Deploying Solace Schema Registry with Kubernetes

This section outlines how to deploy Solace Schema Registry on a Kubernetes cluster using Helm. Using Kubernetes with Helm allows Solace Schema Registry to run as a scalable, containerized service with declarative configuration and automated lifecycle management.

The deployment process involves installing the registry via the official Helm chart, customizing deployment parameters using a values.yaml file, and configuring integration with Identity Providers (IdPs) for authentication. The Helm chart automates the deployment of all necessary components including the backend API, web UI, PostgreSQL database, and identity provider.

Understanding the Schema Registry Package

The Schema Registry download (schema-registry-v<version>.tar.gz) is a distribution package that contains deployment options for both Docker/Podman and Kubernetes/Helm environments. After extraction, the package includes:

  • docker-images/ — Three Docker image archives for the backend, UI, and identity provider components
  • compose-files/ — Docker Compose configuration files, environment templates, and Docker-specific deployment guides (see Deploying and Configuring Solace Schema Registry with Docker or Podman)
  • helm-chart/ — Helm chart package (solace-schema-registry-<version>.tgz) for Kubernetes deployments with embedded README documentation
  • README.md — Quick start guide and platform-specific image loading instructions
This page covers Kubernetes/Helm deployments. For Docker/Podman deployments, see Deploying and Configuring Solace Schema Registry with Docker or Podman.

Deployment Overview

Deploying Solace Schema Registry with Kubernetes involves the following key steps:

  1. Prepare Your Environment—Ensure your Kubernetes cluster meets the prerequisites, understand the deployment architecture, load Docker images, and install the CloudNative PostgreSQL Operator.
  2. Configure the Deployment—Customize the values.yaml file with your environment-specific settings including database, ingress, and backup configurations.
  3. Set Up Authentication—Configure either the internal identity provider or integrate with an external OIDC provider.
  4. Install the Registry—Deploy the Helm chart.
  5. Verify and Access—Confirm the deployment is successful and access the Schema Registry Web Console.

Deploying Schema Registry with Helm

This guide explains each phase of deploying Solace Schema Registry with Kubernetes, from initial setup through configuration and examples.

Installing Solace Schema Registry with Helm

Covers prerequisites, deployment architecture, Docker image loading, CloudNative PostgreSQL Operator installation, and step-by-step installation instructions. This section includes:

  • Minimum system requirements for production deployments
  • Multi-node cluster requirements for high availability
  • Deployment architecture diagram and component descriptions
  • Docker image loading procedures for Linux, Mac, and Windows
  • CloudNative PostgreSQL Operator installation
  • Helm chart installation and verification steps

Configuring the Helm Chart

Provides comprehensive documentation for all values.yaml configuration options. This section consolidates all configuration details from the README files and includes:

  • Helm chart structure and components
  • General configuration (namespace, replicas)
  • Image configuration (image names, tags, pull policy, registry credentials)
  • Database configuration (storage, replicas, resources, bootstrap, tolerations)
  • Ingress and TLS configuration (hostnames, certificates, annotations)

Authentication and Security

Explains authentication options and security configuration. This section covers:

  • Internal identity provider configuration for development and testing
  • External identity provider integration with OIDC
  • Detailed Microsoft Azure Entra ID setup with workarounds for role mapping
  • Role-based access control (RBAC) with sr-developer and sr-readonly roles

Cloud Deployment Examples

Provides practical examples of deploying to cloud platforms. This section includes:

  • Complete GKE Autopilot deployment walkthrough
  • Cloud prerequisites and setup steps
  • Ingress controller configuration (NGINX example)
  • Guidance for adapting to other cloud providers (EKS, AKS)
  • Cloud deployment best practices
  • Helm chart installation and verification steps

Additional Documentation in the Package

The Helm chart package (helm-chart/solace-schema-registry-<version>.tgz) includes additional documentation:

  • README.md — Detailed Helm chart documentation including configuration examples, architecture diagrams, and deployment scenarios
  • values.yaml — Comprehensive configuration template with inline documentation for all available settings
  • BACKUP_RECOVERY_GUIDE_FOR_KUBERNETES.md — Instructions for backing up configuration and database resources, and recovery procedures for Kubernetes deployments
  • UPGRADE_GUIDE_<version>_FOR_KUBERNETES.md — Version-specific upgrade procedures, rollback instructions, and compatibility notes for Kubernetes deployments

To access these files, extract the Helm chart:

tar -xzf helm-chart/solace-schema-registry-<version>.tgz
cd solace-schema-registry

This documentation page provides the high-level deployment workflow. Refer to the Helm chart README and values.yaml for detailed configuration options and examples.

Quick Start

For a rapid deployment, follow these high-level steps:

  1. Ensure you have a Kubernetes cluster (1.21+) with Helm 3.8+ installed
  2. Download Solace Schema Registry (schema-registry-v<version>.tar.gz) from the Solace Products website using your Solace Products website account. The schema-registry-v<version>.tar.gz file is a distribution package containing both Docker/Podman and Kubernetes/Helm deployment options. See the root README.md for detailed extraction and image loading instructions.
  3. Load Docker images into your container registry (see root README.md for platform-specific commands)
  4. Install the CloudNative PostgreSQL Operator
  5. Configure your values.yaml file with environment-specific settings
  6. Set up authentication (internal identity provider or external OIDC provider)
  7. Deploy using: helm upgrade --install schema-registry ./solace-schema-registry
  8. Verify deployment: kubectl get pods -n solace

For detailed instructions, see Installing Solace Schema Registry with Helm.