Combining Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) fleets and Argo CD creates a powerful and secure way to manage applications across multiple Kubernetes clusters, particularly when they span different environments or cloud providers.
Connect Gateway and Workload Identity can streamline authentication and enhance security, permitting Argo CD to manage clusters securely without needing to manage Kubernetes Services Accounts.
Using GKE Enterprise Teams can enable granular access control, ensuring each team has proper permissions and namespaces within this secure framework.
The fleet-argocd-plugin is a custom Argo CD generator that automatically imports your GKE Fleet cluster list into Argo CD and maintains synchronized cluster information, making it easier for platform admins to manage resources and for application teams to focus on deployments.
The setup process comprises creating a GKE fleet with control and application clusters, deploying Argo CD on the control cluster configured with Connect Gateway and Workload Identity, and setting up GKE Enterprise Teams for granular access control.
Finally, the fleet-argocd-plugin is installed to simplify cluster management by automatically importing the GKE Fleet cluster list into Argo CD and maintaining synchronized cluster information.
By leveraging the power of GKE Fleets, Argo CD, Connect Gateway, Workload Identity, and GKE Enterprise Teams's advanced features, a user can streamline Kubernetes operations, improve security, and empower teams to efficiently manage and deploy applications across your fleet.
Furthermore, it is possible to enhance the setup by exploring advanced deployment strategies with Argo CD, achieving zero-downtime releases and minimizing risk during updates.
GKE fleets and Argo CD lay a robust, secure, and automated multi-cluster platform to build on using automation, GitOps principles, and team-based management to unleash the full potential of Kubernetes infrastructure.
To sum up, GKE fleets and Argo CD provide a solid foundation for building a secure, efficient, and scalable platform while enabling automation, GitOps principles, and team-based management.