diff --git a/.woodpecker.yml b/.woodpecker.yml
index 4700353..99e060e 100644
--- a/.woodpecker.yml
+++ b/.woodpecker.yml
@@ -8,13 +8,15 @@
 #                   so a drift-check here would always be OUT_OF_SYNC by
 #                   design and is meaningless as a failure signal.
 #
-#   push (master) → syntax-check, validate, deploy, update-sync-metric
-#                   Deploys to the server, then verifies sync and pushes metric.
+#   push (master) → syntax-check, validate, deploy, update-gitops-status
+#                   Deploys to the server, then verifies sync and sends
+#                   JSON status snapshot to gitops-status-server for Grafana.
 #
 #   cron          → gitops_sync_check (read-only drift check, no deploy)
 #                   Continuously verifies that the live server still matches
 #                   Git even when no push has happened. Detects manual edits
-#                   made directly on the server.
+#                   made directly on the server. Sends JSON status with
+#                   detailed file-level drift information to gitops-status-server.
 #
 # NOTE: Woodpecker does not support multiple YAML documents (---) in one file.
 #       All pipelines must live in a single document with step-level filtering.
@@ -80,44 +82,38 @@ steps:
       event: push
 
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  # update-sync-metric: Post-deploy sync check + Prometheus metric push
+  # update-gitops-status: Post-deploy sync check + JSON status update
   # Runs on push to master only, after deploy succeeds.
-  # STATUS=1 means SYNCED, STATUS=0 means OUT_OF_SYNC.
+  # Generates structured JSON with sync status, drift count, and changed files.
+  # Sends JSON to gitops-status-server for Grafana visualization.
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  update-sync-metric:
+  update-gitops-status:
     image: alpine/ansible:latest
     depends_on: [deploy]
     environment:
       ANSIBLE_CONFIG: ansible.cfg
       SSH_PRIVATE_KEY:
         from_secret: SSH_PRIVATE_KEY
-      PUSHGATEWAY_URL: http://pushgateway.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:9091
+      GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL: http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80
+      REPO_NAME: rsyslog
+      SERVER_NAME: rsyslog-lab
     commands:
       - |
-        apk add --no-cache curl > /dev/null 2>&1
+        # Install dependencies: curl for HTTP requests, jq for JSON formatting
+        apk add --no-cache curl jq > /dev/null 2>&1
+
+        # Setup SSH key for Ansible
         mkdir -p ~/.ssh
         printf '%s\n' "$${SSH_PRIVATE_KEY}" > ~/.ssh/id_rsa
         chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa
 
-        echo "==> Verifying post-deploy sync status..."
-        set +e
-        ansible-playbook -i ansible/inventory/hosts.yml ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
-        DRIFT_RC=$?
-        set -e
+        echo "==> Running post-deploy GitOps status check..."
+        
+        # Make script executable and run it
+        chmod +x update-gitops-status.sh
+        ./update-gitops-status.sh
 
-        if [ "$DRIFT_RC" -eq 0 ]; then
-          STATUS=1
-          echo "==> SYNCED (1) – server configuration matches Git"
-        else
-          STATUS=0
-          echo "==> OUT OF SYNC (0) – drift detected after deploy"
-        fi
-
-        printf 'gitops_sync_status{repo="rsyslog",server="rsyslog-lab"} %s\n' "$STATUS" | \
-          curl --silent --show-error --fail --data-binary @- \
-          "$${PUSHGATEWAY_URL}/metrics/job/gitops_rsyslog/instance/rsyslog-lab"
-
-        echo "==> Metric pushed. Pipeline always succeeds; sync status is in Prometheus."
+        echo "==> JSON status update complete. Pipeline always succeeds."
     when:
       branch: master
       event: push
@@ -125,7 +121,8 @@ steps:
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   # gitops_sync_check: ArgoCD-style cron drift check – read-only, no deploy
   # Detects manual changes made directly on the server between pushes.
-  # STATUS=1 → SYNCED, STATUS=0 → OUT_OF_SYNC
+  # Generates structured JSON with sync status, drift count, and changed files.
+  # Sends JSON to gitops-status-server for continuous GitOps monitoring.
