# Migrate from the Redpanda Helm chart > For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [streaming-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming-full.txt) --- title: Migrate from the Redpanda Helm chart latest-redpanda-tag: v24.3.9 latest-console-tag: v3.7.3 latest-operator-version: v26.1.4 # EOL = End-of-Life (support lifecycle status) page-is-nearing-eol: "false" page-is-past-eol: "true" page-eol-date: December 3, 2025 latest-connect-version: 4.93.0 docname: migrate/kubernetes/helm-to-operator page-component-name: streaming page-version: "24.3" page-component-version: "24.3" page-component-title: Streaming page-relative-src-path: migrate/kubernetes/helm-to-operator.adoc page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/docs/edit/v/24.3/modules/upgrade/pages/migrate/kubernetes/helm-to-operator.adoc description: If you are using the Redpanda Helm chart, you can migrate to the Redpanda Operator and use it to manage your deployment. page-git-created-date: "2023-08-04" page-git-modified-date: "2024-12-10" support-status: past end-of-life --- If you are using the Redpanda Helm chart, you can migrate to the Redpanda Operator and use it to manage your Helm deployment. The Redpanda Operator extends Kubernetes with custom resource definitions (CRDs), which allow Redpanda clusters to be treated as native Kubernetes resources. The primary resource that the Redpanda Operator uses to represent a Redpanda cluster is the Redpanda resource. When you define a Redpanda cluster using this Redpanda resource, the Redpanda Operator takes that configuration and passes it to [Flux](https://fluxcd.io/flux/concepts/). Flux, in turn, interacts with Helm, creating the necessary HelmRepository and HelmRelease resources to deploy and manage the Redpanda Helm chart. Here is an example of a Redpanda custom resource: ```yaml apiVersion: cluster.redpanda.com/v1alpha2 kind: Redpanda metadata: name: spec: chartRef: helmRepositoryName: clusterSpec: ``` - `metadata.name`: Name to assign the Redpanda cluster. This name is also assigned to the Helm release. - [`spec.chartRef`](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/reference/k-crd/#chartref): Information about the Helm chart that will be used to deploy Redpanda. - [`spec.chartRef.helmRepositoryName`](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/reference/k-crd/#helmrepositoryname): Name of the Helm repository where the Redpanda chart is located. - [`spec.clusterSpec`](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/reference/k-crd/#redpandaclusterspec): This is where you can override default values in the Redpanda Helm chart. ## [](#prerequisites)Prerequisites Before migrating to the Redpanda Operator, you must have: - The name of your existing Helm release and the latest version of the Redpanda Helm chart that you have deployed. ```bash helm list -A ``` In this example the chart version is 5.0.1 and the release name is `redpanda`. NAME CHART redpanda redpanda-5.0.1 Make a note of your name and version for the next steps. You’ll need to configure your Redpanda custom resource with these details. - Your values overrides. ```bash helm get values --namespace ``` You should see your overrides in YAML format. You’ll need to configure your Redpanda custom resource with these details. > 💡 **TIP** > > Before implementing any changes in your production environment, Redpanda Data recommends testing the migration in a non-production environment. ## [](#migrate-to-the-redpanda-operator-and-helm)Migrate to the Redpanda Operator and Helm To migrate to the latest Redpanda Operator and use it to manage your Helm deployment, follow these steps. 1. Make sure that you have permission to install custom resource definitions (CRDs): ```bash kubectl auth can-i create CustomResourceDefinition --all-namespaces ``` You should see `yes` in the output. You need these cluster-level permissions to install the Redpanda Operator CRDs in the next steps. 2. Install the Redpanda Operator custom resource definitions (CRDs): ```bash kubectl kustomize "https://github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda-operator//operator/config/crd?ref=v26.1.4" \ | kubectl apply --server-side -f - ``` 3. Install the Redpanda Operator **in the same namespace as your Redpanda Helm chart**: ```bash helm repo add redpanda https://charts.redpanda.com helm repo update helm upgrade --install redpanda-controller redpanda/operator \ --namespace \ --set image.tag=v26.1.4 \ --create-namespace ``` 4. Ensure that the Deployment is successfully rolled out: ```bash kubectl --namespace rollout status -w deployment/redpanda-controller-operator ``` deployment "redpanda-controller" successfully rolled out 5. Configure a Redpanda custom resource that Redpanda Operator will use to adopt your Redpanda cluster. Replace the placeholders with the values identified in the [Prerequisites](#prerequisites). `redpanda-cluster.yaml` ```yaml apiVersion: cluster.redpanda.com/v1alpha2 kind: Redpanda metadata: annotations: cluster.redpanda.com/managed: "true" creationTimestamp: null name: spec: chartRef: chartVersion: clusterSpec: ``` > 📝 **NOTE** > > By selecting the correct chart version, you ensure control over your deployment. If you don’t select a chart version, the operator may upgrade your chart, potentially causing unintended downtime. > 💡 **TIP** > > The Redpanda Operator passes these values to the Redpanda Helm chart. The keys in the `clusterSpec` field are the same as those in the Redpanda Helm chart. For details on the structure and configuration options of the Redpanda custom resource, refer to the [Redpanda Operator CRD reference](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/reference/k-crd/#redpandaclusterspec). 