Integration with Argo CD

Argo CD is a declarative GitOps tool for continuous delivery to Kubernetes.

This tutorial describes how to integrate a Yandex Managed Service for GitLab instance, a Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster, and Argo CD, as well as GitLab Runner installed in the cluster and building Docker containers using Kaniko.

To integrate Argo CD with Managed Service for Kubernetes and Managed Service for GitLab:

1. Create a GitLab instance
2. Configure GitLab
3. Create a GitLab Runner
4. Prepare the application's repository to deploy
5. Deploy your application using Argo CD

If you no longer need the resources you created, delete them.

Getting startedGetting started

Prepare the infrastructurePrepare the infrastructure

Install additional dependenciesInstall additional dependencies

Install the following items in the local environment:

• Yandex Cloud command line interface (YC CLI)
• jq JSON stream processor
• Helm package manager

• Install kubectl and configure it to work with the created cluster.

Create a GitLab instanceCreate a GitLab instance

Create a Managed Service for GitLab instance or a VM with a GitLab image on the same cloud network as the Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster.

Configure GitLabConfigure GitLab

To configure GitLab and enable Continuous Integration (CI), create a new project and enter the CI authorization parameters:

Create a GitLab RunnerCreate a GitLab Runner

To run build tasks in the Yandex Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster, create a GitLab Runner. To do this, install the GitLab Runner application by following this guide.

Once it is installed, you can run automated builds inside your Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster.

For more information about installing and running GitLab Runner, see the GitLab documentation.

Prepare the application's repository to deployPrepare the application's repository to deploy

1. Get an authorized key for the previously created service account with the container-registry.images.puller and container-registry.images.pusher roles:

   yc iam key create --service-account-name <name_of_service_account_for_nodes> -o key.json
   

2. Save the contents of the key for the next step:

   cat key.json | base64
   

3. Create the GitLab environment variables:

   1. Go to Settings in the left-hand GitLab panel and select CI/CD from the drop-down list.

   2. Click Expand next to Variables.

   3. Add environment variables:

      • CI_REGISTRY: Address of the previously created registry in cr.yandex/<registry_ID> format.
      • CI_REGISTRY_USER: json_key.
      • CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD: Output of the cat key.json | base64 command.

      To add a variable:

      1. Click Add variable.
      2. In the window that opens, enter the variable name in the Key field and the value in the Value field.
      3. Click Add variable.

4. Set up access to the repository:

   1. Generate a new pair of SSH keys or use an existing one.
   2. Add a public part of the SSH key to the GitLab account settings.

5. Clone the repository:

   git clone git@<instance_name>.gitlab.yandexcloud.net:<admin_username>/gitlab-test.git
   

6. Clone the yc-webinar-gitops-argo-crossplane repository to your instance:

   git clone https://github.com/yandex-cloud-examples/yc-webinar-gitops-argo-crossplane.git
   

7. To the gitlab-test directory, copy all files from the yc-webinar-gitops-argo-crossplane/02-argocd/app directory, including hidden files:

   cp -rT <path_to_app_directory> <path_to_gitlab-test_directory>
   

8. Commit the changes to gitlab-test and push them to the repository:

   git add . && \
   git commit -m "Add app src and CI" && \
   git push
   

9. This will run the build script. To track its progress, in the drop-down menu, select Build → Pipelines. Wait until both build steps are complete.

10. Open the completed build and copy the following line from the log (you will need it at the next step):

    INFO[0025] Pushing image to cr.yandex/<registry_ID>/<admin_username>/gitlab-test:main.<commit_number>
    

Deploy your application using Argo CDDeploy your application using Argo CD

Install Argo CD to the Managed Service for Kubernetes clusterInstall Argo CD to the Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster

1. Install Argo CD by following this guide.

   Warning

   Kubernetes node groups require internet access to download images and components.

   Internet access can be provided through:

   • By assigning a public IP address to each node in the group.
   • Configuring a VM as a NAT instance.
   • Setting up a NAT gateway.

2. Configure ArgoCD port forwarding onto the local computer:

   kubectl port-forward service/<Argo_CD_application_name>-argocd-server \
     --namespace <namespace> 8080:443
   

3. Get the administrator password from a Kubernetes secret:

   kubectl --namespace <namespace> get secret argocd-initial-admin-secret \
     --output jsonpath="{.data.password}" | base64 -d
   

4. Open the Argo CD console at https://127.0.0.1:8080 in your browser.

5. Log in to the console as admin using the password obtained in the previous step.

Add a GitLab repository to Argo CDAdd a GitLab repository to Argo CD

1. Go to Settings in the left GitLab panel and select Access Tokens from the drop-down list.

2. Set parameters for a new token:

   • Token name: argocd.
   • Select a role: Maintainer.
   • Select scopes: read_repository.