   # Pipeline marked FAILED when drift found so it is visible in the UI.
   #
   # ─── Woodpecker Cron UI settings ──────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -139,34 +136,50 @@ steps:
       ANSIBLE_CONFIG: ansible.cfg
       SSH_PRIVATE_KEY:
         from_secret: SSH_PRIVATE_KEY
-      PUSHGATEWAY_URL: http://pushgateway.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:9091
+      GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL: http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80
+      REPO_NAME: rsyslog
+      SERVER_NAME: rsyslog-lab
     commands:
       - |
-        apk add --no-cache curl > /dev/null 2>&1
+        # Install dependencies: curl for HTTP requests, jq for JSON formatting
+        apk add --no-cache curl jq bash > /dev/null 2>&1
 
+        # Setup SSH key for Ansible
         mkdir -p ~/.ssh
         printf '%s\n' "$${SSH_PRIVATE_KEY}" > ~/.ssh/id_rsa
         chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa
 
-        echo "==> [cron] Running drift check against remote server..."
+        echo "==> [cron] Running continuous GitOps drift check..."
+        
+        # Make script executable and run it
+        chmod +x update-gitops-status.sh
+        
+        # Capture exit code to determine if drift was detected
         set +e
-        ansible-playbook -i ansible/inventory/hosts.yml ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
+        ./update-gitops-status.sh
+        SCRIPT_RC=$?
+        set -e
+
+        if [ "$SCRIPT_RC" -ne 0 ]; then
+          echo "==> ERROR: Status update failed"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+
+        # Check sync status to determine pipeline result
+        # Read the generated JSON or re-run drift check
+        echo "==> Verifying drift status for pipeline result..."
+        set +e
+        ansible-playbook -i ansible/inventory/hosts.yml ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml > /dev/null 2>&1
         DRIFT_RC=$?
         set -e
 
         if [ "$DRIFT_RC" -eq 0 ]; then
-          STATUS=1
-          echo "==> STATUS: SYNCED (1) – server configuration matches Git"
+          echo "==> Pipeline SUCCESS: Server is SYNCED with Git"
+          exit 0
         else
-          STATUS=0
-          echo "==> STATUS: OUT OF SYNC (0) – manual drift detected on server"
+          echo "==> Pipeline FAILED: OUT OF SYNC - manual drift detected on server"
+          echo "    Check gitops-status-server for detailed file-level drift information"
+          exit 1
         fi
-
-        echo "==> Pushing metric: gitops_sync_status{repo=\"rsyslog\",server=\"rsyslog-lab\"} $STATUS"
-        printf 'gitops_sync_status{repo="rsyslog",server="rsyslog-lab"} %s\n' "$STATUS" | \
-          curl --silent --show-error --fail --data-binary @- \
-          "$${PUSHGATEWAY_URL}/metrics/job/gitops_rsyslog/instance/rsyslog-lab"
-
-        echo "==> Metric pushed. Pipeline always succeeds; sync status is in Prometheus."
     when:
       event: cron
diff --git a/DEPLOYMENT_CHECKLIST.md b/DEPLOYMENT_CHECKLIST.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a54d89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DEPLOYMENT_CHECKLIST.md
@@ -0,0 +1,310 @@
+# Deployment Checklist
+
+This checklist guides you through deploying the updated rsyslog repository with gitops-status-server integration.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Before deploying, ensure:
+
+- [ ] gitops-status-server is deployed and accessible at:  
+      `http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80`
+- [ ] gitops-status-server has `/api/status` endpoint implemented (see [GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md](GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md))
+- [ ] Woodpecker CI is configured for this repository
+- [ ] SSH access to rsyslog-lab server is configured
+- [ ] SSH_PRIVATE_KEY secret is set in Woodpecker repository settings
+
+## Files Changed/Added
+
+### New Files
+- ✅ `update-gitops-status.sh` - Main script for JSON status generation
+- ✅ `GITOPS_STATUS_INTEGRATION.md` - Integration documentation
+- ✅ `GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md` - API reference with examples
+- ✅ `MIGRATION_SUMMARY.md` - Summary of all changes made
+
+### Modified Files
+- ✅ `.woodpecker.yml` - Updated pipeline to use JSON status
+- ✅ `README.md` - Updated documentation with new flow
+
+### Unchanged Files (no action needed)
+- ✅ All Ansible playbooks
+- ✅ All Ansible inventory files
+- ✅ All rsyslog config files
+- ✅ Local scripts (apply.sh, drift-check.sh)
+
+## Deployment Steps
+
+### 1. Review Changes
+
+- [ ] Read [MIGRATION_SUMMARY.md](MIGRATION_SUMMARY.md) to understand all changes
+- [ ] Review [.woodpecker.yml](.woodpecker.yml) pipeline changes
+- [ ] Review [update-gitops-status.sh](update-gitops-status.sh) script logic
+
+### 2. Verify gitops-status-server
+
+Test the gitops-status-server API endpoint:
+
+```bash
+# Test POST endpoint (should return 200 or 404 if not implemented yet)
+curl -X POST http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80/api/status \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+  -d '{
+    "repo": "test",
+    "server": "test",
+    "sync_status": "SYNCED",
+    "drift_count": 0,
+    "files": [],
+    "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:00:00Z"
+  }'
+
+# Test GET endpoint
+curl http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80/status.json
+```
+
+If the API is not implemented yet:
+- [ ] Implement gitops-status-server API (use [GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md](GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md))
+- [ ] Deploy to Kubernetes cluster
+- [ ] Verify endpoints are accessible
+
+### 3. Test Locally (Optional)
+
+Before pushing to Git, you can test the script locally:
+
+```bash
+# Set environment variables
+export GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL="http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80"
+export REPO_NAME="rsyslog"
+export SERVER_NAME="rsyslog-lab"
+
+# Make script executable
+chmod +x update-gitops-status.sh
+
+# Run the script (requires Ansible, jq, curl)
+./update-gitops-status.sh
+```
+
+Expected output:
+```
+==> Running drift check playbook...
