Argo CD

Explained

Tool

Also known as: ArgoCD

GitOps tool for Kubernetes that keeps the cluster automatically in sync with a Git repository.

Argo CD, explained

Written by EduVerse

Argo CD is a continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes that follows the GitOps approach. It runs inside the cluster and watches a Git repository full of Kubernetes manifests. Whenever the cluster differs from what’s in Git, it shows the application as OutOfSync and can apply the changes to bring the two back in line.

Why teams use it

With Argo CD, Git becomes the single record of what should run where. A deployment is just a merged pull request, so every change is reviewed and logged, and rolling back means reverting a commit. Instead of a CI pipeline pushing kubectl apply into the cluster, the cluster pulls its own state, so pipelines don’t need cluster credentials.

An example from work

You merge a pull request that changes the image tag in your service’s deployment.yaml. Shortly after, the Argo CD dashboard shows the app as OutOfSync, then Synced and Healthy as the new pods start. When someone edits that deployment by hand with kubectl, Argo CD flags the drift and, with self-heal on, undoes it.

Our own explanation, not a quote from the book.

In the book

Sentences from The Software Realm, Decoded that mention Argo CD, exactly as printed.

2 more passages about Argo CD in the full book

Read every conversation where Argo CD comes up, with the interactive slides and demos.

See the book

Where it fits

Declarative continuous delivery to Kubernetes

Coverage in the book