github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2@v2.10.9/docs/user-guide/tracking_strategies.md (about)

     1  # Tracking and Deployment Strategies
     2  
     3  An Argo CD application spec provides several different ways of tracking Kubernetes resource manifests.
     4  
     5  In all tracking strategies, the app has the option to sync automatically. If [auto-sync](auto_sync.md)
     6  is configured, the new resources manifests will be applied automatically -- as soon as a difference
     7  is detected.
     8  
     9  !!! note
    10      In all tracking strategies, any [parameter overrides](parameters.md) take precedence over the Git state.
    11  
    12  ## Helm
    13  
    14  Helm chart versions are [Semantic Versions](https://semver.org/). As a result, you can use any of the following version ranges:
    15  
    16  | Use Case | How | Examples |
    17  |-|-|-|
    18  | Pin to a version (e.g. in production) | Use the version number | `1.2.0` |
    19  | Track patches (e.g. in pre-production) | Use a range | `1.2.*` or `>=1.2.0 <1.3.0` |
    20  | Track minor releases (e.g. in QA) | Use a range | `1.*` or `>=1.0.0 <2.0.0` |
    21  | Use the latest (e.g. in local development) | Use star range |  `*` or `>=0.0.0` |
    22  | Use the latest including pre-releases | Use star range with `-0` suffix |  `*-0` or `>=0.0.0-0` |
    23  
    24  [Read about version ranges](https://www.telerik.com/blogs/the-mystical-magical-semver-ranges-used-by-npm-bower)
    25  
    26  ## Git
    27  
    28  For Git, all versions are Git references:
    29  
    30  | Use Case | How | Notes |
    31  |-|-|-|
    32  | Pin to a version (e.g. in production) | Either (a) tag the commit with (e.g. `v1.2.0`) and use that tag, or (b) using commit SHA. | See [commit pinning](#commit-pinning). |
    33  | Track patches (e.g. in pre-production) | Tag/re-tag the commit, e.g. (e.g. `v1.2`) and use that tag. | See [tag tracking](#tag-tracking) |
    34  | Track minor releases (e.g. in QA) | Re-tag the commit as (e.g. `v1`) and use that tag. | See [tag tracking](#tag-tracking) |
    35  | Use the latest (e.g. in local development) | Use `HEAD` or `master` (assuming `master` is your master branch). | See [HEAD / Branch Tracking](#head-branch-tracking) |
    36  
    37  
    38  ### HEAD / Branch Tracking
    39  
    40  If a branch name, or a symbolic reference (like HEAD) is specified, Argo CD will continually compare
    41  live state against the resource manifests defined at the tip of the specified branch or the
    42  resolved commit of the symbolic reference.
    43  
    44  To redeploy an app, make a change to (at least) one of your manifests, commit and push to the tracked branch/symbolic reference. The change will then be detected by Argo CD.
    45  
    46  ### Tag Tracking
    47  
    48  If a tag is specified, the manifests at the specified Git tag will be used to perform the sync
    49  comparison. This provides some advantages over branch tracking in that a tag is generally considered
    50  more stable, and less frequently updated, with some manual judgement of what constitutes a tag.
    51  
    52  To redeploy an app, the user uses Git to change the meaning of a tag by retagging it to a
    53  different commit SHA. Argo CD will detect the new meaning of the tag when performing the
    54  comparison/sync.
    55  
    56  ### Commit Pinning
    57  
    58  If a Git commit SHA is specified, the app is effectively pinned to the manifests defined at
    59  the specified commit. This is the most restrictive of the techniques and is typically used to
    60  control production environments.
    61  
    62  Since commit SHAs cannot change meaning, the only way to change the live state of an app
    63  which is pinned to a commit, is by updating the tracking revision in the application to a different
    64  commit containing the new manifests. Note that [parameter overrides](parameters.md) can still be set
    65  on an app which is pinned to a revision.
    66