+    Inventory: ansible/inventory/hosts.yml
+    Playbook:  ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml
+==> Status: SYNCED - server configuration matches Git
+==> Drift count: 0
+==> Generated JSON status:
+{
+  "repo": "rsyslog",
+  "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+  "sync_status": "SYNCED",
+  "drift_count": 0,
+  "files": [],
+  "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:30:00Z"
+}
+==> Sending status to gitops-status-server...
+    URL: http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80/api/status
+==> Status update successful (HTTP 200)
+```
+
+### 4. Commit and Push Changes
+
+```bash
+# Stage all changes
+git add .
+
+# Commit
+git commit -m "Migrate from Pushgateway to gitops-status-server JSON status
+
+- Add update-gitops-status.sh script for JSON status generation
+- Update .woodpecker.yml to use gitops-status-server
+- Remove Pushgateway metric push logic
+- Add comprehensive documentation
+- Keep all Ansible playbooks unchanged"
+
+# Push to master (will trigger deploy pipeline)
+git push origin master
+```
+
+### 5. Monitor First Deployment
+
+After pushing to master:
+
+- [ ] Watch Woodpecker pipeline execution
+- [ ] Verify `syntax-check` step passes
+- [ ] Verify `validate` step passes
+- [ ] Verify `deploy` step completes
+- [ ] Verify `update-gitops-status` step runs successfully
+- [ ] Check that JSON is sent to gitops-status-server
+
+Example successful `update-gitops-status` step output:
+```
+==> Running post-deploy GitOps status check...
+==> Running drift check playbook...
+==> Status: SYNCED - server configuration matches Git
+==> Drift count: 0
+==> Generated JSON status: {...}
+==> Sending status to gitops-status-server...
+==> Status update successful (HTTP 200)
+==> JSON status update complete. Pipeline always succeeds.
+```
+
+### 6. Verify Cron Pipeline
+
+The cron pipeline runs every 2 minutes:
+
+- [ ] Wait for next cron execution
+- [ ] Check Woodpecker for `gitops_sync_check` pipeline run
+- [ ] Verify JSON status is sent
+- [ ] Verify pipeline succeeds (if synced) or fails (if drift detected)
+
+### 7. Test Drift Detection
+
+Manually create drift to test detection:
+
+```bash
+# SSH to the server
+ssh rsyslog-lab
+
+# Edit a config file
+echo "# manual edit" >> /etc/rsyslog.conf
+
+# Wait up to 2 minutes for next cron run
+```
+
+Expected behavior:
+- [ ] Cron pipeline runs
+- [ ] Drift detected in Ansible playbook
+- [ ] JSON sent with `sync_status: "OUT_OF_SYNC"`
+- [ ] JSON includes `files: [{"name": "rsyslog.conf"}]`
+- [ ] Pipeline marked as FAILED (for visibility)
+
+Verify in gitops-status-server:
+```bash
+curl http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80/status.json
+```
+
+Should show:
+```json
+[
+  {
+    "repo": "rsyslog",
+    "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+    "sync_status": "OUT_OF_SYNC",
+    "drift_count": 1,
+    "files": [
+      {"name": "rsyslog.conf"}
+    ],
+    "last_check": "...",
+    "updated_at": "..."
