What is GitOps

• Repo structure: dev manifests + prod manifests + environment overlays
• Pull-based: agent in cluster pulls changes (vs CI push)
• Drift detection: alerts if cluster state ≠ Git
• Rollback = git revert + auto-sync
• Auth: agents use read-only Git + K8s RBAC

# ArgoCD Application
apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
kind: Application
metadata:
  name: my-app
spec:
  source:
    repoURL: https://github.com/me/manifests
    targetRevision: main
    path: apps/my-app
  destination:
    server: https://kubernetes.default.svc
    namespace: my-app
  syncPolicy:
    automated: { prune: true, selfHeal: true }

• ArgoCD
• Helm
• K8s Operator

GitOps significantly improves Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) workflows by introducing a more streamlined and reliable process for managing application deployments. Traditional CI/CD practices often rely on imperative commands, which can lead to inconsistencies and drift between the desired and actual state of applications.

With GitOps, the entire deployment process becomes declarative, meaning that the desired state of the system is defined in Git repositories. This allows teams to manage infrastructure and application configurations in a version-controlled manner. Here are some key benefits:

• Single Source of Truth: All configurations are stored in Git, providing a clear and auditable history of changes.
• Automated Rollbacks: If a deployment fails, reverting to a previous stable state is as easy as checking out an earlier version in Git.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Developers can collaborate on infrastructure changes just like they would on application code, using pull requests for reviews.
• Consistent Environments: By utilizing Git to manage infrastructure, teams can ensure that development, staging, and production environments are consistent.

Popular tools like ArgoCD and Flux CD facilitate these practices by continuously monitoring the state of the cluster and ensuring that it matches the configurations specified in Git. This not only minimizes human error but also accelerates the deployment process, allowing for faster iteration and delivery of applications.