6. Adopt the Redpanda cluster by creating an instance of the Redpanda custom resource in the same namespace as the Redpanda Operator: ```bash kubectl apply -f redpanda-cluster.yaml --namespace ``` 7. Wait for the Redpanda resource to successfully reach a `deployed` state: ```bash kubectl get redpanda --namespace --watch ``` Example output: NAME READY STATUS redpanda True Redpanda reconciliation succeeded ## [](#roll-back-from-redpanda-operator-to-helm)Roll back from Redpanda Operator to Helm If you migrated to the Redpanda Operator and want to revert to using only Helm, follow these steps: 1. Uninstall or disable the Redpanda Operator. You can uninstall the Redpanda Operator using Helm or disable it by changing the image to one that does not exist: ```bash kubectl edit pod --namespace ``` 2. Remove the [finalizers](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/finalizers/) from the Redpanda, HelmRelease, HelmChart, and HelmRepository resources: ```bash kubectl --namespace patch redpanda -p '{"metadata":{"finalizers":null}}' --type=merge kubectl --namespace patch helmrelease -p '{"metadata":{"finalizers":null}}' --type=merge kubectl --namespace patch helmchart - -p '{"metadata":{"finalizers":null}}' --type=merge kubectl --namespace patch helmrepository -p '{"metadata":{"finalizers":null}}' --type=merge ``` Replace the `` placeholder with the value of `spec.chartRef.helmRepositoryName` in your Redpanda resource. The default value is `redpanda-repository`. 3. Delete the resources: ```bash kubectl delete redpanda --namespace kubectl delete helmrelease --namespace kubectl delete helmchart --namespace kubectl delete helmrepository --namespace ``` After completing these steps, the Redpanda Operator is no longer managing your Helm deployment. ## [](#troubleshooting)Troubleshooting While the deployment process can sometimes take a few minutes, a prolonged 'not ready' status may indicate an issue. ### [](#helmrelease-is-not-ready)HelmRelease is not ready If you are using the Redpanda Operator, you may see the following message while waiting for a Redpanda custom resource to be deployed: ```bash NAME READY STATUS redpanda False HelmRepository 'redpanda/redpanda-repository' is not ready redpanda False HelmRelease 'redpanda/redpanda' is not ready ``` While the deployment process can sometimes take a few minutes, a prolonged 'not ready' status may indicate an issue. Follow the steps below to investigate: 1. Check the status of the HelmRelease: ```bash kubectl describe helmrelease --namespace ``` 2. Review the Redpanda Operator logs: ```bash kubectl logs -l app.kubernetes.io/name=operator -c manager --namespace ``` ### [](#helmrelease-retries-exhausted)HelmRelease retries exhausted The `HelmRelease retries exhausted` error occurs when the Helm Controller has tried to reconcile the HelmRelease a number of times, but these attempts have failed consistently. The Helm Controller watches for changes in HelmRelease objects. When changes are detected, it tries to reconcile the state defined in the HelmRelease with the state in the cluster. The process of reconciliation includes installation, upgrade, testing, rollback or uninstallation of Helm releases. You may see this error due to: - Incorrect configuration in the HelmRelease. - Issues with the chart, such as a non-existent chart version or the chart repository not being accessible. - Missing dependencies or prerequisites required by the chart. - Issues with the underlying Kubernetes cluster, such as insufficient resources or connectivity issues. To debug this error do the following: 1. Check the status of the HelmRelease: ```bash kubectl describe helmrelease --namespace ``` 2. Review the Redpanda Operator logs: ```bash kubectl logs -l app.kubernetes.io/name=operator -c manager --namespace ``` When you find and fix the error, you must use the Flux CLI, `fluxctl`, to suspend and resume the reconciliation process: 1. [Install Flux CLI](https://fluxcd.io/flux/installation/#install-the-flux-cli). 