GitOps is a software development method based on using the Git version control system to manage and automate the deployment and maintenance of infrastructure and apps. Declarative configuration is encouraged, and Git is used as the only source of truth for the intended state of the system. The application and infrastructure configurations used in GitOps are kept in a Git repository, enabling collaboration, change tracking, and versioning. The system automatically reconciles the actual state with the desired shape utilizing continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines once changes are made to the desired state via Git commits.

Here is how the GitOps process generally works:

• Automation—the GitOps process is triggered by changes in a Git repository and automatically deploys applications and infrastructure.

• Auditability—a Git repository is a source of truth representing the full system state, with a detailed audit trail of changes.

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Difference between Gitops and DevOps

The fields of software development and operations include GitOps and DevOps, which are related but separate ideas.

A collection of procedures known as DevOps tries to enhance cooperation and communication between development teams and operations teams. It focuses on dismantling silos and combining the development, testing, deployment, and operations processes into a single workflow. To provide software more quickly and reliably, DevOps emphasizes automation, continuous integration, continuous delivery, and monitoring.

However, GitOps is a particular application of DevOps that places an emphasis on utilizing Git as a single source of truth for managing infrastructure and application deployments. Git is used to specify the intended state of the system, and Git commits are used to make changes. This brings a declarative approach to configuration management.

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Principles of Gitops

The four principles of GitOps are as follows:

1. Declarative Infrastructure and Application Configuration: GitOps emphasizes using declarative configurations to describe the desired state of infrastructure and applications. These configurations are stored in Git repositories and serve as the single source of truth.

2. Git as the Source of Truth: Git is the authoritative source for all configurations and changes. The entire system's state is defined and versioned in Git, providing a reliable audit trail and enabling easy rollbacks.

3. Continuous Deployment and Automation: GitOps promotes the use of automation and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to drive the deployment and management of infrastructure and applications. Changes made in Git trigger the pipelines, which automatically apply the desired state to the system.

4. Observability and Monitoring: GitOps emphasizes observability and monitoring as core practices. Monitoring tools are used to observe the system's state and detect any deviations from the desired state. Feedback loops provide insights into the system's health and enable proactive actions to ensure stability and reliability.

These principles, when followed, help teams achieve consistency, reproducibility, and traceability in their software delivery process, ultimately leading to more efficient and reliable operations.

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Popular Gitops Tools

1. Argo CD

2. Jenkins X

3. Codefresh

4. Flux CD

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Advantages of Gitops

1. Security

2. versioning (track of changes)

3. Auto upgrades

4. Auto-healing of any unwanted changes

5. continuous Reconciliation

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