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Kubernetes

Kubernetes Helm Stuck Updating: Troubleshooting Guide

By Jan on 02/05/2025

Learn how to troubleshoot and resolve a Kubernetes Helm installation stuck in an "update in progress" state, freeing up your deployments.

Kubernetes Helm Stuck Updating: Troubleshooting Guide

Table of Contents

Introduction

When attempting a Helm upgrade, you might encounter the frustrating "another operation (install/upgrade/rollback) is in progress" error. This typically indicates that Helm believes a previous operation is still running, even if it appears to be stuck. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to troubleshoot and resolve this issue, allowing you to successfully upgrade your Helm releases.

Step-by-Step Guide

When a Helm upgrade gets stuck, you'll often encounter the error message "another operation (install/upgrade/rollback) is in progress". This means Helm thinks a previous operation hasn't finished, even if it seems stuck.

Here's a breakdown of how to resolve this:

  1. Check Helm release status:

    helm status <release-name> -n <namespace>

    This shows the current state of the release.

  2. Try a rollback (if possible): If the status shows "pending-upgrade" or similar, try:

    helm rollback <release-name> <revision-number> -n <namespace>

    Replace <revision-number> with a previous successful revision.

  3. Investigate Kubernetes resources: If rollback fails or isn't suitable, manually inspect the resources Helm manages:

    kubectl get pods -n <namespace> -l "app.kubernetes.io/instance=<release-name>"

    Look for pods stuck in states like Terminating or Error.

  4. Manually delete stuck resources (use caution!): As a last resort, you might need to manually delete the stuck Kubernetes resources. Be extremely careful, as this can lead to data loss if done incorrectly. Always back up your data before proceeding.

  5. Retry the Helm upgrade: After resolving the stuck resources, try the Helm upgrade again.

Additional tips:

  • Ensure your Helm and Kubernetes versions are compatible.
  • Check the logs of the affected pods for clues about the issue.
  • Consider increasing resource limits for your pods if they're timing out.
  • If using a tool like FluxCD, consult its documentation for handling stuck Helm releases.

Code Example

This bash script provides a step-by-step approach to troubleshoot and resolve stuck Helm releases. It starts by checking the release status and attempting a rollback if possible. Then, it guides users to investigate Kubernetes resources, particularly pods, associated with the release. The script suggests manually deleting stuck resources as a last resort, emphasizing caution and the importance of data backup. Finally, it suggests retrying the Helm upgrade and provides additional tips for troubleshooting, such as checking pod logs and adjusting resource limits.

#!/bin/bash

# Set release name and namespace
RELEASE_NAME="my-release"
NAMESPACE="my-namespace"

# 1. Check Helm release status
helm status "$RELEASE_NAME" -n "$NAMESPACE"

# 2. Try a rollback (if possible)
# Replace <revision-number> with the desired revision
helm rollback "$RELEASE_NAME" <revision-number> -n "$NAMESPACE"

# 3. Investigate Kubernetes resources
kubectl get pods -n "$NAMESPACE" -l "app.kubernetes.io/instance=$RELEASE_NAME"

# 4. Manually delete stuck resources (use caution!)
# Identify the stuck resources using kubectl and delete them:
# kubectl delete pod <pod-name> -n "$NAMESPACE"
# kubectl delete deployment <deployment-name> -n "$NAMESPACE"
# ...

# 5. Retry the Helm upgrade
helm upgrade "$RELEASE_NAME" <chart-name> -n "$NAMESPACE"

# Additional tips:

# Check logs of affected pods
kubectl logs <pod-name> -n "$NAMESPACE" -c <container-name>

# Increase resource limits for pods (edit deployment YAML)
# ...

Explanation:

  1. Check Helm release status: This command provides information about the current state of the Helm release, including its status (e.g., deployed, pending-upgrade, failed).
  2. Try a rollback: If the status indicates a stuck upgrade, this command attempts to roll back the release to a previous revision.
  3. Investigate Kubernetes resources: This command lists the pods associated with the Helm release, allowing you to identify any that are stuck in problematic states.
  4. Manually delete stuck resources: This section emphasizes caution and provides examples of deleting stuck pods and deployments. Remember to back up your data before proceeding.
  5. Retry the Helm upgrade: After resolving the stuck resources, this command attempts the Helm upgrade again.

