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Coverage Matrix

Chkk Curated Release Notesv0.2.0 to latest
Private RegistrySupported
Custom Built ImagesSupported
Safety, Health, and Readiness Checksv0.3.1 to latest
Supported PackagesHelm, Kustomize, Kube
EOL InformationAvailable
Version Incompatibility InformationAvailable
Upgrade TemplatesIn-Place, Blue-Green
PreverificationAvailable

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Kargo Overview

Kargo is a GitOps-focused orchestration tool for Kubernetes, enhancing Argo CD by automating multi-stage deployments. It uses custom resources (CRDs) like Project, Warehouse, Stage, and PromotionTask to enforce controlled promotion policies across environments. Platform teams define promotion rules declaratively, eliminating manual scripts and enabling consistent, reliable deployments from development through production. By coordinating promotions and integrations with Argo CD and Argo Rollouts, Kargo ensures stable, auditable, and automated software delivery.

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Chkk Coverage

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Curated Release Notes

Chkk monitors Kargo releases, highlighting critical changes, new features, and API deprecations relevant to your environment. It summarizes key impacts, such as CRD migrations or webhook introduction for artifact discovery. This approach allows platform engineers to quickly assess and manage necessary adjustments, ensuring smooth transitions and avoiding disruptions due to overlooked details.

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Preflight & Postflight Checks

Chkk performs preflight checks verifying Kubernetes and Kargo dependencies, ensuring version compatibility and highlighting necessary intermediate upgrades or deprecated API usage. Postflight checks validate that Kargo components and promotion workflows operate correctly post-upgrade, quickly identifying issues such as stuck promotions or CRD conflicts. This comprehensive verification approach ensures operational stability across environments.

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Version Recommendations

Chkk proactively flags outdated Kargo versions, recommending stable upgrades based on community feedback and release cadence. It highlights risks associated with unsupported or legacy features, suggesting optimal target versions to maintain reliability and avoid production issues. This guidance helps platform teams balance adopting new features with maintaining operational stability.

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Upgrade Templates

Chkk provides detailed, step-by-step Upgrade Templates for Kargo, supporting both in-place and blue-green upgrade methods. These templates integrate seamlessly with existing GitOps or CI/CD workflows, incorporating rollback steps and validation points. Platform engineers can confidently manage upgrades with minimal risk, ensuring continuity and reliability in deployment operations.

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Preverification

Chkk’s Preverification simulates Kargo upgrades in isolated environments, detecting issues like CRD conflicts, resource misconfigurations, or unexpected pipeline behaviors before production deployment. This “digital twin” strategy identifies upgrade pitfalls early, enabling corrective actions to be taken safely in advance. It significantly reduces the risk and complexity of actual production upgrades.

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Supported Packages

Chkk supports various installation methods for Kargo, including Helm, Kustomize, and raw YAML manifests. It respects custom configurations such as private registries or tailored Helm charts, accurately mapping required changes for safe upgrades. This flexibility allows platform engineers to seamlessly integrate Kargo upgrades into their existing management processes.

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Common Operational Considerations

  • Argo Rollouts Integration: Ensure Argo Rollouts is deployed when using Kargo’s analysis-based promotions; missing components can silently skip critical verification steps.
  • Warehouse Polling vs. Webhooks: To prevent registry strain and promotion delays, prefer webhook-driven artifact discovery complemented by reduced polling intervals.
  • Project Deletion Cleanup: Deleting a Project also removes its namespace; use the namespace retention option in critical environments to avoid unintended downtime.
  • Project CR Requirement: Kargo requires a Project CR for promotions; missing this CR will halt all automated promotion activity.
  • Warehouse Configuration Errors: Verify Warehouse configurations carefully, as misconfigured repo URLs or tag filters prevent artifact detection and halt promotions silently.
  • Argo CD Authorization: Kargo-driven Argo CD syncs require explicit annotations (kargo.akuity.io/authorized-stage) to prevent unauthorized deployment errors.

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Additional Resources