Argo CD is a popular open-source GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes that keeps your application definitions in Git and automatically syncs your cluster’s state to match. It runs as a controller that constantly monitors running applications, detecting any drift between the live cluster and the desired configuration in Git—and can automatically correct it to maintain alignment. 

However, upgrading Argo CD deployments can be complex, introducing potential pitfalls—such as breaking changes, deprecated APIs, or incompatibilities with your cluster’s Kubernetes version that could disrupt your GitOps pipeline. In this post, we’ll show how Chkk’s Operational Safety Platform provides an end-to-end solution for managing Argo CD upgrades. From curated release notes and preflight checks to structured Upgrade Templates and preverification, Chkk helps you confidently upgrade Argo CD without the usual risk of disruptions or downtime.

Chkk’s Coverage for Argo CD

Curated Release Notes

Chkk continuously monitors official Argo CD release notes and change logs, filtering out the noise to highlight the changes that matter most for your environment. It produces curated summaries that spotlight critical updates—like deprecated API endpoints, retired configuration keys, important security patches, or new features—that could impact your Argo CD deployment. Instead of parsing through lengthy upstream release notes yourself, you’ll receive concise, actionable highlights so you’re aware of any impactful changes well before you upgrade.

Preflight & Postflight Checks

Chkk runs automated preflight checks to flag any potential problems that might derail the upgrade, such as usage of deprecated APIs or CRDs that the new version no longer supports, configuration settings that need to be updated, or even drift between your Git repository’s desired state and the live cluster state. 

After the upgrade, Chkk’s postflight checks verify that Argo CD is behaving as expected—confirming all Argo CD components are running normally, applications remain in sync with Git, and no new errors or warnings have appeared. This two-step validation process ensures any misconfigurations are caught immediately, giving you confidence that the upgrade was successful.

Version Recommendations

Chkk continuously tracks Argo CD’s release lifecycle and known compatibility issues to provide smart version recommendations. It will alert you when your deployed version is outdated or approaching end-of-life, and suggest a stable version to upgrade to. These recommendations account for the latest security patches and bug fixes, as well as which Argo CD release best aligns with your Kubernetes cluster version and other dependencies. 

Upgrade Templates

Chkk provides step-by-step Upgrade Templates for Argo CD, whether you choose an in-place upgrade or a blue-green deployment strategy. For an in-place upgrade, Chkk guides you through the correct sequence of updating Argo CD components to minimize downtime and avoid disrupting its GitOps operations. 

Alternatively, for a blue-green upgrade, Chkk helps you stand up a parallel “green” instance of Argo CD at the new version, validate it thoroughly, seamlessly cut over your workloads to it, and then retire the old “blue” instance. Chkk can even help determine which strategy is best for your situation, with the goal of keeping your continuous delivery service running smoothly throughout the process and preserving application synchronization during the transition.

Preverification

For major or complex Argo CD upgrades, Chkk’s preverification feature acts as a safety net by testing the entire upgrade in a controlled environment before you apply it to production. It essentially performs a full dress rehearsal of the upgrade using your current configuration to ensure everything will work. Chkk checks that your Argo CD manifests and setup are compatible with the target version, and it validates that all custom resources will continue to function after the upgrade. By ironing out these issues ahead of time, you can proceed with the real Argo CD upgrade confident that it has already been validated on a staging replica of your environment.

Supported Packages

Chkk supports Argo CD regardless of how you installed it—be it via the official Helm chart, a Kustomize configuration, the Argo CD Operator, or raw Kubernetes manifests. The platform automatically detects your installation method and tailors its checks and upgrade steps to fit that approach. This ensures you can continue using your preferred GitOps workflow to manage Argo CD itself while still benefiting from Chkk’s automated upgrade guidance. 

Chkk’s Core Benefits

Chkk Operational Safety Platform simplifies upgrades, reduces risk, and keeps your Kubernetes infrastructure operational. Here’s how that applies to Argo CD upgrades:

• Speed Up and De-Risk Upgrades: Manually upgrading Argo CD is time-consuming. Chkk accelerates the process and makes it safer by generating a detailed Upgrade Plan for each cluster. This plan spans all components—control plane, node versions, add-ons, and dependencies—and flags required changes, including recommended add-on versions or deprecated APIs. Instead of piecing together requirements from various release notes, teams receive a clear and actionable upgrade path. Chkk’s automation can cut upgrade preparation time by 3-5x, reducing weeks of planning to just days.
• Eliminate Redundant Effort: Many organizations squander countless hours on repetitive upgrade planning and research. By unifying upgrade workflows across teams, Chkk prevents duplication of effort and ensures that insights and processes don’t need to be reinvented with every release. This consolidation of efforts can save thousands of hours.
• Delegate, Parallelize, and Standardize Workflows: Chkk makes it easy to break out upgrade tasks among team members, all while maintaining standardized workflows that reduce confusion and boost efficiency. Engineers spend less time context-switching, and institutional knowledge is retained and shared effectively. During staff turnover or organizational changes, having a historical record of upgrade best practices prevents delays.
• Enhance Operational Safety: Kubernetes upgrades introduce inherent risk, but Chkk helps you detect and fix potential problems before they cause disruptions. With automated risk detection, your team can prevent hundreds of potential breakages annually—for every hundred clusters—saving significant break-fix effort. By focusing on proactive measures, you can innovate rather than constantly firefighting.

Simplify Upgrades for Argo CD and 100s of Other Kubernetes Add-ons

Try Chkk Upgrade Copilot to experience how these extended capabilities can simplify your upgrade processes for Argo CD and 100s of other Kubernetes Add-ons, Application Services, and Open Source Projects. We look forward to helping you achieve seamless, secure, and efficient operations. 

Click below to start for free or book a demo to learn more.