Introduction

The software development field is moving at a very fast pace and methodologies like DevOps keep on reducing the gap between operations and development. However, managing infrastructure is becoming more and more complex due to which a new approach called ‘GitOps’ is gaining traction. This article tries to explain some of the key differences between DevOps and GitOps and tries to answer the most common question: GitOps vs DevOps?

What is DevOps?

DevOps is a significant shift from traditional methodologies and it brings together Software development and Operations. i.e. Dev and Ops. DevOps aims to reduce the dev lifecycle and deliver high-quality software continuously. DevOps brings automation, CICD, and collaboration across the teams.

Key Principles of DevOps

• Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD): Instead of the manual release of software, this principle emphasizes on automation of build, test, and deployment processes to have rapid and reliable software releases done in production.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): This involves the creation and management of infrastructure using code instead of manually doing it. This reduces the manual effort and margin of human error.
• Automation: This again involves doing repetitive tasks using software to enhance efficiency and reduce human error.
• Collaboration: It means bringing a culture of collaboration among the teams involving developers, operations, and other stakeholders.

DevOps in Practice: A Simple CI/CD Pipeline

Let’s see a basic CI-CD pipeline example using Jenkins:

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                echo 'Building...'
                sh 'mvn clean install'
            }
        }
        stage('Test') {
            steps {
                echo 'Testing...'
                sh 'mvn test'
            }
        }
        stage('Deploy') {
            steps {
                echo 'Deploying...'
                sh 'scp target/*.jar user@server:/deployments/'
            }
        }
    }
}

The above example shows a Jenkins script that automates the build and unit test process using maven commands and finally deploys the built artifact to the server using the SCP utility. To learn more about Maven, you can refer to my blog article on Maven.

What is GitOps?

GitOps is a framework that uses DevOps best practices on the operational side with infrastructure automation. It uses Git as a single source of truth for all code including application code and infrastructure code. If you want to make any change to the infrastructure, you need to modify the Git repositories which in turn invokes the deployment automation.

Key Principles of GitOps

• Git as the Source of Truth: All application or infrastructure changes happen only in GIT which is a version-based tool and one can easily see the modification history.
• Declarative Infrastructure: The infrastructure state is declared in the code and the system handles the process of taking it to the desired state.
• Automated Synchronization: GitOps tools periodically monitor the Git repositories and if any change is noticed, it applies those changes to infrastructure. All this happens through automation.

GitOps in Practice: Deploying Infrastructure with Kubernetes

Below is an example of how GitOps can be used with Kubernetes:

Create Kubernetes Deployment in a YAML file:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: my-app
spec:
  replicas: 3
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: my-app
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: my-app
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: my-app
        image: my-app:latest
        ports:
        - containerPort: 8080

Push the created file to a Git repository:

git add deployment.yaml
git commit -m "Add Kubernetes deployment for my-app"
git push origin main

Automated Deployment:

A GitOps tool like Argo CD or Flux will continuously monitor the repository, notice the change, and do the deployment of the application to the Kubernetes cluster. Hence take the application to the desired state as per the Git.

GitOps vs DevOps: Key Differences Between GitOps and DevOps

Let’s find out answers for GitOps vs DevOps by analyzing their approach to Infrastructure Management, Version Control, Automation, and Deployment Strategy.

Infrastructure Management Approach

• DevOps:  It uses tools like Ansible or Terraform to create scripts for Infrastructure but the changes need to be applied manually or by using CI-CD pipelines.
• GitOps: In GitOps, Git is the source of truth where all the changes are pushed and automatically these changes are applied to infrastructure using tools like Argo CD.

Version Control

• DevOps: Here Application code and Infrastructure code may be stored in any of the version control systems but the process may vary depending on which version control system is used.
• GitOps: Here the process is clearly defined and everything, Application and Infrastructure code, is maintained in Git. This assures version control and an auditable history of changes. Hence the process is more streamlined here.

Automation

• DevOps: It focuses on automation during the Dev and Ops lifecycle but some processes might require manual triggers and hence not 100% automation.
• GitOps: It streamlines the process which is full automation of the deployment process which is always synchronized to the desired state of the environment as per the Git.

Deployment Strategy

• DevOps: Again there can be different strategies for deployment involving pipelines which can be of different complexity.
• GitOps: Here deployments are triggered when there is some change made to the Git repository. This simplifies and fully automates the deployment process and eliminates the chance of human error.

Conclusion: GitOps vs DevOps? Which is Right for You?

No doubt both DevOps and GitOps provide value to modern software development but their use case are different. DevOps takes care of the complete software lifecycle by providing the framework for development and operations. Whereas, GitOps focuses on infrastructure automation using Git. It is ideal for projects where infrastructure management is of top necessity and needs to be tightly controlled and automated.

For projects that already follow DevOps methodology, GitOps can be a great addition that adds an extra layer of automation for infrastructure management. For projects that are just starting, it might be good to start with DevOps to create a strong foundation and then explore GitOps to streamline the operations processes.

Including the capabilities of both methodologies will optimize your software lifecycle and streamline the development and operations processes, ensuring a more scalable, reliable, and efficient workflow.

I hope this article answered your question: GitOps vs DevOps?

FAQs

1. What is the main difference between GitOps and DevOps?

Answer: The main answer tp GitOps vs DevOps is the infrastructure management approach. DevOps’s main focus is on integrating Development and Operations by using automation and team collaboration, while GitOps focuses on infrastructure management using Git as a single source of truth and automating deployments based on Git repository changes.

2. Can GitOps be used alongside DevOps?

Answer: Yes, it cannot be always GitOps vs DevOps but also GitOps can be a valued addition to DevOps by adding an extra layer of automation for infrastructure management. While DevOps takes care of the entire software development lifecycle, GitOps focuses on automating the deployment process using Git. Hence creating a more streamlined process for the projects.

3. How does GitOps ensure the infrastructure state is always consistent?

Answer: GitOps considers Git as a single source of truth and always focuses on keeping the infrastructure as per the Git repository code. GitOps tools regularly monitor Git and whenever any change is made to Git, it applies that change to the infrastructure and hence always keeps the infrastructure state synchronized to Git and always consistent.

4. What are some common tools used in GitOps?

Answer: The most commonly used tools in GitOps are Argo CD and Flux. These tools monitor for any change in the Git repository and automatically synchronize the live environment with the declared state, simplifying the deployment process and reducing the potential for human error.