Automated GitOps pipelines have simplified Kubernetes releases and reduce deployment time
What is our primary use case?
I use Codefresh for Kubernetes applications and to deploy Kubernetes applications. We have used Codefresh for deploying containerized applications to Kubernetes environments, and our organization has adopted GitOps for managing multiple environments such as development, staging, and production, which makes Codefresh ideal for this purpose.
Managing the Kubernetes platform and deploying applications on Kubernetes is very difficult, but Codefresh has made it easy to deploy applications in different environments like production, staging, and development.
What is most valuable?
Codefresh offers pipeline automation, Kubernetes native architecture, and GitOps workflow integration, which is very useful; without GitOps, we cannot coordinate with the code. It also provides strong integration with container insights, and to see the deployment process, it shows a dashboard that gives clear insights about what is happening. It also provides smart deployment strategies like blue-green and canary deployments, which are very useful for the production release of applications.
Previously, when a developer pushed code, we had to take the code and change the configuration manually, but now through Codefresh's automation, it is easy to deploy through three stages; once it is successful in development, it goes to the staging environment, and after the pull request is approved in staging, it goes to production deployment. For the configuration file, we only have to write it one time, and everything from container to test is done by Codefresh, which has reduced the work for Kubernetes deployment.
Codefresh eliminates the manual process and provides a centralized platform for continuous integration, continuous delivery, and GitOps-based release management. It is also easy to integrate with Argo CD, so it is used on top of Argo CD, making it useful for deployments like Kubernetes.
What needs improvement?
Codefresh has a learning curve for teams, as the initial pipeline configuration may require some familiarity with YAML and container-based CI/CD processes; a junior engineer cannot configure these YAML files and processes, so it needs an experienced or knowledgeable person with a background in Kubernetes.
The documentation is good, but the person using Codefresh needs to go through a learning curve; they should have knowledge of the things Codefresh offers, so it should be easy to use even for a non-Kubernetes person, and the writing of configuration files should also be easier for them.
I gave it a nine because it has automated Kubernetes deployments, which are not easy to achieve through CI/CD, and it is centralized, integrating GitOps, Argo CD, and Docker-based containerized application deployment, making it a useful tool. The reason it is not a ten is because our developers who do not have Kubernetes and Docker knowledge cannot use Codefresh easily, and the configuration file we have to write is very complex, requiring prior knowledge of Kubernetes and Docker-based deployments.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Codefresh for the past ten months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
This is our first established solution, and it is the best platform.
Another choice before choosing Codefresh was CircleCI, but CircleCI was good for Docker-based deployments; however, we wanted something that supports Kubernetes, so we found Codefresh to be better for Kubernetes deployment.
What was our ROI?
I have seen a return on investment from using Codefresh.
Before Codefresh, we had to plan the strategy, write the configuration file, and run everything; it used to take two to three days to plan and implement, but now it is a one-time job, so it can be done in ten to fifteen minutes, which has reduced a lot of time and sped up the automation and CI/CD, requiring fewer employees.
What other advice do I have?
Previously, the process had to be done by three to four DevOps engineers, which included writing the YAML file, managing the containers running in Kubernetes, managing the configuration file, and checking for successful deployments in development and staging before doing blue-green and canary deployments, but now everything has been automated.
Codefresh has made the most positive impact by reducing errors; sometimes humans make errors, especially during high-pressure times or with a high workload. It can be hard to configure the files, and we can misconfigure them, leading to wrong deployments, but with the one-time job of configuring the Kubernetes configuration file, it is very easy for repetitive tasks, and it has also reduced repetitive tasks by being triggered automatically once the code is pushed.
Initially, we tried the free trial application, and now we are using a team plan which is managed by the upper teams. I would rate this product a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Codefreah as a CI/CD deployment tool
What do you like best about the product?
Codefresh has helped our organisation centralize the entire deployment pipeline, from build to test to deploy to maintenance. Before Codefresh, we needed different UI representations and backend tools for Admins and Developers for the entire release pipeline, this problem has been eliminated by Codefreah. And even more importantly, it is cheaper than the preious tool we used. In today's agile way of working, we needed something which could be easy to integrate and implement considering the high frequency of use, which is fulfilled by Codefreah
What do you dislike about the product?
There definitely are some drawbacks which I think can be worked upon by their dev and business team, but no dealbreakers in my opinion. For instance, the public support documentation is somethiing that can be improved. We also noticed some cost upticks when we started migrating some of our more complex projects to Codefresh. Also, when it comes to mission critical projects, the fact that they only have. email support is not reassuring.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
1. Codefresh has helped us centralize our Release pipeline
2. We have been able to unify our build, test, deploy and maintenance tools into codefresh, reducing complexity and cost.
