Start Read-Only
Existing systems often have history: old chart versions, local patches, hand-created Secrets, controller-generated fields, or cluster-specific assumptions. ConfigHub makes those facts visible before it tries to manage them.
The first safe outcome is an inventory and comparison, not a changed live deployment.
| Starting point | First route | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Argo or Flux app | Start by reading the current source, rendered objects, target namespace, health, and sync state. | Do not change delivery yet. Compare what exists with a catalog or recipe path first. |
| Rendered YAML | Import or inspect the object set as desired state data. | Check object identity, labels, namespaces, Secrets, CRDs, and hooks before trying to manage it. |
| Live cluster | Use observation first: what is running, who owns it, what changed, and what target facts are required? | Treat live state as evidence, not automatically as desired state. |
| Helm release | Keep the chart, version, values, and release name as the starting facts. | Then decide whether the first ConfigHub base matches that release exactly or intentionally differs. |
What To Check First
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Identity | Which chart, app, namespace, target, and owner does this belong to? |
| Object set | Which Deployments, Services, CRDs, RBAC, Secrets, ConfigMaps, and policies exist? |
| Differences | What does the catalog recipe render for the same chart and values? |
| Prerequisites | Which Secrets, storage classes, cloud identities, CRDs, and controllers must already exist? |
| Control point | What is the safest first managed change: observe only, create a base, create a derived variant, or promote a patch? |
Where This Leads
Match the current app
Create or select a base that renders the same object set as the existing Helm release.
Create a managed variant
Once the base is trusted, use a derived variant for environment, region, customer, or target-specific refinements.
Move into operations
After upload, use scans, approvals, delivery, observations, upgrades, and rollback records.