Install and validate Helm on Google Cloud C4A Arm-based VMs
Introduction
Get started with Helm on Google Axion C4A (Arm-based)
Create a Google Axion C4A virtual machine on Google Cloud
Install Helm
Validate Helm workflows on a Google Axion C4A virtual machine
Prepare a GKE cluster for Helm deployments
PostgreSQL Deployment Using Custom Helm Chart
Deploy Redis on GKE
Deploy NGINX with public access
Benchmark Helm concurrency on a Google Axion C4A virtual machine
Next Steps

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About this Learning Path

Skill level:  Introductory
Reading time:  1 hr
Last updated:  17 Sep 2026
Skill level:
  Introductory
Reading time:
  1 hr
Last updated:
  17 Sep 2026
Author:Pareena Verma, Arm
Arm IP:Neoverse
Tags: Containers and Virtualization Google Axion Linux Helm Kubernetes kubectl GKE PostgreSQL Redis NGINX
Author:
  • Pareena Verma, Arm
Arm IP:
Neoverse
Tags:
Containers and Virtualization Google Axion Linux Helm Kubernetes kubectl GKE PostgreSQL Redis NGINX

Who is this for?

This is an introductory topic intended for developers who want to get hands-on experience using Helm on Linux Arm64 systems, specifically Google Cloud C4A virtual machines (VMs) powered by Axion processors.

What will you learn?

Upon completion of this Learning Path, you will be able to:

  • Provision an Arm-based SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) VM on Google Cloud (C4A with Axion processors).
  • Install and configure Helm and kubectl on a SUSE Arm64 (C4A) instance.
  • Create and connect to a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster running on Arm-based nodes.
  • Deploy PostgreSQL, Redis, and NGINX on GKE using official Helm charts.
  • Validate Helm workflows by performing install, upgrade, rollback, and uninstall operations.
  • Verify application readiness and service access for PostgreSQL, Redis, and NGINX on GKE.
  • Observe Helm behavior under concurrent CLI operations on an Arm64-based Kubernetes cluster.

Prerequisites

Before starting, you will need the following:

Summary

AI-assisted

This summary was drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

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You’ll install and validate Helm on an Arm-based Google Axion C4A VM running SUSE Linux, then deploy charts to GKE. First, you’ll prepare the SUSE environment and use a local KinD cluster to practice adding repositories, installing, upgrading, rolling back, and uninstalling charts. Then, you’ll deploy PostgreSQL, Redis, and NGINX on GKE and verify that the pods and services respond as configured.

Frequently asked questions

AI-assisted

These FAQs were drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

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Which C4A machine type should I use?
Use the c4a-standard-4 machine type, which provides 4 vCPUs and 16 GB of memory.
How do I verify that kubectl is installed correctly before working with GKE?
Run kubectl version --client to confirm that the client is installed. A Client Version and Kustomize Version in the output confirm the installation.
What output should I expect after adding the Bitnami Helm repository?
Run helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami and then helm repo update. Expect a message that the repository was added, followed by a successful update from the Bitnami chart repository.
When should I use the local KinD cluster versus GKE?
Use the KinD-based local cluster to validate Helm installation and core workflows on the SUSE VM. Move to GKE to deploy PostgreSQL, Redis, and NGINX as services on a managed Kubernetes environment.
How do I know that the Helm deployments are ready to use?
Run helm list, kubectl get pods, and kubectl get svc. The Helm release should report deployed, the pods should report Running, and the services should be listed. If a pod is Pending, wait 30 to 60 seconds for the images to download and retry.
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