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Agent Responses on this page are illustrative. Exact phrasing from your AI model may vary depending on the model, settings, and repository context.
For the best experience, it is recommended to use the claude-4-sonnet model with the Chkk-Upgrade-Context-MCP Server.
This guide shows how to use Claude Code with the Chkk-Upgrade-Context-MCP to generate precise, environment-aware diffs and apply them to your Kubernetes add-on IaC (e.g., Helm). For a deep conceptual overview of how the Upgrade Agent works (powered by the Upgrade Context MCP server), see Upgrade Agent first.

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Prerequisites

  1. Install Docker: Required to run the Chkk-Upgrade-Context-MCP Server.
  2. Install Claude Code: Required to begin generating environment-aware pull requests.
  3. A Claude.ai (recommended) or Anthropic Console account

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Initialization of Chkk Upgrade Agent

1

Clone the Sample Chkk IaC repo

Run the following command to clone the sample Chkk IaC repo:
git clone git@github.com:chkk-io/upgrade-playground.git && \
cd upgrade-playground
2

Retrieve your Chkk Access Token

  1. In the Chkk Dashboard, expand Configure on the left menu and click Settings.
  2. Select the Tokens tab. Here you’ll see a list of all your active tokens (if any), along with options to create new ones or revoke existing ones.
  3. Click on the clipboard icon next to a token to copy it. Tokens Tab
3

Install in Claude Code

Install the Chkk-Upgrade-Context-MCP using the Claude Code CLI:
claude mcp add Chkk-Upgrade-Context-MCP --env CHKK_ACCESS_TOKEN="<CHKK_TOKEN>"  -- docker run -i --rm -e CHKK_ACCESS_TOKEN public.ecr.aws/chkk/chkk-mcp-upgrade-context:latest
Replace <CHKK_TOKEN> with your Chkk Access Token.
4

Verify Chkk-Upgrade-Context-MCP Server is installed

Verify via CLI that the server is registered:
claude mcp get Chkk-Upgrade-Context-MCP
The command should return server details indicating it is installed and enabled.Claude Code Chkk MCP Server
5

Retrieve the Upgrade ID

  1. In the left-hand column of the Chkk Dashboard, expand Upgrade Copilot.
  2. Under Upgrade Plans select Add-on & App Services. Navigate to Add-on & Application Service Upgrade Plans
  3. On the Middle Right corner of the page, enable the Show Example Data toggle, as shown in the image below.
  4. This will switch the view to only show example data and displays a confirmation banner. Enable Example Data
  5. In the table below, you will see a list of Add-on and Application Service Example Upgrade Plans.
  6. Select any Upgrade Plan from the table that has the AI Context Generated badge, as shown in the image below.
The AI Context Generated badge indicates that these Upgrade Plans are supported by the Chkk-Upgrade-Context-MCP Server.
Example Add-on & Application Service Upgrade Plan with AI Context Generated Badge
  1. At the top of the page, under the name of the Upgrade Plan, you will see the Upgrade ID.
  2. Click the clipboard icon to copy the Upgrade ID to your clipboard. Upgrade ID
6

Open a new chat in Claude Code

  • Open Claude Code and start a new chat from your IaC repo root.
7

Load the Chkk Upgrade Agent

Open a chat in Claude Code and send:
You’re in a K8s repo. Fetch “addon-upgrade-agent” from Chkk MCP and upgrade the package listed in the upgrade plan. Start by asking for the upgrade ID.
Your opening prompt is flexible, but it must explicitly instruct the assistant to fetch “addon-upgrade-agent” from Chkk MCP.
Agent Response:Claude Code Chkk MCP Server start
8

Provide the upgrade ID of the Example Upgrade Plan

Paste your upgrade ID (from your instantiated Add-on or Application Service Upgrade Plan), for example:
upgr_ea53db65-3d8d-4744-b8b7-92e3c7552932
Agent Response:Claude Code Chkk MCP Server upgrade

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Upgrade Agent Workflow

Connect your environment to Chkk and generate an Upgrade Plan. From the Claude Code IDE, ask the Chkk Upgrade MCP to fetch Upgrade Context from that plan for the Cloud Native Project you’re about to change—say cert-manager or External Secrets Operator. The assistant retrieves the recommended target version and rationale, detects your IaC pattern, identifies which files need to be updated, creates an environment-specific diff, and attaches the notes reviewers want (deprecations, critical fixes, notable features). Your IDE applies the diff and opens the PR, with optional preflight and postflight checks to keep code and running state aligned. The entire flow happens in your Claude Code editor chat, end-to-end. Below is exactly what you’ll see, phase by phase, using a live example that upgrades cert-manager from v1.14.4 → v1.17.2 with a forked Helm chart.
1

Kickoff & ID Handshake

What you do: You connect Chkk-Upgrade-Context-MCP server to Claude Code. In chat, you invoke the PR creation workflow (e.g., “Use the Chkk upgrade agent to apply the IaC changes. Start by asking for the upgrade ID.”).What you see: The assistant asks you for the upgrade_id—a single natural key that ties your request to a Chkk Upgrade Plan (precomputed for your environment).Why it matters: The upgrade_id is how the assistant fetches the precise context—including resources, subagents and diffs—for your cluster constraints, not “generic upstream.”
2

