Deploying Databases on Kubernetes: Helm vs. Operators - Eric Schäffer and Manuel Swiercz
summary
Teams deploy Postgres and Elasticsearch daily using Helm charts and operators, and recommend Helm for packaging and composition while using operators for full lifecycle/autopilot where needed. Operators can implement capability levels up to 5 (autopilot, tuning, scaling); Helm covers levels 1–2 (install/upgrade). OperatorHub lists ~325 operators; Helm sees hundreds to thousands of chart releases monthly. Real deployments combine Helm to install operators plus cronjobs, secrets, metrics and backups; Elastic operator causes the most friction and production use is still being validated.
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chapters (14)
- 0:00Introduction and speakers
- 0:44What is a Kubernetes operator
- 2:27Components of an operator
- 3:32Operator control loop explained
- 4:59Operator advantages for databases
- 6:46What is Helm
- 7:51Helm advantages and use cases
- 9:37Comparing Helm and operators
- 11:27Capability levels and community support
- 13:56Helm vs operator myths clarified
- 15:02When to choose Helm or operator
- 17:30Conclusion and real-world use case
- 19:41Credits and thanks
- 20:22Q&A session begins
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