Why are Companies Using GitOps for CI/CD in 2023

Software development companies have widely accepted DevOps as the standard methodology to improve collaboration and coordination among teams. DevOps, a set of practices, combines IT operations (Ops) and software development with the aim of shortening the development life cycle and ensuring continuous delivery of high-quality solutions. DevOps complements Agile software development as many of the aspects related to the former come from the latter.

The goal of DevOps is to bridge the gap that exists between development and operations. DevOps also works with various cloud computing technologies to innovate software development and other similar products. Git is employed by DevOps engineers and developers for the purpose of software development. In addition to using GitOps, DevOps makes use of other technologies such as container-based platforms and microservices. Many have started using GitOps, making you wonder why they are so enthusiastic about Git, a distributed version control system.

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For the development of infrastructure as code (IaC), DevOps engineers often produce files locally and transfer the code to a git repository, which offers them version control and enables other team members to collaborate. However, while changing the code, a clear protocol needs to be in place. Otherwise, it becomes difficult to determine who did what. This can impact the development environment. Furthermore, in spite of the availability of IaC, a large part of the operations are carried out manually. This is when GitOps is helpful. It treats the IaC in the same way as an application code. Read on to know more about what GitOps is, how it works, and why companies are using GitOps for CI/CD.

What is GitOps and How Does It Work

GitOps can be considered as a technique employed for storing infrastructure configuration code in a Git repository. Pushing a Git commit to source control triggers a change and updates the cloud infrastructure. A management system such as GitHub or BitBucket and a CI/CD system such as ArgoCD or Flux are required for GitOps to enable source control. Unlike the older techniques, such as defining cloud resources via a script or a web interface used for the management of infrastructure, all changes are initiated via an update to the code repository in GitOps. This means that all changes will be audited and tracked. Furthermore, it allows the change to be run via a continuous integration system and tests whether the change can cause the existing production environment to break down.

As such, the distributed version control system Git is extensively used by DevOps engineers to better manage not only code but also other assets, both locally and remotely. They provide infrastructure as a service using Git, an operational framework, to help users tackle issues related to centralized version control. Besides, the greatest advantage that GitOps offers over other centralized version control systems is the ability to store all project repositories.

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GitOps was invented by Linux developers in 2005 as an alternate option to Bitkeeper. Furthermore, the concepts of GUI-based interfaces and snapshots make it one of the most widely used platforms in software development.

GitOps makes use of a wide range of tools to offer top-class functionality. They include ArgoCD, Atlantis, Autoapply, CloudBees Feature Management, FluxCD, Helm Operator, Flagger, Ignite, Faros, Gitkube, Jenkins X, KubeStack, Weave GitOps Core, Werf, and PipeCD, among others. Moreover, Git files exist in many states, as follows:

• Modified (changed but has not been committed to any database)
• Staged (changed in the current version)
• Committed (changed and saved to a local database)

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Why Companies are Using GitOps

GitOps offers several advantages, and that is why it is an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes. If your goal is to offer infrastructure as a service (IaaS), you need to make use of GitOps so that the applications running in the cloud are more secure and work faster. Having said that, the advantages offered by GitOps are:

• A file system with addressable content

It enables developers to write as well as update code in a programming language or documentation, for example, markdown diagrams, when collaborating with clients. For any mature DevOps culture, GitOps is a must-have system. All changes are logged, tracked, and regressed using verification and testing for integrity as the best practices.

• Snapshot Stream

The snapshot stream used by GitOps is the best when compared to other types of changes. In addition to saving a picture at commit, it also stores a reference to the picture/snapshot. Furthermore, it never stores an unchanged file but maintains and uses a link to an identical stored file. 

• Data Integrity

All changes are checksummed prior to storing them and are referenced by the check system. Therefore, Git tracks all changes. This is by far the application’s best feature. Data cannot be changed or lost in transit without the knowledge of Git. Besides, it adds data automatically to a database. Furthermore, it allows all changes to be restored to the last version in a jiffy.

• Increased collaboration and productivity

Software development teams implement GitOps best practises in a way that improves CI/CD workflows. GitOps functions by streamlining procedures and enhancing oversight. Every team member can use the same system and be aware of the state of each particular operation. By giving each team member a specific task and using their own code as needed, the single Git repository promotes teamwork.

Final Thoughts

It is easy to manage deployment with the help of GitOps. It is flexible, scalable, and auditable. This is because all changes are tracked, stored, and can be easily retrieved in various states. DevOps will continue to use the GitOps framework to enable smooth functioning. The DevOps ecosystem that uses GitOps will mature and grow faster. This, in turn, enables companies to easily manage their cloud infrastructure.

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Why Choose SayOne for Microservices Development

At SayOne, our integrated teams of developers service our clients with microservices that are fully aligned to the future of the business or organization. The microservices we design and implement are formulated around the propositions of Agile and DevOps methodologies. Our system model focuses on individual components that are resilient, fortified, and highly reliable.

We design microservices for our clients in a manner that assures future success in terms of scalability and adaptation to the latest technologies. They are also constructed to accept fresh components easily and smoothly, allowing for effective function upgrades in a cost-effective manner.

Our microservices are constructed with reusable components that offer increased flexibility and offer superior productivity for the organization/business. We work with start-ups, SMBs, and enterprises and help them to visualise the entire microservices journey and also allow for the effective coexistence of legacy systems of the organization.

Our microservices are developed for agility, efficient performance and maintenance, enhanced performance, scalability, and security.