Additional tips:

  • The script includes commands for checking pod logs and suggests increasing resource limits if necessary.
  • It also reminds users to consult the documentation of any relevant tools, such as FluxCD, for specific guidance on handling stuck Helm releases.

Disclaimer:

This script is provided as a starting point and may require modification based on your specific situation. Always exercise caution when manually deleting Kubernetes resources, as it can lead to data loss.

Additional Notes

Understanding the Root Cause:

  • Resource constraints: Often, stuck Helm upgrades stem from insufficient resources allocated to the Kubernetes cluster or specific pods. This can lead to timeouts during deployment or updates.
  • Dependency issues: Helm charts can have dependencies on other charts or external services. If these dependencies are unavailable or encounter errors, the upgrade process can stall.
  • Image pull errors: If the upgrade involves pulling new container images and the process fails due to network issues, incorrect registry credentials, or a missing image, the upgrade can get stuck.
  • Faulty deployments: Bugs or errors within the application code being deployed can also cause an upgrade to fail and appear stuck.

Best Practices:

  • Resource planning: Before upgrading, ensure your cluster has enough resources (CPU, memory, storage) to handle the new deployment.
  • Dependency management: Verify that all dependencies specified in your Helm chart are accessible and functioning correctly.
  • Image pre-pulling: Consider pre-pulling new container images to your cluster's local registry before initiating the upgrade to avoid potential pull-related issues.
  • Thorough testing: Test your application thoroughly in a staging environment before deploying to production to catch and address potential issues early on.

Troubleshooting Tools:

  • kubectl describe: Use this command to get detailed information about specific Kubernetes resources (pods, deployments, etc.) that might be causing the issue. For example: kubectl describe pod <pod-name> -n <namespace>.
  • kubectl logs -f: This command allows you to stream logs from a pod in real-time, which can be helpful for identifying ongoing issues during the upgrade process.
  • Kubernetes Events: Examine the events related to your release and its resources using kubectl get events -n <namespace>. Events can provide valuable insights into the sequence of actions and potential errors.

Important Considerations:

  • Data safety: Always prioritize data safety. Before manually deleting any resources, ensure you have proper backups and understand the potential impact of such actions.
  • Rollback strategy: Having a well-defined rollback strategy is crucial. Regularly test your rollback procedures to ensure you can quickly revert to a previous stable state if an upgrade fails.
  • Monitoring and alerting: Implement robust monitoring and alerting systems to detect and notify you of potential issues during and after Helm upgrades. This allows for proactive intervention and minimizes downtime.

Summary

This table summarizes how to troubleshoot Helm upgrades stuck with the error "another operation is in progress":

Step Action Description Caution
1 Check Helm release status Run helm status <release-name> -n <namespace>
2 Try a rollback (if possible) If status is "pending-upgrade", run helm rollback <release-name> <revision-number> -n <namespace>
3 Investigate Kubernetes resources Run kubectl get pods -n <namespace> -l "app.kubernetes.io/instance=<release-name>" to inspect resources.
4 Manually delete stuck resources Delete stuck Kubernetes resources identified in step 3. Extreme caution! Data loss possible. Back up data first.
5 Retry the Helm upgrade Run the Helm upgrade command again.

Additional Tips:

  • Ensure Helm and Kubernetes version compatibility.
  • Check affected pod logs for error messages.
  • Consider increasing pod resource limits to prevent timeouts.
  • Consult documentation for tools like FluxCD for specific guidance.

Conclusion

Successfully managing Helm releases involves understanding how to troubleshoot issues like the "another operation is in progress" error. By following the steps outlined in this guide, including checking the release status, attempting rollbacks, inspecting Kubernetes resources, and exercising caution when manually intervening, you can overcome these obstacles and ensure the smooth upgrade of your applications. Remember to prioritize data safety, have a rollback plan, and leverage monitoring tools for proactive issue detection. By adopting these practices, you can confidently manage your Helm releases and keep your applications running smoothly.

References

After a few weeks I finally decided to make the move to 22.12... All apps seem to be running and working, however I had to do a reboot at one point and I can't figure out why (when I change the specifications/settings) I get this error all the time:

[EFAULT] Failed to...

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