GitOps 101: Bridging Dev and Ops in Modern Software Delivery

GitOps is an approach that brings developers and operations together by using Git-based workflows to manage infrastructure, similar to how developers manage application code.

By using declarative configurations and automation, GitOps ensures consistency and faster deployments – all while using familiar Git workflows that help bridge Dev and Ops teams. In today’s cloud-native environments, GitOps helps manage complexity with more reliability and transparency.

What is GitOps?

In simple terms, GitOps means using Git as the single source of truth for your infrastructure and application configurations, and using automation to sync changes from Git to your environments. Every change – whether a code update or an infrastructure tweak – is committed to a Git repository and then automatically applied to the system. GitOps uses code-based processes (version-controlled config files) for all aspects of software delivery, extending DevOps practices to infrastructure management and operations.

Think of it like having a master chef following a recipe for your deployments. The recipe is your Git repository (declaring what the system should look like), and the chef is your CI/CD pipeline or GitOps agent. Every change to the recipe is made via Git (for example, a pull request), and the chef automatically cooks (deploys) it, ensuring each “dish” (deployment) is made the same way every time.

Core Concepts of GitOps

Key concepts that define GitOps include:

• Declarative Configuration – All infrastructure and application config is defined declaratively. You describe the desired state of the system (what you want) rather than listing step-by-step instructions. This makes the intended state clear and repeatable.
• Git as Single Source of Truth – The Git repository holds the canonical desired state of the system. Storing everything in Git means there’s a single source of truth for your infrastructure. If it’s not in Git, it shouldn’t be in the environment.
• Version Control and PR Workflow – Since everything is in Git, changes go through the usual Git workflow (commit and pull request). Teams collaborate on changes via code review, and each change must be approved and logged before being applied. This provides a full audit trail of modifications.
• CI/CD Automation – When changes are merged, an automated pipeline or controller deploys them to the environment. This guarantees a consistent deployment process every time, without human error.
• Pull-Based Deployments – Instead of pushing updates out, an agent in the environment watches the repo and pulls in new changes. The system continuously self-reconciles to match the desired state in Git. If something drifts (e.g. a manual change on the server), the agent detects it and can revert or alert, keeping reality in sync with Git.

Benefits of GitOps

Adopting GitOps offers several benefits:

• Speed and Productivity – Automation and Git-centric workflows enable faster, more frequent releases. Every merge can trigger a deployment, which boosts release velocity and developer productivity.
• Consistency and Drift Prevention – Environments stay consistent with what’s in Git. Continuous reconciliation means no more configuration drift – your systems won’t mysteriously deviate from the intended state.
• Auditability and Rollbacks – Git version control provides a built-in audit log of changes. If a problem arises, you can revert to a previous commit and the system will return to that state, making rollbacks straightforward.
• Developer Autonomy and Collaboration – Developers can propose infrastructure changes via Git pull requests, and once approved and merged, automation deploys them – eliminating long waits and encouraging dev/ops collaboration.

Popular GitOps Tools

A few popular tools that implement GitOps are:

• Argo CD – An open-source GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. Argo CD watches your Git repo and syncs changes to your cluster, ensuring the cluster state matches the repo.
• Flux CD – Another open-source GitOps toolkit for Kubernetes. Flux runs controllers in-cluster to continuously reconcile the cluster state with your Git configs, offering a flexible alternative to Argo CD.
• Spacelift – A GitOps-powered platform for managing infrastructure as code (Terraform, Pulumi, and more). Spacelift automates infrastructure changes by applying Git commits to your cloud environments. It also includes policy controls and drift detection to keep infrastructure aligned with Git. (Check out their blog post on GitOps best practices for a deeper dive.)

GitOps Best Practices

To get the most from GitOps, consider these best practices:

• Store Everything in Git – Keep all your configuration and infrastructure code in Git, so the repo is the one source of truth for your system’s state.
• Use Declarative IaC – Use declarative Infrastructure-as-Code tools. Declare what you want, and let the GitOps tool figure out how to achieve it.
• Automate Your Pipelines – Make deployments automated. Use CI/CD or GitOps operators so that committing a change triggers a deployment pipeline, eliminating manual steps.
• Detect and Fix Drift – Monitor for any drift between the real environment and Git. If something changes outside of Git, the system should alert or automatically correct it to maintain alignment.

Conclusion

GitOps is a developer-friendly way to manage infrastructure and deployments, using Git as the bridge between dev and ops. By using a single source of truth and automating deployments, it boosts release speed and system reliability.

You don’t need to overhaul everything to try GitOps. You can start small – for example, use Argo CD or Flux on a test cluster, or manage a Terraform project with Spacelift – and see how it works for your team.

In essence, GitOps treats “operations as code.” It makes deployments and infrastructure changes as reproducible and trackable as any code change. For modern cloud-native development, this approach can streamline your delivery process. Give it a try on a small project and see how much it improves your workflow.