ArgoCD is a Continuous Delivery and Deployment tool based on GitOps principles. It helps to automate deployment to Kubernetes cluster from GitLab. Application definitions, configurations, and environments should be declarative, and version controlled. Application deployment and lifecycle management should be automated & auditable. We can easily download and install in any O/S.
Argo CD and GitOps: Redefining Kubernetes Deployment Efficiency
Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes
Argo-CD Advantages
- Automated deployment of applications to specified target environments.
- Support for multiple config management/templating tools (Kustomize, Helm, Jsonnet, plain-YAML)
- Ability to manage and deploy to multiple clusters.
- Access tokens for automation
- Parameter overrides for overriding helm parameters in Git.
- Webhook integration (GitHub, BitBucket, GitLab)
Components used in Argo CD
- Argo CD Server is the API server, all the interactions that is done using Argo CD goes through the API server (KubeAPI server for Kubernetes).
- Repo Server helps in communication between the Gitlab Repo and Kubernetes, and it maintains the cache in the GitLab repository. When the changes happen in the GitHub repo, it pulls every now and then and finds what has actually changed and what is the current state of the deployment and so on.
- App Controller is responsible for maintaining the state of the deployed resource in the Kubernetes cluster.
- Redis is used for caching.
- Dex Server is the gateway for all the web applications, helps to connect external identity providers like active directory open LDAP etc.
Argo-CD Advantages
Use Cases & Deployment Scope
- Create a deployment.
- The deployment will create a Replica set.
- Replica set manages the Pods.
- Exposes the web application as a service.
- Set an ingress.
Argo-CD Advantages
Conclusion
Argo-CD, it’s important to evaluate the organization’s specific requirements, existing tools and processes, and the level of expertise available. ArgoCD can significantly contribute to a more efficient, automated, and controlled Kubernetes application deployment pipeline, aligning with modern DevOps practices and facilitating a smoother path towards continuous delivery and continuous integration.