Argo CD GitOps Implementation
Resources from Video Description
- GitHub Repository – Preconfigured env + manifests for all three workflows
Key Takeaways
Argo CD as Single Source of Truth: Create an Application that points to your Git repo and path. Argo CD continuously watches HEAD on the default branch and syncs cluster state to desired state, detecting and fixing drift.
Sync Policies that Matter: Enable selfHeal (auto-reconcile drift), prune (delete resources removed from Git), and CreateNamespace=true to auto-create the target namespace during sync.
Kustomize Overlays for Environments: Point Applications at overlay directories (dev/stage/prod). Overlays can add a namePrefix, and apply strategic merge patches (e.g., change replicas) while reusing a common base—enterprise-friendly scaling with minimal duplication.
Helm-first Repos: Argo CD natively deploys Helm charts from a repo path. Updating values.yaml triggers an Application sync and a chart upgrade—no separate CI step required for templating.
Install & Operate Quickly: Install Argo CD via Helm, port-forward the argocd-server service, and log in with the initial admin secret. Use the UI to create/view Applications, trigger Sync, and watch Kubernetes resources reconcile in real time.
Live Demo Flow:
- Basic GitOps: App points at raw manifests → commit change (e.g., replicas) → click Sync → cluster updates.
- Kustomize: App points at
overlays/devandoverlays/prod→ per-env prefixes and patches applied → easy promotion. - Helm: App points at a chart path → edit
values.yaml→ Argo upgrades release and keeps it in sync.