GitOps is a buzzword in the world of software development. The term was first coined in 2017, by Weaveworks for an idea that had been in development for a number of years. GitOps can make the development of bespoke software solutions easier, with many industry insiders claiming it is likely to change software development forever.
What is GitOps?
GitOps is a software development methodology that uses Git version control system as a single source of truth for managing and deploying applications and infrastructure. The basic idea behind GitOps is that any changes to the infrastructure and application code are made through Git-based workflows.
GitOps is a methodology that can help teams implement DevOps practices. These put the emphasis on collaboration, communication, and automation between development and operation teams. By breaking down silos it creates a more efficient and agile software development process.
GitOps can support a DevOps approach by supporting collaboration, automation and consistency in the development and deployment process.
How does GitOps work in practice?
Software development teams will use GitOps in a number of ways.
Firstly, they will store application and infrastructure code in a Git repository and will use automation tools to deploy and manage the application. This will ensure consistency between the actual state of the application and infrastructure and the desired state stored in Git. They will also use Git-based workflows to manage any changes, using Git-based tools to collaborate and ensure that only approved changes are deployed.
Teams will also continuously integrate changes from the Git repository, deploying them to a product environment. This allows them to easily roll back to a previous version if required. Automated testing and validation typically take place throughout the development process to ensure the quality and integrity of the code and to ensure that any issues are detected early.
While these broad steps are a good starting point for implementing a GitOps approach, the methodology can be adapted to meet different contexts.
What are the benefits of GitOps for developers?
GitOps makes it easier for developers to manage infrastructure and application code since the configuration is stored in a single source of truth and can be versioned and audited over time.
GitOps also makes maintaining consistency and repeatability in deployments much easier. As all changes are made through Git-based workflows, developers can ensure that changes are tested, reviewed, and approved before being automatically deployed.
GitOps facilitates easier sharing and collaboration across teams, making it easier to work together on changes, review each other’s work, and provide feedback.
Enabling speed, efficiency and accuracy in software development
GitOps simplifies the deployment process, promotes collaboration between teams, and enables automation and observability. By doing so, it helps teams to deliver applications and infrastructure changes quickly, accurately and efficiently. This makes it a highly valuable tool in today’s fast-paced software development environment.
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