What You’ll Learn
Prerequisites and Setup
- Setting up a Kubernetes cluster (kind, minikube, or cloud-based)
- Installing and configuring kubectl and Helm
- Exploring the official
zitadel/zitadel-chartsrepository - Understanding deployment examples and configuration options
Database Configuration
- PostgreSQL Best Practices: Learn why providing your own PostgreSQL instance is recommended over Helm dependencies
- CloudNativePG Setup: Practical demonstration of setting up a simple but effective PostgreSQL cluster
- Database Credentials: Configuring admin and user database credentials securely
- Secret Management: Using environment variables for sensitive configuration data
Core Installation Process
- Adding the Zitadel Helm repository
- Configuring the deployment values file
- Setting up critical security configurations including master key management
- Executing the Helm installation with real terminal commands
- Troubleshooting common deployment issues
Accessing and Validating the Deployment
- Configuring external domain settings for local development
- Setting up port forwarding to access the Zitadel console
- Initial admin login and password configuration
- Validating the deployment with kubectl commands
Advanced Production Configurations
Security and Secrets Management
- Referenced Secrets: Enhanced security through Kubernetes secret integration
- Master Key Configuration: Secure generation and storage of encryption keys
- Non-root Execution: Security contexts for safer container operations
High Availability and Scaling
- Multi-replica Setup: Configuring high availability with multiple Zitadel instances
- Pod Disruption Budgets: Ensuring zero-downtime during updates and maintenance
- Resource Management: CPU, memory, and storage configuration for production workloads
Production Infrastructure
- Ingress Configuration: Setting up external access through ingress controllers
- TLS and DNS: Proper domain and certificate management
- Monitoring Integration: Metrics collection for Prometheus and service monitors
- Additional Manifests: Deploying complementary services like secrets, service mesh config, or OpenTelemetry collectors
Day-Two Operations
- Monitoring and observability setup
- Update and upgrade strategies
- Backup and disaster recovery considerations
- Performance tuning and optimization
Outcome
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a fully functional, production-ready Zitadel deployment running securely on Kubernetes, complete with:
- ✅ Secure PostgreSQL integration
- ✅ Proper secret management
- ✅ High availability configuration
- ✅ Monitoring and metrics collection
- ✅ Production-grade security settings
- ✅ External access configuration
This foundation prepares you for the next phase: setting up your first Zitadel project and configuring authentication flows.