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Git

Git is a version control system that is widely used in software development and operations management. It enables multiple users to track and manage changes to codebases, configurations, and documentation efficiently. In the context of Platform Engineering and associated methodologies like GitOps, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and other practices, Git serves as a foundational tool that facilitates collaboration, automation, and consistency across the development and operational lifecycle of applications and infrastructure. This documentation outlines the implications and benefits of using Git in these areas.

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If you are new to Git, get started by referring to the official Git documentation.

Git and Platform Engineering​

Platform Engineering involves the design, implementation, and maintenance of the software and hardware infrastructure that supports the development and deployment of applications. Git, in this context, acts as a central repository for code, scripts, and configurations, enabling:

  • Version Control: Git allows platform engineers to maintain version history of infrastructure code, configurations, and documentation, enabling easy tracking of changes and rollback if necessary.
  • Collaboration: It supports collaboration among team members by allowing multiple engineers to work on different parts of the infrastructure simultaneously.
  • Review Processes: Integrating Git with CI/CD pipelines enables automated testing and review processes, ensuring that changes meet quality and security standards before being deployed.

GitOps​

GitOps is a methodology that applies Git's principles to operational and infrastructure management, treating Git repositories as the source of truth for system state and configurations.

  • Automated Synchronization: GitOps uses Git as the backbone for automating the synchronization of the desired state of infrastructure with its actual state, typically using an operator in the cluster that continuously monitors and applies changes from a Git repository.
  • Immutable Infrastructure: Changes to infrastructure are made through commits, ensuring an immutable history of changes and configurations, enhancing accountability and traceability.
  • Self-healing Systems: GitOps enables the creation of self-healing systems that automatically revert to the last known good state in case of configuration drift or issues.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)​

Infrastructure as Code is a key practice in Platform Engineering where infrastructure provisioning and management are performed using code.

  • Version-controlled Infrastructure: Git allows the IaC configurations to be version-controlled, enabling historical tracking, rollback capabilities, and the reuse of code for infrastructure deployment.
  • Collaborative Infrastructure Development: Git facilitates collaboration among developers and operations teams, making it easier to develop, test, and deploy infrastructure changes.
  • Consistency and Efficiency: IaC combined with Git ensures consistent environments across development, testing, and production, reducing manual configuration errors and deployment times.

Integration with CI/CD Pipelines​

Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines are crucial for automating the testing, building, and deployment of applications and infrastructure.

  • Automated Workflows: Git integrates seamlessly with CI/CD tools, triggering automated workflows for building, testing, and deploying applications or infrastructure changes upon commits or pull requests.
  • Security and Compliance: Integrating security scans and compliance checks into Git-triggered CI/CD pipelines ensures that code and infrastructure changes adhere to security policies and compliance standards before deployment.

Conclusion​

Git's role in Platform Engineering and associated methodologies like GitOps and IaC is pivotal. It not only enhances collaboration and efficiency but also ensures consistency, reliability, and security in the management of infrastructure and applications. By leveraging Git, organizations can achieve automated, traceable, and scalable infrastructure management processes that are crucial for modern cloud-native environments.

Learning Resources​