2. Suspend the HelmRelease: ```bash flux suspend helmrelease --namespace ``` 3. Resume the HelmRelease: ```bash flux resume helmrelease --namespace ``` ### [](#statefulset-never-rolls-out)StatefulSet never rolls out If the StatefulSet Pods remain in a pending state, they are waiting for resources to become available. To identify the Pods that are pending, use the following command: ```bash kubectl get pod --namespace ``` The response includes a list of Pods in the StatefulSet and their status. To view logs for a specific Pod, use the following command. ```bash kubectl logs -f --namespace ``` You can use the output to debug your deployment. ### [](#didnt-match-pod-anti-affinity-rules)Didn’t match pod anti-affinity rules If you see this error, your cluster does not have enough nodes to satisfy the anti-affinity rules: Warning FailedScheduling 18m default-scheduler 0/1 nodes are available: 1 node(s) didn't match pod anti-affinity rules. preemption: 0/1 nodes are available: 1 No preemption victims found for incoming pod. The Helm chart configures default `podAntiAffinity` rules to make sure that only one Pod running a Redpanda broker is scheduled on each worker node. To learn why, see [Number of workers](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/deploy/deployment-option/self-hosted/kubernetes/k-requirements/#number-of-workers). To resolve this issue, do one of the following: - Create additional worker nodes. - Modify the anti-affinity rules (for development purposes only). If adding nodes is not an option, you can modify the `podAntiAffinity` rules in your StatefulSet to be less strict. #### Helm + Operator `redpanda-cluster.yaml` ```yaml apiVersion: cluster.redpanda.com/v1alpha2 kind: Redpanda metadata: name: redpanda spec: chartRef: {} clusterSpec: statefulset: podAntiAffinity: type: soft ``` ```bash kubectl apply -f redpanda-cluster.yaml --namespace ``` #### Helm ##### --values `docker-repo.yaml` ```yaml statefulset: podAntiAffinity: type: soft ``` ```bash helm upgrade --install redpanda redpanda/redpanda --namespace --create-namespace \ --values docker-repo.yaml --reuse-values ``` ##### --set ```bash helm upgrade --install redpanda redpanda/redpanda --namespace --create-namespace \ --set statefulset.podAntiAffinity.type=soft ``` ### [](#unable-to-mount-volume)Unable to mount volume If you see volume mounting errors in the Pod events or in the Redpanda logs, ensure that each of your Pods has a volume available in which to store data. - If you’re using StorageClasses with dynamic provisioners (default), ensure they exist: ```bash kubectl get storageclass ``` - If you’re using PersistentVolumes, ensure that you have one PersistentVolume available for each Redpanda broker, and that each one has the storage capacity that’s set in `storage.persistentVolume.size`: ```bash kubectl get persistentvolume --namespace ``` To learn how to configure different storage volumes, see [Configure Storage](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/manage/kubernetes/storage/k-configure-storage/). ### [](#failed-to-pull-image)Failed to pull image When deploying the Redpanda Helm chart, you may encounter Docker rate limit issues because the default registry URL is not recognized as a Docker Hub URL. The domain `docker.redpanda.com` is used for statistical purposes, such as tracking the number of downloads. It mirrors Docker Hub’s content while providing specific analytics for Redpanda. Failed to pull image "docker.redpanda.com/redpandadata/redpanda:v": rpc error: code = Unknown desc = failed to pull and unpack image "docker.redpanda.com/redpandadata/redpanda:v": failed to copy: httpReadSeeker: failed open: unexpected status code 429 Too Many Requests - Server message: toomanyrequests: You have reached your pull rate limit. You may increase the limit by authenticating and upgrading: https://www.docker.com/increase-rate-limit To fix this error, do one of the following: - Replace the `image.repository` value in the Helm chart with `docker.io/redpandadata/redpanda`. Switching to Docker Hub avoids the rate limit issues associated with `docker.redpanda.com`. #### Helm + Operator `redpanda-cluster.yaml` ```yaml apiVersion: cluster.redpanda.com/v1alpha2 kind: Redpanda metadata: name: redpanda spec: chartRef: {} clusterSpec: image: repository: docker.io/redpandadata/redpanda ``` ```bash kubectl apply -f redpanda-cluster.yaml --namespace ``` #### Helm ##### --values `docker-repo.yaml` ```yaml image: repository: docker.io/redpandadata/redpanda ``` ```bash helm upgrade --install redpanda redpanda/redpanda --namespace --create-namespace \ --values docker-repo.yaml --reuse-values ``` ##### --set ```bash helm upgrade --install redpanda redpanda/redpanda --namespace --create-namespace \ --set image.repository=docker.io/redpandadata/redpanda ``` - Authenticate to Docker Hub by logging in with your Docker Hub credentials. The `docker.redpanda.com` site acts as a reflector for Docker Hub. As a result, when you log in with your Docker Hub credentials, you will bypass the rate limit issues. ### [](#dig-not-defined)Dig not defined This error means that you are using an unsupported version of [Helm](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install/): Error: parse error at (redpanda/templates/statefulset.yaml:203): function "dig" not defined To fix this error, ensure that you are using the minimum required version: 3.10.0. ```bash helm version ``` ### [](#repository-name-already-exists)Repository name already exists If you see this error, remove the `redpanda` chart repository, then try installing it again. ```bash helm repo remove redpanda helm repo add redpanda https://charts.redpanda.com helm repo update ``` ### [](#fatal-error-during-checker-data-directory-is-writable-execution)Fatal error during checker "Data directory is writable" execution This error appears when Redpanda does not have write access to your configured storage volume under `storage` in the Helm chart. Error: fatal error during checker "Data directory is writable" execution: open /var/lib/redpanda/data/test\_file: permission denied To fix this error, set `statefulset.initContainers.setDataDirOwnership.enabled` to `true` so that the initContainer can set the correct permissions on the data directories. ### [](#cannot-patch-redpanda-with-kind-statefulset)Cannot patch "redpanda" with kind StatefulSet This error appears when you run `helm upgrade` with the `--values` flag but do not include all your previous overrides. Error: UPGRADE FAILED: cannot patch "redpanda" with kind StatefulSet: StatefulSet.apps "redpanda" is invalid: spec: Forbidden: updates to statefulset spec for fields other than 'replicas', 'template', 'updateStrategy', 'persistentVolumeClaimRetentionPolicy' and 'minReadySeconds' are forbidden To fix this error, do one of the following: - Include all the value overrides from the previous installation or upgrade using either the `--set` or the `--values` flags. - Use the `--reuse-values` flag. > ⚠️ **WARNING** > > Do not use the `--reuse-values` flag to upgrade from one version of the Helm chart to another. This flag stops Helm from using any new values in the upgraded chart. ### [](#cannot-patch-redpanda-console-with-kind-deployment)Cannot patch "redpanda-console" with kind Deployment This error appears if you try to upgrade your deployment and you already have `console.enabled` set to `true`. Error: UPGRADE FAILED: cannot patch "redpanda-console" with kind Deployment: Deployment.apps "redpanda-console" is invalid: spec.selector: Invalid value: v1.LabelSelector{MatchLabels:map\[string\]string{"app.kubernetes.io/instance":"redpanda", "app.kubernetes.io/name":"console"}, MatchExpressions:\[\]v1.LabelSelectorRequirement(nil)}: field is immutable To fix this error, set `console.enabled` to `false` so that Helm doesn’t try to deploy Redpanda Console again. ### [](#helm-is-in-a-pending-rollback-state)Helm is in a pending-rollback state An interrupted Helm upgrade process can leave your Helm release in a `pending-rollback` state. This state prevents further actions like upgrades, rollbacks, or deletions through standard Helm commands. To fix this: 1. Identify the Helm release that’s in a `pending-rollback` state: ```bash helm list --namespace --all ``` Look for releases with a status of `pending-rollback`. These are the ones that need intervention. 2. Verify the Secret’s status to avoid affecting the wrong resource: ```bash kubectl --namespace get secret --show-labels ``` Identify the Secret associated with your Helm release by its `pending-rollback` status in the labels. > ⚠️ **WARNING** > > Ensure you have correctly identified the Secret to avoid unintended consequences. Deleting the wrong Secret could impact other deployments or services. 3. Delete the Secret to clear the `pending-rollback` state: ```bash kubectl --namespace delete secret -l status=pending-rollback ``` After clearing the `pending-rollback` state: - **Retry the upgrade**: Restart the upgrade process. You should investigate the initial failure to avoid getting into the `pending-rollback` state again. - **Perform a rollback**: If you need to roll back to a previous release, use `helm rollback ` to revert to a specific, stable release version. ### [](#crash-loop-backoffs)Crash loop backoffs If a broker crashes after startup, or gets stuck in a crash loop, it can accumulate an increasing amount of stored state. This accumulated state not only consumes additional disk space but also prolongs the time required for each subsequent restart to process it. To prevent infinite crash loops, the Redpanda Helm chart sets the [`crash_loop_limit`](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/reference/properties/broker-properties/#crash_loop_limit) broker configuration property to `5`. The crash loop limit is the number of consecutive crashes that can happen within one hour of each other. By default, the broker terminates immediately after hitting the `crash_loop_limit`. The Pod running Redpanda remains in a `CrashLoopBackoff` state until its internal consecutive crash counter is reset to zero. To facilitate debugging in environments where a broker is stuck in a crash loop, you can also set the [`crash_loop_sleep_sec`](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/reference/properties/broker-properties/#crash_loop_sleep_sec) broker