth time, it can hinder deployment. cdk8s introduces a feature to handle this by interpreting deploy-time tokens and retrieving their values during synthesis, resolving deployment challenges.
To learn more about of the new features in cdk8s, please refer to the documentation on synthesizing applications into Helm charts, interpreting deploy-time tokens, and importing Helm charts.