> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Pull Based Workflow GitOps
> This article explains implementing GitOps with Azure Kubernetes Service for automated CI/CD workflows.
## Introduction to GitOps
GitOps is a pull-based methodology for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), where both application and infrastructure configurations are stored as code in a Git repository. Any desired state changes are made via Git commits, ensuring version-controlled deployments, easy auditing, and reliable rollbacks.
The “Immutability Firewall” enforces separation between build artifacts and deployment manifests, guaranteeing consistent, reproducible releases.
When you push commits to your Git repo, a GitOps operator—such as [Flux](https://fluxcd.io/) or [Argo CD](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/)—detects updates and reconciles your AKS cluster to match the declared state automatically.
## Push-Based vs. Pull-Based Workflows
In CI/CD, you can choose between push-based or pull-based (GitOps) models.
| Workflow | Trigger | Operator | Advantages | Considerations |
| ---------- | ------------------------- | ------------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Push-Based | CI pipeline pushes to AKS | N/A | Immediate deployments, fast feedback | Harder to track drift, limited audit |
| Pull-Based | GitOps operator polls Git | Flux, Argo CD | Full audit trail, self-healing clusters | Sync interval adds slight delay |
## Pull-Based CI/CD Workflow for AKS
A typical GitOps pipeline for Azure Kubernetes Service involves:
1. **Source Control**\
Store application code and Kubernetes manifests in a Git repo.
2. **CI Pipeline**\
Build, test, and push container images to Azure Container Registry (ACR).
3. **CD Pipeline**\
Generate environment-specific YAMLs (e.g., via Kustomize) and commit them to Git.
4. **GitOps Operator**\
Flux or Argo CD polls Git, detects changes, and applies the new state to AKS.
| Step | Azure Service | Artifact |
| ---------------- | ---------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| Build & CI | Azure DevOps Pipelines | Docker images (ACR) |
| Configuration CD | Azure DevOps Releases | Kustomize overlays |
| Continuous Sync | Flux / Argo CD on AKS | Deployed Kubernetes resources |
## Demonstration: Deploying a New AKS Cluster with GitOps
Follow these steps to provision an AKS cluster and configure GitOps using Azure Portal:
1. **Create AKS Cluster**\
In the Azure Portal, select **Kubernetes services** → **+ Add**.\
Choose a new resource group, use default settings, then **Review + Create** → **Create**.
2. **Fork and Prepare Your Git Repository**\
Open your forked repo (e.g., `aksflux`) containing Flux YAMLs. In the `infrastructure` folder, inspect `kustomization.yaml`:
```yaml theme={null}
apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
kind: Kustomization
resources:
- sources
- nginx
```
You’ll later add `redis` to demonstrate dynamic updates. Under `apps/staging`, maintain environment-specific overlays.
3. **Verify Cluster Deployment**\
Once provisioning finishes, confirm status in **Deployments**.
4. **Inspect Default Namespaces & Services**\
In **Namespace and services**, view the default AKS resources.
5. **Configure GitOps in Azure Portal**\
Go to **GitOps** → **+ Configuration**.
* **Name**: `cluster-config`
* **Scope**: Cluster
* **Namespace**: `cluster-config`\
→ **Next**
Enter your public Git repo URL, branch `main`, no auth required.
6. **Define Kustomizations**
* Sync interval: **5 minutes**
* **Infrastructure**: path `infrastructure`
* **Staging**: path `apps/staging`, depends on `infrastructure`
7. **Apply and Monitor**\
Click **Create**. Flux begins syncing—`infrastructure` will reconcile first, then `staging`. Monitor compliance status in the GitOps pane.
8. **Validate Deployment**\
Return to **Namespaces and Services** to confirm `nginx` (and its namespace) is running.
9. **Demonstrate Drift Correction**\
In your repo, update `infrastructure/kustomization.yaml`:
```yaml theme={null}
resources:
- sources
- nginx
- redis
```
Commit and push. Within 5 minutes, Flux deploys the Redis namespace and service.
With GitOps on AKS, you gain declarative, version-controlled deployments, self-healing infrastructure, and clear audit trails for every change.