3. Click Create project access token.

4. Copy the value of the token you created.

5. In the Argo CD console, go to Settings → Repositories.

6. Click Connect Repo Using HTTPS.

7. In the resulting form, enter the settings:

   • Repository URL: Repository URL in the following format: https://<GitLab_instance_name>.gitlab.yandexcloud.net/<admin_username>/gitlab-test.git.
   • Username: gitlab-ci-token.
   • Password: Previously generated GitLab token.

8. Click Connect.

9. In the Argo CD console, go to Applications, then click Create Application.

10. In the resulting form, enter the settings:

    • Application Name: gitlab-test.
    • Project: default.
    • Sync policy: Automatic, then select Prune resources and Self Heal.
    • Sync options: Select the Auto-Create Namespace option.
    • Repository URL: Specify the repository URL, such as https://<GitLab_instance_name>.gitlab.yandexcloud.net/<admin_username>/gitlab-test.git.
    • Path: .helm.
    • Cluster URL: https://kubernetes.default.svc.
    • Namespace: gitlab-test.
    • image.repository: cr.yandex/<registry_ID>/<admin_username>/gitlab-test.
    • image.tag: main.<commit_number>.

11. Click Create and wait until the syncing completes.

12. To test how the application runs, execute the following command in the Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster:

    kubectl get all -n gitlab-test
    

    Result:

    NAME                               READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
    pod/gitlab-test-67c8d58bc4-6w4q7   1/1     Running   0          2m26s
    pod/gitlab-test-67c8d58bc4-sldpc   1/1     Running   0          2m26s
    
    NAME                  TYPE        CLUSTER-IP      EXTERNAL-IP   PORT(S)   AGE
    service/gitlab-test   ClusterIP   10.96.186.223   <none>        80/TCP    2m26s
    
    NAME                          READY   UP-TO-DATE   AVAILABLE   AGE
    deployment.apps/gitlab-test   2/2     2            2           2m26s
    
    NAME                                     DESIRED   CURRENT   READY   AGE
    replicaset.apps/gitlab-test-67c8d58bc4   2         2         2       2m26s
    

Test auto-syncing from the repositoryTest auto-syncing from the repository

1. Go to the directory with the cloned project and open the .helm/values.yaml file.

2. Change the replicaCount parameter to 3.

3. Save the changes and push them to the repository:

   git add . && \
   git commit -m "Increase replica count" && \
   git push
   

4. In the Argo CD console, wait until the application is synced.

5. Make sure the number of application pods in the Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster has increased:

   kubectl get pod -n gitlab-test
   

   Result:

   NAME                               READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
   pod/gitlab-test-67c8d58bc4-6w4q7   1/1     Running   0          15m
   pod/gitlab-test-67c8d58bc4-7hmcn   1/1     Running   0          10m
   pod/gitlab-test-67c8d58bc4-sldpc   1/1     Running   0          15m
   
   NAME                  TYPE        CLUSTER-IP      EXTERNAL-IP   PORT(S)   AGE
   service/gitlab-test   ClusterIP   10.96.186.223   <none>        80/TCP    15m
   
   NAME                          READY   UP-TO-DATE   AVAILABLE   AGE
   deployment.apps/gitlab-test   3/3     3            3           15m
   
   NAME                                     DESIRED   CURRENT   READY   AGE
   replicaset.apps/gitlab-test-67c8d58bc4   3         3         3       15m
   

Delete the resources you createdDelete the resources you created

Some resources are not free of charge. To avoid paying for them, delete the resources you no longer need:

1. Delete the created Docker images.

2. Delete the Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster and Container Registry registry:

   Manually

   Terraform

   1. Delete the Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster.
   2. Delete the Container Registry registry.
   3. Delete the created subnets and networks.
   4. Delete the created service accounts.

   1. In the command line, go to the directory with the current Terraform configuration file with an infrastructure plan.

   2. Delete the k8s-argocd.tf configuration file.

   3. Make sure the Terraform configuration files are correct using this command:

      terraform validate
      

      If there are any errors in the configuration files, Terraform will point them out.

   4. Confirm updating the resources.

      1. Run the command to view planned changes:

         terraform plan
         

         If the resource configuration descriptions are correct, the terminal will display a list of the resources to modify and their parameters. This is a test step. No resources are updated.

      2. If you are happy with the planned changes, apply them:

         1. Run the command:

            terraform apply
            

         2. Confirm the update of resources.

         3. Wait for the operation to complete.

      All the resources described in the k8s-argocd.tf configuration file will be deleted.

3. Delete the GitLab VM or Managed Service for GitLab instance you created.