3. tzhe use of gitOps along with codefresh has significantly reduced developer overhead wrt releases.
4. the proxy logs and config log viewer along with app logs has helped us a lot in debugging during Canary ffailures
Ready to use CI/CD with UI experience
What do you like best about the product?
Codefresh is the best way to centralize visualization and control of your CI/CD in a SaaS solution without losing sight of security. Your argoCD and pipeline instances can be on premise or integrated in codefresh plateform.
What do you dislike about the product?
the product could be more mature specifically on these on-premises deployment methods.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Codefresh centralize in one tools your CI/CD control and visualization.
Best gitops integrated product
What do you like best about the product?
Codefresh is one platform works better for both CI and CD. We use hosted gitops platform which helps us to eliminate the complex Argo setup and maintenance.
What do you dislike about the product?
Documentation need to improve and self help sections should be more detailed during usage of the product.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Codefresh solves our faster application delivery to customers and detailed tracking and alerting system helps engineer to resolve the problems quickly.
Codefresh CICD capabilities
What do you like best about the product?
OCI artifact registry support is great, as it allows for pushing helm charts.
What do you dislike about the product?
Public API are poorly documented. Support for utilizing native docker compose API is limited.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
CICD automation.
Empowering DevOps And Accelerating Build and Deployment with Codefresh
What do you like best about the product?
1. Intuitive UI/UX for better developer experience
2. Automated build and deployment pipelines
3. Support for multiple programming languages and tools
4. Integrated with Kubernetes for easy cluster management
5. Flexibility to run pipelines in different environments (e.g. cloud, on-premises)
What do you dislike about the product?
1. Complex setup process for new users
2. Limited support for specific technologies
3. Higher cost for advanced features
4. It may require additional tools and services to utilise all features fully
5. It can be overwhelming for smaller projects
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
1. Robust and scalable infrastructure for big projects
2. Good integration with other tools and services
3. Powerful security features for secure deployments
4. Good customer support and community resources
5. Faster and more reliable builds and deployments
6. Better control and security of the development process
Revolutionizing and making CI/CD effortless with codefresh
What do you like best about the product?
Codefresh has a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy for developers to use. Codefresh integrates with various popular tools such as GitHub, Docker, Kubernetes, and others, making it easy for developers to use the tools they are already familiar with. Codefresh provides a platform for automating the build, test, and deployment of applications. This makes it easier for developers to focus on code development and not worry about the deployment process. Codefresh is built to handle large and complex projects and can scale its infrastructure as needed to support growing teams and applications.
What do you dislike about the product?
Codefresh can be more expensive than other CI/CD tools, depending on the size and complexity of the project. Codefresh only provides email support, which can be slow and unsatisfactory for users who need immediate assistance.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Codefresh provides automated testing capabilities to ensure the quality and stability of code before deployment. Codefresh offers real-time monitoring and reporting capabilities to help developers identify and resolve issues quickly. Codefresh allows developers to customize the pipeline according to their specific needs. They can add new stages, modify existing ones, and configure the environment as required. Codefresh has robust security features, such as encryption and access controls, to protect sensitive data and intellectual property.
Administrator
What do you like best about the product?
Documentation about GitOps and Certification lab about GitOps.
What do you dislike about the product?
no , all contents are fine for the purpose of certification
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It solves the problem of understanding GitOps concept
User Friendly and easy to learn
What do you like best about the product?
User Interface, Ability to integrate secrets, and other third party tools easily.
What do you dislike about the product?
User Interface hangs sometimes and it only works if you open it in other tab but not if you refresh the same tab.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
We used to spend around 30-40mins for our deployments previously with our previous CI/CD tool and now it takes only 10-15 mins for all of our micro services to build.
Rough around the edges but continues to be improved weekly, the best (& only) hosted ArgoCD solution
What do you like best about the product?
I like that I don't have to manage the ArgoCD infrastructure, features or security-wise.
I like that developers have a unified interface with SSO login already enabled.
What do you dislike about the product?
Hosted Codefresh is limited; there's no way to use Argo Workflows, for example.
Better browser support: Codefresh is slow in Safari, and sometimes there are missing features. Make Safari a first class supported browser.
Sometimes it would be helpful to be able to use the argocd cli with Codefresh.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I'm a one-man DevOps show; Codefresh handles all the mundane stuff for me to work on other, more critical, and challenging aspects.
