Update Homarr image strategy to digest.

Change Summary

This git diff reflects updates to the main.tf file within the homarr module of the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) repository. The changes involve modifying the annotations for the Argo CD application, specifically updating the image reference and the update strategy for the Homarr container.

Technical Details

• File Modified: IaC/modules/homarr/main.tf
• Resource: argocd_application named “homarr”
• Annotations Updated:
  • Image List:
    • Before: "argocd-image-updater.argoproj.io/image-list" = "homarr=ghcr.io/homarr-labs/homarr:v1"
    • After: "argocd-image-updater.argoproj.io/image-list" = "homarr=ghcr.io/homarr-labs/homarr:latest"
  • Update Strategy:
    • Before: "argocd-image-updater.argoproj.io/homarr.update-strategy" = "semver"
    • After: "argocd-image-updater.argoproj.io/homarr.update-strategy" = "digest"

Key Learnings & Insights

• Reasoning Behind Changes:
  • The image reference was updated from a specific version (v1) to the latest tag. This change allows the application to always pull the most recent image, ensuring that any new features or bug fixes are immediately available.
  • The update strategy was changed from semver to digest. This means that updates will now be triggered based on the image digest rather than semantic versioning. This approach ensures that the exact image is deployed, reducing the risk of deploying an unintended version due to versioning discrepancies.
• Problem-Solving Approach:
  • The team identified a need for more frequent updates to the Homarr container to benefit from the latest improvements and fixes. By switching to the latest tag and the digest update strategy, they ensured a more reliable and up-to-date deployment process.
• Best Practices Demonstrated:
  • Using the latest tag requires careful management to avoid unexpected breaks. However, coupling it with the digest strategy mitigates some risks by ensuring that the exact image is deployed.
  • Regularly reviewing and updating container images is a best practice for maintaining secure and performant applications.

Impact Assessment

• Overall System Impact:
  • The changes will result in the Homarr application being updated more frequently, potentially introducing new features and improvements with each deployment.
• Performance & Security:
  • Frequent updates may introduce performance improvements or security patches. However, it also increases the risk of deploying untested changes. The digest strategy helps mitigate this by ensuring consistency in deployments.
• Breaking Changes:
  • There are no breaking changes introduced by this update. However, developers should be aware that the application may receive updates more frequently, necessitating regular testing and monitoring.

Developer Notes

• Gotchas & Edge Cases:
  • Be cautious when using the latest tag, as it can lead to unexpected behavior if the upstream image has breaking changes. Continuous integration and deployment pipelines should include thorough testing to catch any issues.
• Future Improvements:
  • Consider implementing a canary release strategy to gradually roll out updates to a subset of users before a full deployment. This approach can help identify issues before they affect all users.
  • Regularly review the update strategy and image tags to balance between receiving updates and maintaining stability.