Installing Helm charts
An IBM Content Cortex container deployment requires multiple Helm charts. You can install these Helm charts to deploy the components that your environment requires.
About this task
Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that uses charts to define, install, and upgrade Kubernetes applications. Helm charts provide a templating mechanism that allows you to customize deployments through values files.
Helm is typically the better choice for CNCF Kubernetes environments because it does not depend on Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM), which is native to OpenShift® Container Platform. Use Helm when you want a CLI-driven installation method, when you need values-file customization for your environment, or when you automate installation in pipelines or GitOps workflows.
Helm helps you install, manage, update, and roll back deployments by using chart packages and values files.
The following table shows which Helm charts you need for each deployment scenario.
| Operator | Description |
|---|---|
| Content | Required for a new container deployment. Provides the core IBM Content Cortex capabilities. Install this operator first. |
| IBM License Service | Required for a new container deployment. Tracks and reports license usage for compliance and license management. |
| IBM Usage Metering | Required for a new container deployment. Provides usage metering and reporting for container components. |
| IBM Content Cortex AI Services |
Provides AI Agent and MCP Server capabilities, including AI-driven chat and workspace capabilities.
|
You can install the required Helm charts by using one of the following methods:
- OpenShift console: Use the console-based Helm workflow to install Helm charts
- Deployment script: Run a script that installs Helm charts for your deployment scenario
- Manual YAML application: Apply YAML files manually for full control over the installation
Choose the method that best fits your environment and deployment workflow for installing these Helm charts.