configuration property. This setting determines how long the broker sleeps before terminating the process after reaching the crash loop limit. By providing a window during which the Pod remains available, you can SSH into it and troubleshoot the issue. Example configuration: ```yaml config: node: crash_loop_limit: 5 crash_loop_sleep_sec: 60 ``` In this example, when the broker hits the `crash_loop_limit` of 5, it will sleep for 60 seconds before terminating the process. This delay allows administrators to access the Pod and troubleshoot. To troubleshoot a crash loop backoff: 1. Check the Redpanda logs from the most recent crashes: ```bash kubectl logs --namespace ``` > 📝 **NOTE** > > Kubernetes retains logs only for the current and the previous instance of a container. This limitation makes it difficult to access logs from earlier crashes, which may contain vital clues about the root cause of the issue. Given these log retention limitations, setting up a centralized logging system is crucial. Systems such as [Loki](https://grafana.com/docs/loki/latest/) or [Datadog](https://www.datadoghq.com/product/log-management/) can capture and store logs from all containers, ensuring you have access to historical data. 2. Resolve the issue that led to the crash loop backoff. 3. Reset the crash counter to zero to allow Redpanda to restart. You can do any of the following to reset the counter: - Make changes to any of the following sections in the Redpanda Helm chart to trigger an update: - `config.node` - `config.tunable` For example: ```yaml config: node: crash_loop_limit: ``` - Delete the `startup_log` file in the broker’s data directory. ```bash kubectl exec --namespace -- rm /var/lib/redpanda/data/startup_log ``` > 📝 **NOTE** > > It might be challenging to execute this command within a Pod that is in a `CrashLoopBackoff` state due to the limited time during which the Pod is available before it restarts. Wrapping the command in a loop might work. - Wait one hour since the last crash. The crash counter resets after one hour. To avoid future crash loop backoffs and manage the accumulation of small segments effectively: - [Monitor](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/manage/kubernetes/monitoring/k-monitor-redpanda/) the size and number of segments regularly. - Optimize your Redpanda configuration for segment management. - Consider implementing [Tiered Storage](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/manage/kubernetes/tiered-storage/k-tiered-storage/) to manage data more efficiently. ### [](#a-redpanda-enterprise-edition-license-is-required)A Redpanda Enterprise Edition license is required During a Redpanda upgrade, if enterprise features are enabled and a valid Enterprise Edition license is missing, Redpanda logs a warning and aborts the upgrade process on the first broker. This issue prevents a successful upgrade. A Redpanda Enterprise Edition license is required to use the currently enabled features. To apply your license, downgrade this broker to the pre-upgrade version and provide a valid license key via rpk using 'rpk cluster license set ', or via Redpanda Console. To request an enterprise license, please visit . To try Redpanda Enterprise for 30 days, visit . For more information, see . If you encounter this message, follow these steps to recover: 1. [Roll back the affected broker to the original version](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/upgrade/k-rolling-upgrade/#roll-back). 2. Do one of the following: - [Apply a valid Redpanda Enterprise Edition license](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/get-started/licensing/add-license-redpanda/) to the cluster. - Disable enterprise features. If you do not have a valid license and want to proceed without using enterprise features, you can disable the enterprise features in your Redpanda configuration. 3. Retry the upgrade. For more troubleshooting steps, see [Troubleshoot Redpanda in Kubernetes](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/troubleshoot/errors-solutions/k-resolve-errors/). ### [](#open-an-issue)Open an issue If you cannot solve the issue or need assistance during the migration process, [open a GitHub issue](https://github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda-operator/issues/new/choose). Before opening a new issue, search the existing issues on GitHub to see if someone has already reported a similar problem or if any relevant discussions can help you. ## [](#next-steps)Next steps For information about the latest Redpanda Operator and the new Redpanda custom resource, see [Redpanda in Kubernetes](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/deploy/deployment-option/self-hosted/kubernetes/k-deployment-overview/). ## Suggested labs - [Migrate Data with Redpanda Migrator](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs/docker-compose/redpanda-migrator/) [Search all labs](https://docs.redpanda.com/labs)