A GitOps controller is most valuable when cluster state diverges from the repository. In a nonproduction cluster, deploy a small application, change it by hand, and observe whether the candidate detects drift. Then introduce a bad manifest and practise rollback from Git.
Compare sync policies, health signals, secrets handling, RBAC, and audit records. Include multi-cluster behavior if you rely on it. Verify that a paused or offline controller does not leave operators unsure which revision is running. Before moving production apps, document ownership and an emergency path for restoring service when automated reconciliation is the thing that breaks.
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