Shipping a solution made of several Helm-based products (platform add-ons, operators, integrations) usually means bespoke glue code, fragile ordering, and configs that fall apart between a demo cluster and production. Helmet is a reusable Kubernetes installer framework that treats dependency topology, integration wiring, and configuration as first-class concerns so teams can focus on their charts—not one-off installers.

This session introduces Helmet’s core ideas: chart annotations that drive install order and namespace placement, integration secrets coupled to products via declarative rules, embedded installer bundles, and CLI/MCP workflows that stay consistent from first deploy onward. We will walk through how the same artifact and patterns support a quick demo, a PoC on a shared cluster, and a production rollout—where the main differences are configuration depth and operational gates, not a rewrite of your installer.

You will leave with a mental model of when Helmet fits, how multi-product composition works in practice, and what to plan for as you harden from demo to production (validation, topology inspection, integration lifecycle).

Audience / level: Platform engineers, Kubernetes admins, and teams shipping internal platforms or ISV-style installers; intermediate Kubernetes + Helm familiarity assumed.

Takeaways:

• How Helmet resolves deployment order and integration dependencies from chart metadata.
• How one installer can evolve from demo → PoC → production through config and process, not new code each time.
• Where extensions (integrations, templating, automation/MCP) fit in the lifecycle.
• How you can end up with a production ready gitops repo for day two operation.

In this workshop you will assemble a small but realistic solution from a few products and integrations using the Helmet framework—not by writing a custom orchestrator from scratch, but by composing charts, wiring integrations, and driving configuration the way Helmet expects.

We start from an embedded installer layout: charts on disk, a blueprint that declares what is in the bundle, and merged configuration for settings, products, and integrations. In guided exercises you will add or adjust pieces, run topology to see resolved order, exercise config workflows (including dry-run), and connect integration metadata to consuming charts. By the end, you will have walked the path from “empty bundle” to “coherent multi-chart story” with clear seams for swapping demo vs production values.

Prerequisites: Laptop with kubectl and cluster access (or local Kubernetes) as announced by organizers; Helm basics; comfortable editing YAML. No prior Helmet experience required.

Format note: Hands-on, goal-oriented steps with helper repos or embedded examples; instructors troubleshoot common Helm/topology mistakes.

Takeaways:

• Scaffold or extend an installer that combines multiple Helm charts under one CLI.
• Express dependencies and integrations so installs stay reproducible.
• Practice the demo → tighter PoC leap using the same composition model.