From CI/CD to GitOps FAQ

Who should sponsor the transition?

Platform or infrastructure leadership should own the migration, with strong executive backing from the CTO/VP Engineering. Product teams must commit engineering time to convert manifests and learn new workflows.

How long does a rollout take?

Plan 4–6 weeks for the first pilot service, including tool setup and training. Broad adoption often spans a quarter or more depending on service count and complexity.

How do we handle secrets?

Use sealed secrets, external secret managers, or CSI drivers that reconcile secrets at runtime. Never store raw credentials in Git. Document rotation processes and ensure reconcilers can access secret providers.

What about emergency hotfixes?

Create a documented process: pause the reconciler, apply the fix with audit logging, and immediately capture the change in Git before resuming sync. Unauthorized manual changes should trigger alerts.

How do we measure success?

Track portion of deploys initiated through Git merges, drift incidents per month, lead time for changes, and change failure rate. Survey teams on confidence in deployment tooling to capture qualitative improvement.