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Ankra integrates with external Helm chart registries, allowing you to deploy charts from any HTTP or OCI-compatible repository. This integration enables your team to use both public charts and private internal charts through the Ankra platform.

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Supported Registry Types

HTTP Registries

Traditional Helm repositories that serve an index.yaml file over HTTP/HTTPS.

OCI Registries

Container registries that support Helm charts stored as OCI artifacts.

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HTTP Registry Integration

HTTP registries are traditional Helm repositories that serve charts via HTTP. They use an index.yaml file to list available charts and versions.

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How It Works

  1. Index Sync: Ankra fetches the index.yaml from your registry URL
  2. ETag Optimization: Uses HTTP headers to skip syncs when the index hasn’t changed
  3. Chart Download: New chart versions are downloaded and cached
  4. Metadata Extraction: README, values.yaml, and JSON schema are extracted for the UI

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Supported Providers

ProviderURL FormatNotes
ChartMuseumhttps://charts.example.comSelf-hosted chart repository
Harborhttps://harbor.example.com/chartrepo/PROJECTRequires chartrepo path
Nexushttps://nexus.example.com/repository/helm-hosted/Hosted repository type
JFrog Artifactoryhttps://artifactory.example.com/artifactory/helm-localLocal or virtual repo
AWS S3https://bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/chartsWith static website hosting

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Adding an HTTP Registry

1

Navigate to Repositories

Go to Charts → Repositories and click Add.
2

Enter Registry URL

Enter your registry URL, e.g., https://charts.example.com
3

Select Credential

If authentication is required, select a credential from the dropdown.
4

Save

Click Add to connect the registry.

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OCI Registry Integration

OCI registries store Helm charts as container images using the OCI specification. This is the modern approach supported by Helm 3.8+.

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How It Works

  1. Manifest Fetch: Ankra reads the OCI manifest to discover chart tags
  2. Layer Download: Chart layers are downloaded from the registry
  3. Artifact Extraction: The Helm chart is extracted from OCI layers
  4. Version Tracking: Each tag is tracked as a chart version

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Supported Providers

ProviderURL FormatAuthentication
GitHub Container Registryoci://ghcr.io/ORG/chartsPersonal Access Token
Google Artifact Registryoci://REGION-docker.pkg.dev/PROJECT/REPOService Account JSON
Amazon ECRoci://ACCOUNT.dkr.ecr.REGION.amazonaws.comAWS credentials
Azure Container Registryoci://REGISTRY.azurecr.io/chartsService Principal
Docker Huboci://registry-1.docker.io/ORGAccess Token
Harboroci://harbor.example.com/PROJECTUsername/Password

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Adding an OCI Registry

1

Navigate to Repositories

Go to Charts → Repositories and click Add.
2

Enter OCI Registry URL

Enter your registry URL with the oci:// prefix, e.g., oci://ghcr.io/your-org/charts
3

Select Credential

If authentication is required, select a credential from the dropdown.
4

Save

Click Add to connect the registry.
OCI URLs must start with oci://. Ankra automatically detects the registry type based on the URL prefix.

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Sync Configuration

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Default Sync Interval

Registries sync automatically every 2 minutes by default.

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Custom Sync Intervals

You can configure sync intervals per registry:
  • Minimum: 10 seconds
  • Maximum: 24 hours (86400 seconds)
  • Disabled: Set to 0 to disable automatic sync

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Sync Behavior

1

Check for Updates

Ankra checks if the registry index has changed using ETag or Last-Modified headers.
2

Detect New Versions

New chart versions are identified by comparing against previously synced versions.
3

Download Charts

New versions are downloaded and stored. Metadata is extracted for browsing.
4

Retry on Failure

Failed downloads are automatically retried with exponential backoff.

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Authentication

Most registries require authentication. See Credentials Integration for setting up:
  • Username/password authentication
  • Token-based authentication
  • Service account credentials

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Troubleshooting

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HTTP Registry Issues

IssueCauseSolution
404 Not FoundWrong URL pathVerify the URL points to the repository root
401 UnauthorizedMissing credentialsAdd registry credential
TimeoutNetwork/firewallCheck connectivity to the registry
Empty chart listInvalid index.yamlVerify the registry is properly configured

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OCI Registry Issues

IssueCauseSolution
Invalid referenceMissing oci:// prefixAdd oci:// to the URL
Manifest unknownChart doesn’t existCheck the repository path
UnauthorizedToken expiredRefresh or recreate credentials
Tag not foundVersion doesn’t existVerify chart versions in the registry

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API Integration

Use the Ankra API to manage registries programmatically: 
# List registries
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  https://platform.ankra.app/api/v1/registries

# Add HTTP registry
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "my-charts", "url": "https://charts.example.com", "kind": "http_registry"}' \
  https://platform.ankra.app/api/v1/registries

# Add OCI registry
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "ghcr-charts", "url": "oci://ghcr.io/org/charts", "kind": "oci_registry"}' \
  https://platform.ankra.app/api/v1/registries
See the API Reference for complete documentation.