Description: GITOps is a set of practices that uses Git pull requests to manage infrastructure and application configurations. This methodology is based on the idea that infrastructure code should be treated the same way as application code, allowing development and operations teams to collaborate more effectively. GITOps promotes automation and consistency in implementing changes, using continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) tools to apply infrastructure configurations quickly and securely. By storing infrastructure configuration in a Git repository, the change history can be tracked, rolled back to previous versions, and modifications audited easily. This practice not only improves visibility and traceability but also facilitates disaster recovery and configuration management in complex environments. GITOps has become a popular approach in the DevOps and PaaS (Platform as a Service) space, as it enables organizations to adopt a culture of collaboration and agility, aligning development and operations teams in a more efficient software lifecycle.
History: GITOps emerged from the need to improve collaboration between development and operations teams in the context of the DevOps methodology. Although the term was first popularized by Weaveworks in 2017, the underlying practices are based on earlier concepts of infrastructure as code (IaC) and the use of Git as a version control system. As organizations began adopting containers and orchestrators like Kubernetes, the need for a more structured approach to managing infrastructure became evident, leading to the evolution of GITOps as an effective solution to these challenges.
Uses: GITOps is primarily used in development and production environments where efficient management of infrastructure and application configurations is required. It enables teams to implement changes quickly and securely, facilitating collaboration between developers and operations personnel. Additionally, GITOps is useful for automating deployment processes, managing configurations, and disaster recovery, as it allows for easy rollback to previous states of the infrastructure.
Examples: A practical example of GITOps is the use of tools like ArgoCD or Flux to manage applications on cloud-native platforms. These tools allow teams to define their application configurations in a Git repository and, through an automated process, apply those changes to various environments. Another case is the use of CI/CD tools to automate workflows that create and deploy cloud infrastructure, ensuring that all changes are auditable and traceable.
