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Self-Study: Part 1 - CI/CD for Containers (3.13)

Brief

This self-study module introduces GitOps and ArgoCD, a declarative Continuous Deployment (CD) tool for Kubernetes. You will explore the differences between push-based and pull-based CI/CD, learn how ArgoCD automates deployments, and understand its core architecture and benefits.

Videos

Introduction to CI/CD and GitOps

Learn how CI/CD automates software delivery and the role of GitOps in Kubernetes.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5EpcWp0THw&ab_channel=TechWorldwithNana

Push vs. Pull-Based CI/CD

Understand the difference between traditional CI/CD (push-based) and GitOps-based (pull-based) deployment models.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYbDiTNUWFQ&ab_channel=LabIT

What is ArgoCD?

An overview of ArgoCD’s capabilities and how it simplifies Kubernetes deployment.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-kAqxuJNik&ab_channel=IBMTechnology

How ArgoCD Works - Architecture & Key Features

Dive into ArgoCD’s architecture, its core components, and how it manages applications in Kubernetes.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlNKHiF0IqI&ab_channel=MohamadAbusaa

Readings

What is GitOps?

Learn the principles of GitOps and how it transforms CI/CD for Kubernetes.

Read: https://about.gitlab.com/topics/gitops/

Push-Based vs. Pull-Based CI/CD

A deep dive into why pull-based CI/CD (GitOps) is more secure and scalable.

Read: https://thenewstack.io/push-vs-pull-in-gitops-is-there-really-a-difference/

ArgoCD Architecture & Core Components

Understand how ArgoCD works internally, including the API Server, Repository Server, and Application Controller.

Read: https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/developer-guide/architecture/components/

Getting Started with ArgoCD

Step-by-step guide to installing and configuring ArgoCD.

Read: https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/getting_started/

Key Concepts to Explore

1. Understanding CI/CD & GitOps

  • What is CI/CD? – Automating software builds, testing, and deployment.
  • Push-Based CI/CD – Traditional method where CI/CD tools push changes into Kubernetes.
  • Pull-Based CI/CD – GitOps model where Kubernetes pulls updates from Git repositories.

2. What is ArgoCD?

  • Declarative Continuous Deployment – Managing applications with Git as the source of truth.
  • Self-Healing Mechanism – Detecting drift and auto-reverting unintended changes.
  • Multi-Cluster Support – Managing deployments across multiple Kubernetes clusters.

3. ArgoCD Architecture & Components

  • API Server – Provides CLI, UI, and API access.
  • Repository Server – Connects to Git repositories to fetch application manifests.
  • Application Controller – Continuously monitors the cluster state and syncs applications.
  • ArgoCD CLI & UI – Command-line and web interface for managing applications.

4. Syncing Applications with ArgoCD

  • Manual vs. Automatic Sync – Controlling how changes are applied.
  • Self-Healing & Drift Detection – Ensuring the cluster remains consistent with Git.
  • Rollback Mechanism – Reverting to a previous stable state when issues occur.

5. Security & Best Practices

  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) – Restricting user permissions in ArgoCD.
  • Git Repository Authentication – Securely accessing private repositories.
  • ArgoCD Webhooks – Automatically triggering deployments on Git updates.

Popular Tools Used Alongside ArgoCD

GitOps & CI/CD

  • FluxCD – Alternative GitOps tool for Kubernetes.
  • Jenkins X – CI/CD for Kubernetes using a GitOps approach.
  • GitHub Actions – Automating CI/CD workflows with GitOps.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

  • Terraform – Automate infrastructure provisioning alongside ArgoCD.
  • Helm – Package and deploy Kubernetes applications easily.

Monitoring & Observability

  • Prometheus & Grafana – Metrics collection and visualization.
  • OpenTelemetry – Tracing and profiling Kubernetes applications.
  • ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) – Centralized logging and search.

Helpful Links (References)

ArgoCD Official Documentation

Read: https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/

GitOps Principles & Best Practices

Read: https://www.weave.works/technologies/gitops/

ArgoCD vs FluxCD: Which GitOps Tool Should You Use?

Read: https://www.cncf.io/blog/2021/05/18/flux-vs-argocd-which-gitops-tool-is-right-for-you/

ArgoCD CLI Commands Cheat Sheet

Read: https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/user-guide/commands/

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