Environment Snapshot & State Setup

What you do: Provide the upgrade_id.What you see: The assistant resolves plan metadata immediately (package name and from/to versions) and prepares a safe workspace:
  • Confirms the package (e.g., cert-manager) and version span (1.14.4 → 1.17.2).
  • Creates a project-local scratchpad (e.g., .chkk/scratchpad/) which enables workflow tracing and checkpointing.
Why it matters: This isolates automation artifacts from your source tree while keeping a local, inspectable record of every change.
3

Context Retrieval (MCP Tool Call)

What you do: Nothing; the assistant drives.What you see: A short progress line—“Now fetching the context”. The Context contains:
  • The authoritative Upgrade Plan for cert-manager.
  • Exact file artifacts to add and unified diff files to apply.
4

Plan Load & Sanity Summary

What you do: Nothing; the assistant reads the plan.What you see: Compact, human-readable instructions from the plan:
  • Upgrade Details: cert-manager v1.14.4 → v1.17.2
  • Reasons: e.g., “1.14.4 is EOL/Unsupported” and “1.14.4 incompatible with Kubernetes 1.32.”
  • Inventory: Added: 2 files, Modified: 23 files, Deleted: 0 (your counts will vary by package).
Why it matters: This is the first concrete signal that the plan is environment-aware (incompatible K8s version, distro nuances, etc.) and scoped to what you actually run.
5

Target Locator (Chart Finder)

What you do: Nothing, unless you have multiple candidates.What you see: The assistant identifies your IaC repo pattern and locates the exact Helm chart root for the package/version you’re on (e.g., .../helm/cert-manager/) by scanning for Chart.yaml where name == cert-manager and version == 1.14.4 (exact, case-sensitive).Edge cases you might see:
  • Multiple matches: You’ll get a list of absolute paths and a prompt to choose one—no guessing.
  • No match: The assistant asks for an explicit absolute path (it won’t “best-effort” a wrong chart).
6

Preflight Checks

What you do: Review pass/fail lines.What you see: Two precise checks with ✅❌ outcomes:
  • Chart Name & Version Match — confirms Chart.yaml matches the current package & version.
  • Upgrade Plan Metadata Match — confirms the plan’s from/to are consistent with resolved metadata.
Why it matters: Preflight checks safeguard against pointing the patcher at the wrong subtree or the wrong plan. Any failure stops the run until fixed.
7

Reviewer Context, Upfront

What you do: Skim.What you see: The assistant surfaces the “why”—the exact notes reviewers care about:
  • Critical drivers (e.g., EOL, K8s version compatibility).
  • Breaking changes (e.g., structured logging, stricter Helm schema validation, API removals).
  • Security & bug fixes (e.g., DoS mitigations, renewal logic).
  • Notable features (e.g., Gateway API support, metrics exposure).
Why it matters: Your future PR will inherit these callouts so reviewers don’t need to hunt docs to understand risk, scope and impact.
8

Deterministic Apply Pass

What you do: Watch the live counter; no prompts needed.What you see: A strict, linear, and complete application of the plan:
  • Full inventory printout: “Processing 25 total files: 2 added, 23 modified, 0 deleted”
  • Adds: Each source file from the context is copied to the correct relative target (e.g.,
    templates/cainjector-service.yaml, templates/extras-objects.yaml) with immediate ✅ Added confirmations.
  • Mods: Every single *.diff is applied one-by-one with a visible sequence:
    “Processing diff 1 of 23: Chart.yaml … ✅ Modified"
    "Processing diff 2 of 23: README.md … ✅ Modified”
    …through to the last template/value file.
  • Deletions: If any exist, they’re backed up to .bak, then removed with ✅ Deleted confirmations.
9

CRD Copy

What you do: Nothing.What you see: If the context includes CRDs, the assistant copies them into the target CRD directory and prints the exact path used.Why it matters: Reviewers see CRD changes alongside template and values edits.
10

Update Custom Resources

What you do: Nothing.What you see: If the plan includes Custom Resources, they’re edited based on the changes in the CRD schema.Why it matters: Custom Resources are validated against their CRDs; migrating specs to the new schema (handling renamed/deprecated fields and default changes) prevents admission failures, reconcile churn, and subtle behavior drift during rollout.
11

Postflight Checks

What you do: Review.What you see: Two final gates:
  • Chart version updated — Chart.yaml version == to_version (e.g., v1.17.2) → ✅❌
  • All planned changes applied — match exactly and all items carry ✅ → ✅❌
Any failure here stops the flow and lists the exact mismatches.
12

Human-Readable Summary (PR-Ready)

What you do: Read once; this becomes your PR body.What you see: A concise, celebratory completion message (never “upgraded,” always “IaC updated”), plus reviewer-focused details:
  • Completion: 🎉 cert-manager IaC Successfully Updated — v1.14.4 → v1.17.2.
  • Reasons (EOL, K8s compatibility) and most-critical notes (breaking changes, security fixes).
  • Applied changes (counts + important files).
  • CRD location (exact path).
  • Next step: “Create a Pull Request to review and apply these IaC changes.”

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Review and commit

1

Review workspace changes

  • Use your editor’s Source Control panel to inspect the diff.
  • Verify Chart.yaml, values.yaml, and any template updates.
2

Commit and open a pull request

Use your normal Git flow (Git UI or terminal) to commit on a branch and open a PR for review.
Chkk’s MCP server is read-only; your IDE/assistant holds the pen and performs edits locally.