Kubernetes

Easily install Cryptlex on any cloud hosting provider using Kubernetes.

Introduction

In this guide, you'll install the Cryptlex Enterprise Helm chart to deploy the application on your Kubernetes cluster. You'll then set up an Ingress Resource to route traffic from your domains to the Cryptlex Enterprise back-end services. After configuring the Ingress, you'll install Cert-Manager in your cluster to automatically provision Let's Encrypt TLS certificates, securing your Ingresses.

Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies application deployment, upgrade, and lifecycle management using Helm Charts.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• A Kubernetes 1.28+ cluster with kubectl configured to connect to it.

• Helm 3 installed on your local machine.

• A fully registered domain name with at least four available A or CNAME records.

This guide uses the following example domains:

• license-api.mycompany.com

• license-admin-portal.mycompany.com

• license-customer-portal.mycompany.com

• releases.mycompany.com

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Step 1 — Installing the NGINX Ingress Controller

Start by installing the NGINX Ingress Controller using Helm.

The NGINX Ingress Controller will expose your services to the internet via a Load Balancer.

First, create a file called ingress.yaml with the following content:

controller:
  publishService:
    enabled: true
  service:
    enabled: true
    externalTrafficPolicy: "Local"

Then, run the following commands:

helm repo add ingress-nginx https://kubernetes.github.io/ingress-nginx
helm upgrade --install ingress-nginx ingress-nginx/ingress-nginx --values ingress.yaml

To watch the Load Balancer become available:

kubectl get services -o wide -w ingress-nginx-controller

Once ready, the Ingress Controller will route HTTP and HTTPS traffic to the appropriate backend services defined in your Ingress Resources.

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Step 2 — Create DNS Records

Create A or CNAME records for the external IP address of the Ingress Controller you just installed.

To find the external IP:

kubectl get services -o wide -w ingress-nginx-controller

Then, go to your DNS provider (e.g., GoDaddy or Cloudflare) and create the following records:

Subdomain	Purpose
license-api.mycompany.com	Web API Server
license-admin-portal.mycompany.com	Admin Portal
license-customer-portal.mycompany.com	Customer Portal
releases.mycompany.com	Release Server

Point all of them to the same external IP.

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Step 3 — Securing the Ingress Using Cert-Manager

To enable HTTPS, install Cert-Manager to your Kubernetes cluster.

Run the following commands:

helm repo add jetstack https://charts.jetstack.io --force-update
helm upgrade --install cert-manager jetstack/cert-manager \
  --create-namespace --namespace cert-manager --atomic \
  --set crds.enabled=true

Once installed, Cert-Manager will automatically issue and renew Let's Encrypt TLS certificates for your Ingress resources.

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Step 4 — Installing the Cryptlex Enterprise Helm Chart

Step 4.1 — Choosing a Database

Cryptlex requires a PostgreSQL database.

• For staging/testing, the Helm chart can deploy a bundled Postgres instance using a Persistent Volume Claim.

• For production, it's recommended to use an external managed PostgreSQL service for reliability and scalability.

Step 4.2 — Choosing a File Store

Cryptlex uses an AWS S3-compatible file store for release artifacts.

• The Helm chart includes a bundled MinIO instance for staging/testing environments.

• For production, it's best to use a managed S3-compatible storage service (e.g., AWS S3, Wasabi).

Note: If you're not using Cryptlex's release management API, this service is optional.

Step 4.3 — Download and Customize the Helm Values File

Download the default configuration file:

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cryptlex/helm-charts/master/cryptlex/cryptlex-enterprise/values.yaml

Create separate config files for each environment:

cp values.yaml staging.yaml
cp values.yaml production.yaml

Update these files with environment-specific values (database, file store, domain names, etc.).

Step 4.4 — Install Cryptlex Enterprise Using Helm

Add the Cryptlex Helm chart repository:

helm repo add cryptlex https://cryptlex.github.io/helm-charts --force-update

Deploy for each environment:

Staging:

kubectl create namespace cryptlex-stg
helm upgrade --install cryptlex-enterprise-stg \
  --values staging.yaml \
  --namespace cryptlex-stg cryptlex/cryptlex-enterprise

Production:

kubectl create namespace cryptlex
helm upgrade --install cryptlex-enterprise \
  --values production.yaml \
  --namespace cryptlex cryptlex/cryptlex-enterprise

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Step 5 — Create Your Cryptlex Account

Once deployed, open the admin portal in your browser and create your Cryptlex account:

https://license-admin-portal.mycompany.com/auth/signup

Note: You can only create one Cryptlex account per environment.

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Upgrading Your Deployment

Regularly upgrade the applications in your cluster to receive the latest security patches and features.

Run the following commands to upgrade:

# Update all Helm repos
helm repo update

# Upgrade NGINX Ingress
helm upgrade --install ingress-nginx ingress-nginx/ingress-nginx --values ingress.yaml

# Upgrade staging environment
helm upgrade --install cryptlex-enterprise-stg \
  --values staging.yaml \
  --namespace cryptlex-stg cryptlex/cryptlex-enterprise

# Upgrade production environment
helm upgrade --install cryptlex-enterprise \
  --values production.yaml \
  --namespace cryptlex cryptlex/cryptlex-enterprise

To upgrade Cert-Manager, refer to the official guide:

👉 https://cert-manager.io/docs/installation/upgrading/