How to Roll Back Changes with Helm

Helm, the Kubernetes package manager, is a powerful tool for managing applications on your Kubernetes cluster. One of Helm's essential features is the ability to roll back changes, allowing users to revert to a previous state in case of issues or errors. In this article, we will explore the process of rolling back changes with Helm, providing step-by-step instructions and examples to guide you through the process.

Checking Helm Version

Before we dive into rolling back changes, it's crucial to ensure you have the right Helm version installed. Run the following command to check your Helm version:

helm version

Make sure you have Helm v3 installed, as Helm v2 is now deprecated.

Viewing Release History

To roll back changes, you need to know the release history of your Helm chart. Use the following command to list all the releases:

helm list --all-namespaces

This will display a list of Helm releases along with their revision numbers.

Rolling Back Changes

Now that you have identified the release and revision you want to roll back to, execute the rollback command. Replace RELEASE_NAME with the name of your Helm release, and REVISION_NUMBER with the desired revision:

helm rollback RELEASE_NAME REVISION_NUMBER

For example:

helm rollback my-release 2

This command will roll back the specified release to the chosen revision.

Confirming Rollback

After executing the rollback command, it's wise to confirm the changes. Use the following command to check the revision and verify that the rollback was successful:

helm history RELEASE_NAME

Additional Options

Helm provides additional options for rolling back changes. You can force the rollback to a specific revision without confirmation by using the --force flag:

helm rollback --force RELEASE_NAME REVISION_NUMBER

More Examples

Let's consider a real-world example. Suppose you have a release named web-app and you want to roll back to the second revision. The commands would be as follows:

helm list --all-namespaces
helm rollback web-app 2
helm history web-app

Rolling back changes with Helm is a crucial skill for managing Kubernetes applications effectively. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can confidently revert to a previous state when issues arise. Helm's rollback feature enhances the overall reliability and maintainability of your Kubernetes deployments.