The Current State of GitOps

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 141 views

Introduction

In the realm of software development, security and access control are crucial aspects to ensure the integrity and reliability of the system. GitOps, a methodology that automates the deployment of software through Git, has become a popular choice for many organizations. However, as teams grow and evolve, the need for fine-grained access control becomes increasingly important. In this article, we will explore the concept of GitOps and how to support non-prod access, enabling teams to adhere to their security mandates.

The Current State of GitOps

GitOps is a declarative approach to infrastructure and application management, where the desired state of the system is defined in a Git repository. This approach has several benefits, including improved collaboration, reduced errors, and increased efficiency. However, the current GitOps system is an all-or-nothing setup, where users have access to either all environments or none. This can be a significant limitation for teams that require more granular access control.

The Need for Non-Prod Access

Some teams have a requirement that certain developers have access to only non-prod environments, such as development, testing, and tools namespaces. This is a common requirement in many organizations, where developers need to test and validate their code in a controlled environment before deploying it to production. However, the current GitOps system does not support this requirement, making it difficult for teams to adhere to their security mandates.

Update the Warden Operator

To address this issue, we need to update the Warden Operator, a critical component of the GitOps system. The Warden Operator is responsible for managing the GitOpsTeam and GitOpsAlliance in the tools namespace. We need to modify the Warden Operator code to allow users to be given access to only the dev, test, and tools namespaces. This will enable teams to grant access to non-prod environments while maintaining the security and integrity of the system.

Testing and Validation

Once the Warden Operator is updated, we need to test and validate the changes in a controlled environment, such as KLAB. This will ensure that the updated code works as expected and does not introduce any new issues. We will also need to prepare a CCM update to reflect the changes in the Warden Operator.

Benefits and Value

The support for non-prod access in GitOps will have several benefits, including:

Improved security: By granting access to non-prod environments, teams can ensure that developers are working in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of errors and security breaches.
Increased efficiency: With the ability to grant access to non-prod environments, teams can streamline their development process, reducing the time and effort required to test and validate code.
Better collaboration: The support for non-prod access will enable teams to collaborate more effectively, as developers can work in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of conflicts and errors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the support for non-prod access in GitOps is a critical requirement for many teams. By updating the Warden Operator, we can enable teams to grant access to non-prod environments, improving security, increasing efficiency, and enabling better collaboration. We will continue to work on this feature, testing and validating the changes in a controlled environment, and preparing a CCM update to reflect the changes in the Warden Operator.

Definition of Done

To ensure that the feature is completed, we will follow the definition of done, which includes:

Warden Operator updated and tested: The Warden Operator code will be updated to support non-prod access, and the changes will be tested in a controlled environment.
CCM PR created: A CCM update will be prepared to reflect the changes in the Warden Operator.

Next Steps

The next steps for this feature include:

Update the Warden Operator code: We will update the Warden Operator code to support non-prod access.
Test and validate the changes: We will test and validate the changes in a controlled environment, such as KLAB.
Prepare a CCM update: We will prepare a CCM update to reflect the changes in the Warden Operator.

Introduction

In our previous article, we discussed the importance of supporting non-prod access in GitOps, a methodology that automates the deployment of software through Git. We also explored the concept of updating the Warden Operator to enable teams to grant access to non-prod environments. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to this feature.

Q: What is the current state of GitOps?

A: The current GitOps system is an all-or-nothing setup, where users have access to either all environments or none. This can be a significant limitation for teams that require more granular access control.

Q: Why is supporting non-prod access important?

A: Supporting non-prod access is important because it enables teams to grant access to controlled environments, reducing the risk of errors and security breaches. It also increases efficiency and enables better collaboration among team members.

Q: How will the Warden Operator be updated?

A: The Warden Operator code will be updated to support non-prod access. This will involve modifying the code to allow users to be given access to only the dev, test, and tools namespaces.

Q: What are the benefits of supporting non-prod access?

A: The benefits of supporting non-prod access include:

Improved security: By granting access to non-prod environments, teams can ensure that developers are working in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of errors and security breaches.
Increased efficiency: With the ability to grant access to non-prod environments, teams can streamline their development process, reducing the time and effort required to test and validate code.
Better collaboration: The support for non-prod access will enable teams to collaborate more effectively, as developers can work in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of conflicts and errors.

Q: How will the changes be tested and validated?

A: The changes will be tested and validated in a controlled environment, such as KLAB. This will ensure that the updated code works as expected and does not introduce any new issues.

Q: What is the definition of done for this feature?

A: The definition of done for this feature includes:

Warden Operator updated and tested: The Warden Operator code will be updated to support non-prod access, and the changes will be tested in a controlled environment.
CCM PR created: A CCM update will be prepared to reflect the changes in the Warden Operator.

Q: What are the next steps for this feature?

A: The next steps for this feature include:

Update the Warden Operator code: We will update the Warden Operator code to support non-prod access.
Test and validate the changes: We will test and validate the changes in a controlled environment, such as KLAB.
Prepare a CCM update: We will prepare a CCM update to reflect the changes in the Warden Operator.

Q: How will this feature benefit teams?

A: This feature will benefit teams by enabling them to grant access to controlled environments, reducing the risk of errors and security breaches. It will also increase efficiency and enable better collaboration among team members.

Conclusion

In conclusion, supporting non-prod access in GitOps is a critical requirement for many teams. By updating the Warden Operator, we can enable teams to grant access to non-prod environments, improving security, increasing efficiency, and enabling better collaboration. We will continue to work on this feature, testing and validating the changes in a controlled environment, and preparing a CCM update to reflect the changes in the Warden Operator.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the current state of GitOps?
- A: The current GitOps system is an all-or-nothing setup, where users have access to either all environments or none.
Q: Why is supporting non-prod access important?
- A: Supporting non-prod access is important because it enables teams to grant access to controlled environments, reducing the risk of errors and security breaches.
Q: How will the Warden Operator be updated?
- A: The Warden Operator code will be updated to support non-prod access.
Q: What are the benefits of supporting non-prod access?
- A: The benefits of supporting non-prod access include improved security, increased efficiency, and better collaboration.

GitOps: Support Non-Prod Access
Update the Warden Operator
Test and Validate the Changes
Prepare a CCM Update

Get Involved

If you have any questions or would like to get involved in this feature, please don't hesitate to reach out. We would be happy to have you on board!