GitOps Vs DevOps
- In the clearest language, if we discuss the difference between DevOps and GitOps then we can sum it up by saying DevOps is about the environment or cultural changes in software development. A cloud-native application is developed by developers working collaboratively.
- DevOps practice can be made possible through GitOps, on the other hand. It offers tools that are familiar to developers, which reduces the amount of time it takes to apply multiple changes in a day and execute them in software development.
- Collaborative practices, continuous integration/continuous delivery, and version control are among the practices of DevOps. Finally, DevOps automates infrastructure and deploys applications.
Despite sharing the same principles, GitOps and DevOps are distinct in their fields. Let’s explore the differences between their pipelines. Understanding the difference will make everything much clearer.
A DevOps Pipeline is more comprehensive than a GitOps Pipeline. A DevOps Pipeline includes:
- Code is committed by multiple developers: DevOps is based on the principle of committing code from multiple developers. It is important to emphasize this because multiple developers will require coordination to operate effectively.
- Build: This is where the software is constructed. This stage involves manual committing of code.
- Unit and integration tests: this involves testing the integration of the code that has been committed during previous stages. Development teams run the code and change the application as necessary.
- Develop an image for the application or service:To have a unique identity, it is required to develop an image for the application or service.
- Testing the functionalities: This stage includes testing the code and the entire application. The purpose of the application is tested through this code to determine whether it is justified.
- Testing user acceptance: In this stage, the code is tested to determine whether it is easy enough for the users to use the software. To satisfy the purpose in the best possible way, it has been made as user-friendly as possible. To have a greater impact on the user, it must be easy to use and fulfill the purpose as a whole.
- Automation of configuration: After the development has been done, to make the application easy to use, the configuration is automated to make the application more accessible and easier to use.
- Testing load: This is a very important but small step of application development through DevOps. Test the load that the code is generating on the software to ensure that the application will run smoothly. In many cases, an application may appear easy to use, user-friendly, and fulfilling, but then it hangs and ruins the user’s experience. Therefore, load tests are important.
- Deployment: It is the deployment of an application or service which completes the development process. As a result, we can now start using the application, and it can be published on the software for other people to use and fulfill their very own purposes.
The following points will also give you an idea of how GitOps is better than DevOps since it involves fewer steps and has a higher level of satisfaction.
- Code: The first step in both GitOps and DevOps is the same, as this is the premise of the development process. Developers write code based on the purpose of the application.
- GitOps repository for version control: This is an example of how it is used. Our knowledge is that GitOps uses Git as its single source of truth and deploys it as well. This all takes place at this stage. Automating version control reduces development time by automatically updating the changes made.
- Automated testing: This is not a step. Both tasks are performed at the same time. Automating the development and deployment of software maximizes the software development process.
- Image repository: As the tools provided by GitOps are familiar to the developers, they can complete one of the tasks of creating an image much more quickly.
- Deployment: The last action is deployment. Only four steps are necessary to complete software development.
- Kubernetes: The Kubernetes stage showcases the software developed during the previous stages. It indicates the software is ready to be used.
This is a specific ops process associated with a specific tool (Git). Infrastructure as Code (IaC) has evolved into a DevOps best practice that leverages Git as the single source of truth, and a control mechanism for creating, updating, and deleting system architecture. GitOps refers to the practice of using Git pull requests to verify and deploy changes to system infrastructure.
It’s important to keep in mind that GitOps is not mandatory for organizations that follow a DevOps culture. A DevOps culture is not required for every organization that uses GitOps.
Use cases for GitOps
GitOps is a key enabler in the following use cases:
- Smart city services – deploying and managing a complex platform is a challenge for smart cities, and GitOps practices can assist in resolving these operational challenges.
- Network slicing – Using GitOps, service providers can differentiate service tiers and users can select only the bandwidth they require/use. As a result, video streaming will be more expensive and IoT devices will be more affordable.
- Handling network congestion – this is a significant issue in 4G networks, especially in densely populated areas. 5G will solve the problem, but cloud-native principles are required to provision and manage the numerous edge nodes, which means leveraging GitOps and Kubernetes.
Benefits of GitOps
GitOps offers more benefits than familiar tools. The following are a few of its most powerful features:
- Enhanced Productivity: Continuous deployment automation improves the meantime to deploy. By shipping around 30-100 times more changes per day, the development team helps to increase the productivity of the business.
- Enhanced developer experience: When familiar tools like Git are available, even new developers can get up to speed quickly.
- Enhanced stability: Since the development process is automated, the development process is more stable. A faster development process is not detrimental to the project’s stability but leads to greater productivity.
- Higher Reliability: Automating the tasks leads to greater reliability in achieving the project’s goals on time since the tasks are automated. Furthermore, automation provides reliability to the project itself, as once it has been developed it doesn’t require any human assistance.
- Consistency and standardization: Since GitOps supports a single model for changing infrastructure, apps, and Kubernetes, it helps keep the project development and deployment on track and maintain consistency.
- Stronger security is assured: The strong cryptography used to track and manage changes in any set of files used by the developers provides stronger security for the software.
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