Last year we launched the Codefresh delivery platform powered by Argo. After the initial launch we started collecting feedback from all companies that tried it (as well as existing customers) and cataloged all feature requests and implementation ideas. The main goal is always to iterate quickly and address the most common issues in the most efficient way possible.
We decided to focus a lot on the initial installation of the platform, as any installation blockers will always overshadow all the fancy features that a product might have.
In the initial release we shipped the friendly Codefresh CLI that allowed any team to install the Codefresh platform with a single command. The CLI was great for quick installations and proof-of-concept scenarios. We however noticed a common pattern in all the feedback we gathered for the installation process.
Using Infrastructure as Code tools for your Codefresh runtime
Most enterprise companies already have an existing solution for Infrastructure As Code (IAC) in place and it makes sense to want to use it as well in the case of Codefresh. In practice this means that several companies want to use Terraform for installation of a platform (or similar solutions such as Crossplane and Pulumi).
To address this gap we are releasing today a Helm chart for the Codefresh runtime. This can be used on its own (via the Helm command) but most importantly it can be injected into an existing IAC platform. In the case of Terraform, Helm charts are supported natively via the Helm provider.
This means that now you can install the Codefresh GitOps runtime using Terraform resources or any of your favorite IaC tools.
To complete the installation puzzle we are also offering a Helm chart for adding clusters to an existing Codefresh runtime (even the hosted runtimes). So now you can use Terraform both for installing Codefresh runtimes and adding external clusters to them, making the full installation of any complex topology of clusters and GitOps runtimes a matter of a single terraform command.
With this new change we have also decided to deprecate the existing installation mode that uses the Codefresh CLI. Your existing Codefresh runtimes will continue to work as normal. New runtimes can use the Helm chart. If you want to upgrade an existing runtime you will need to migrate the installation mode to a Helm chart.
For all existing customers, please contact your support representative to get instructions about the migration process. For new customers, the new installation mode (Helm charts/terraform provider) is available today and ready to be used for all scenarios (either in production or for evaluating Codefresh)
But wait there’s more!
We are also releasing today a Helm chart for the Codefresh runner. The Codefresh runner allows you to run CI pipelines in your own Kubernetes cluster and take advantage of all the scaling facilities available in Kubernetes for scaling your workflows and having full control over your build infrastructure. The Helm chart of the Codefresh runner is also available at ArfifactHub.
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