Deploying a Node.js App on Kubernetes with Argo CD 🚀

This guide walks you through deploying a Node.js application using Minikube and Argo CD, leveraging the GitOps methodology. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a solid understanding of deploying applications on Kubernetes with automatic syncing through Argo CD.

Prerequisites 📋

Before you start, make sure you have the following installed on your local machine:

• Docker 🐳
• Minikube 🚤
• kubectl 🛠️
• Argo CD CLI 🖥️
• Git 🌿

Step 1: Start Minikube

Start your Minikube environment. This is your local Kubernetes cluster, ideal for development and testing.

minikube start

Step 2: Enable Minikube Addons

Enable necessary Minikube addons like the dashboard and ingress to enhance functionality.

minikube addons enable dashboard
minikube addons enable ingress

Step 3: Install Argo CD

Install Argo CD on your Minikube cluster using kubectl:

kubectl create namespace argocd
kubectl apply -n argocd -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/argoproj/argo-cd/stable/manifests/install.yaml

Step 4: Access Argo CD

Use port forwarding to access the Argo CD UI through the Minikube IP:

kubectl port-forward svc/argocd-server -n argocd 8080:443

Login Details:

• Username: admin

• Password: Retrieve the password using:

  kubectl -n argocd get secret argocd-initial-admin-secret -o jsonpath="{.data.password}" | base64 --decode; echo

Step 5: Create a GitHub Repository

Create a repository to store your Kubernetes YAML files. This repository will be used by Argo CD to sync your application's state.

1. Create a new repository on GitHub.
2. Clone your repository:

git clone https://github.com/EzioDEVio/GitOps-ArgoCD-Deployment.git
cd GitOps-ArgoCD-Deployment

Step 6: Add Kubernetes Manifests

Create deployment.yaml and service.yaml under a deployments directory in your repo, see my other repo for more deep dive and details on how to deploy kubernetes cluster with yaml files manifsts:

Example:

deployment.yaml:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: myapp
spec:
  replicas: 1
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: myapp
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: myapp
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: myapp
        image: yourusername/yourapp:latest
        ports:
        - containerPort: 3000

service.yaml:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: myapp-service
spec:
  type: NodePort
  ports:
    - port: 3000
      targetPort: 3000
      nodePort: 30001
  selector:
    app: myapp

Step 7: Commit and Push Your Changes

git add .
git commit -m "Add Kubernetes deployment manifests"
git push

Step 8: Configure Argo CD to Monitor Your Repository

Create an Argo CD application linked to your GitHub repository:

argocd app create myapp \
  --repo https://github.com/yourusername/yourrepository.git \
  --path deployments \
  --dest-server https://kubernetes.default.svc \
  --dest-namespace default

Step 9: Sync Your Application

Manually sync your application from the Argo CD dashboard, or use the CLI:

argocd app sync myapp

Step 10: Verify Deployment

Check the deployment status in Argo CD or by using kubectl:

kubectl get all

Accessing the ArgoCD and the app

List current running pods

kubectl get pods -n argocd

Login to argocd an access it in the browser

kubectl port-forward svc/argocd-server -n argocd 8080:443

Open up the localhost on the browser

https://localhost:8080

The default user name is "admin" the password can be retrieved by using the following command:

kubectl -n argocd get secret argocd-initial-admin-secret -o jsonpath="{.data.password}" | base64 --decode; echo

accessing ArgoCD using the CLI

argocd login localhost:8080 --username admin --password <the password from the step above> --insecure

Accessing the app you deployed in ArgoCD

minikube service myapp-service --url -n default

minikube service myapp-service --url -n default http://127.0.0.1:58325 ❗ Because you are using a Docker driver on windows, the terminal needs to be open to run it.

The following url will be the app you deployed to ArgoCD: http://127.0.0.1:58325

Troubleshooting

Application Not Accessible:

Check if the service is up and NodePort is correctly mapped. Ensure your firewall or network settings are not blocking the connection. Pods Not Starting: If pods are in a pending or error state:

kubectl get pods -n default
kubectl describe pod <pod-name> -n default

Service Unreachable:

Verify Minikube's network settings and ensure the tunnel is running if using minikube service. Resource Usage Monitoring: Monitor resource usage to ensure the application is not consuming excessive resources:

kubectl top pod <pod-name> -n default

Additional Notes

Always ensure your Kubernetes environment and tools are up to date. Backup important data and configurations regularly. Feedback and Contributions Feedback and contributions to this project are welcome. Please open an issue or pull request in the GitHub repository.

Conclusion 🎉

You now have a Node.js application running on Kubernetes, managed via Argo CD using GitOps principles. This setup exemplifies a modern CI/CD pipeline that is scalable, manageable, and transparent.

Additional Notes

• Customization: You may need to replace placeholders (like your-username/your-repo) with actual values relevant to your project.
• Repository Links: Adjust links to match the actual URLs where your code and Docker images are hosted.
• ArgoCD Configuration Details: This README assumes ArgoCD is already configured and operational within the cluster. If this is not the case, you might need to include setup details or refer to official ArgoCD documentation for initial setup instructions.

This README.md provides a comprehensive guide that not only helps users understand how to get the application running but also how to manage deployments through a GitOps workflow using ArgoCD.