Modern Delivery Pipelines:
GitLab CI, Helm, Kustomize, GitOps

Course Description

This training provides a comprehensive introduction to modern CI/CD practices and offers a deep, hands-on exploration of GitLab's CI/CD architecture. Participants learn how to design, build, and operate GitLab pipelines from foundational concepts to advanced, modular structures.

The course then extends into the cloud-native delivery ecosystem, highlighting Helm, Kustomize, GitOps operators such as Flux and ArgoCD, and the emerging Kubernetes-native release manager Kargo. By the end of the training, attendees understand how these components fit together in real-world workflows and can build complete, production-ready CI/CD and GitOps pipelines.

Training Objectives

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the motivation behind CI/CD and typical pipeline structures.
• Configure GitLab CI pipelines, artifacts, caching, triggers, and environments.
• Design modular, advanced pipeline architectures for complex delivery needs.
• Package and customize workloads with Helm and compare Helm with Kustomize.
• Manage configurations using Kustomize generators, transformers, and patches.
• Operate GitOps workflows with Flux, ArgoCD, and Kargo for release management.
• Combine GitLab CI, Helm, Kustomize, and Flux into a complete GitOps delivery scenario.

Main Topics

• Motivation behind CI/CD and the structure of modern pipelines
• GitLab CI fundamentals, artifacts, caching, and environments
• Advanced pipeline patterns and modular pipeline design
• Helm packaging concepts and best practices
• Kustomize-based configuration management
• GitOps operators: Flux, ArgoCD, and release orchestration with Kargo
• End-to-end delivery scenario combining GitLab CI, Helm, Kustomize, and Flux

Target Audience

Developers, system administrators, and DevOps professionals who need to build reliable, automated delivery pipelines in cloud-native environments.

Prerequisites

Linux administration basics, basic Git knowledge, software development experience, and a foundational understanding of Kubernetes.