Streamline Application Management with TikTok's Strategy

Streamline Application Management with TikTok's Strategy

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. The Challenge of Managing Applications on the Edge
  3. The Centralized Push Model
  4. The Distributed Pull Model
  5. Features of Argo CD for Edge Cluster Management
  6. Improvements and Future Enhancements
  7. Conclusion

Introduction

Thank You for attending our talk on how to manage applications on the edge with Argo CD. In this article, we will discuss a case study on how TikTok is managing 3000 applications across 100 global edge clusters using Argo CD. We will also explore considerations, tips, and techniques for using Argo CD to manage cluster applications on the edge. But before we dive in, let us introduce ourselves.

1. The Challenge of Managing Applications on the Edge

Managing applications on the edge can be a complex task, especially with a large number of applications and global edge clusters. The challenge lies in efficiently deploying and managing these applications while ensuring consistency and high performance across all clusters.

2. The Centralized Push Model

The centralized push model is one approach to managing edge clusters with Argo CD. In this model, there is a centralized instance of Argo CD that connects to and manages all edge clusters. This central instance pushes or applies the manifest from Git to the edge clusters.

Pros:

  • Single pane of Glass for managing applications in all clusters
  • Easier to manage as you only need to maintain one Argo CD instance

Cons:

  • Performance may degrade as the number of applications increases
  • Centralized model can be a single point of failure

3. The Distributed Pull Model

Another approach to managing edge clusters with Argo CD is the distributed pull model. In this model, an instance of Argo CD is run in each edge cluster. These instances pull from a Git repository and automatically sync changes specific to that cluster.

Pros:

  • Scalability is not a concern as each cluster has its own application controller
  • Increased security as Kubernetes API server access can be closed off

Cons:

  • Lose out on advanced features of Argo CD's central control plane
  • Limited flexibility in controlling deployments

4. Features of Argo CD for Edge Cluster Management

Argo CD offers several features that are useful for managing edge clusters:

- Argo CD Core: If you choose the distributed pull model, you can install only the core components of Argo CD, which act as a basic GitOps operator. This is useful when you don't need end users to access the Argo CD UI.

- Application Sets: Argo CD's application sets feature allows you to automatically generate applications from paths inside a Git repository or from registered clusters. This is helpful for both the centralized push and distributed pull models.

5. Improvements and Future Enhancements

As TikTok scaled out their usage of Argo CD, they encountered several challenges and made improvements:

- Performance and Caching Improvements: The TikTok team made significant improvements to the API server's performance and caching to handle a large number of applications effectively.

- Robustness for Global Edge Clusters: Tuning options were introduced to make Argo CD more robust and resilient in the face of unreliable networks.

- Future Enhancements: The Argo CD team is constantly working on improvements and future features, including project-level support, open telemetry support, and improved UI performance.

7. Conclusion

Managing applications on the edge can be a complex task, but Argo CD offers powerful capabilities for managing cluster applications effectively. By choosing the appropriate deployment model and leveraging Argo CD's features, organizations can overcome the challenges of managing applications on the edge and ensure consistency, performance, and scalability.

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