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GitOps streamlines Kubernetes deployments by keeping your cluster’s desired state in Git and automating synchronization. In this guide, you’ll learn how to structure your repositories, set up a CI/CD pipeline, and leverage ArgoCD for continuous delivery and rollbacks.

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GitOps Repository Architecture

A typical GitOps workflow relies on two separate Git repositories:
Keep secrets out of Git or use an external secrets manager. Never store plain-text credentials in your manifests.

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ArgoCD: The GitOps Operator

ArgoCD runs inside your Kubernetes cluster and continuously:
  1. Monitors the configuration repository for changes
  2. Pulls updated manifests
  3. Applies those manifests to synchronize cluster state with Git
This pull-based model ensures safe and auditable deployments.

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CI/CD Pipeline Workflow

When a developer pushes changes to the application repository (for example, updating code or adding a Jenkinsfile), a CI/CD pipeline—often implemented in Jenkins—executes the following stages: Once the new image is published, the pipeline must update the deployment manifests and trigger a GitOps deployment:
  1. Clone the configuration repository
  2. Modify the image tag in deployment.yaml
  3. Commit changes to a feature branch
  4. Open a Pull Request against main
A reviewer validates the change, then merges it. ArgoCD detects the merge and deploys the updated application.
Avoid force-pushing to the default branch. Always use pull requests to maintain an auditable history.

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Rolling Back

ArgoCD’s history and rollback features enable you to revert to a stable release in minutes:
This reapplies the manifest from the chosen revision, restoring your cluster to that state.
The image illustrates a CI/CD pipeline with GitOps, showing the flow from application code repository through continuous integration, updating Kubernetes manifests, and synchronizing with a production cluster using ArgoCD.

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Demo Preview

In the upcoming demos, you will:
  • Create a Jenkinsfile defining all pipeline stages
  • Open a pull request to update the Kubernetes manifests repository
  • Watch ArgoCD synchronize changes and perform rollbacks if necessary

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