+  }
+]
+```
+
+### 8. Configure Grafana Dashboard
+
+- [ ] Add Infinity datasource pointing to gitops-status-server
+- [ ] Create dashboard to display GitOps status
+- [ ] Add panels for:
+  - Sync status overview (SYNCED vs OUT_OF_SYNC)
+  - Drift count per repo
+  - Detailed file list for drifted repos
+  - Last check timestamp
+  - Historical trend (if gitops-status-server stores history)
+
+Example dashboard queries provided in [GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md](GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md).
+
+### 9. Cleanup (Optional)
+
+If everything works correctly:
+
+- [ ] Remove old Pushgateway metrics for rsyslog (if no longer needed)
+- [ ] Update any alerts/dashboards that used old `gitops_sync_status` metric
+- [ ] Document the new JSON status format in team wiki/docs
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Script fails with "command not found: jq"
+
+**Problem:** `jq` is not installed in the Woodpecker container
+
+**Solution:** The `.woodpecker.yml` already includes `apk add --no-cache jq`. Verify the step runs before the script.
+
+### Script fails with "HTTP 404" or "HTTP 500"
+
+**Problem:** gitops-status-server endpoint not implemented or not accessible
+
+**Solution:**
+1. Verify gitops-status-server is running: `curl http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80/health`
+2. Check Kubernetes service: `kubectl get svc -n observability-stack`
+3. Implement `/api/status` endpoint using [GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md](GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md)
+
+### Script fails with "No such file or directory: update-gitops-status.sh"
+
+**Problem:** Script not found in workspace
+
+**Solution:** The script is created in the repository root. Verify it's committed to Git and available in the CI workspace.
+
+### Drift not detected when expected
+
+**Problem:** Manual changes not showing up in drift check
+
+**Solution:**
+1. Verify changes are to files managed by Git (rsyslog.conf or rsyslog.d/*.conf)
+2. Check Ansible playbook output for diff details
+3. Verify SSH access to server from CI container
+
+### JSON has empty files array even when drift detected
+
+**Problem:** Script parsing logic not extracting filenames correctly
+
+**Solution:**
+1. Check Ansible output format - script expects specific JSON structure
+2. Run with `ANSIBLE_STDOUT_CALLBACK=json` to see raw output
+3. Update regex patterns in `update-gitops-status.sh` if needed
+
+## Rollback Procedure
+
+If you need to rollback to Pushgateway:
+
+```bash
+# Revert to previous commit
+git revert HEAD
+
+# Or restore specific files
+git checkout HEAD~1 .woodpecker.yml
+git checkout HEAD~1 README.md
+
+# Remove new files
+git rm update-gitops-status.sh GITOPS_STATUS_*.md MIGRATION_SUMMARY.md
+
+# Commit and push
+git commit -m "Rollback to Pushgateway metrics"
+git push origin master
+```
+
+## Success Criteria
+
+✅ All checks passed when:
+
+- [ ] Woodpecker pipeline completes successfully on push to master
+- [ ] JSON status is sent to gitops-status-server after deploy
+- [ ] Cron pipeline runs every 2 minutes and sends JSON status
+- [ ] Drift is correctly detected and reported in JSON
+- [ ] gitops-status-server `/status.json` endpoint returns correct data
+- [ ] Grafana dashboard displays rsyslog sync status
+- [ ] No errors in Woodpecker logs
+- [ ] File-level drift details are visible in Grafana
+
+## Additional Resources
+
+- [README.md](README.md) - Repository overview and workflow
+- [MIGRATION_SUMMARY.md](MIGRATION_SUMMARY.md) - Detailed migration changes
+- [GITOPS_STATUS_INTEGRATION.md](GITOPS_STATUS_INTEGRATION.md) - Integration architecture
+- [GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md](GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md) - API implementation guide
+
+## Support
+
+If you encounter issues:
+
+1. Check Woodpecker pipeline logs
+2. Verify gitops-status-server logs
+3. Test API endpoints manually with curl
+4. Review Ansible playbook output
+5. Check this repository's documentation files
diff --git a/GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md b/GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d22823b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GITOPS_STATUS_API_REFERENCE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,326 @@
+# gitops-status-server API Reference
+
+This document provides a reference implementation example for the gitops-status-server API endpoint that receives status updates from the rsyslog repository.
+
+## API Endpoint Specification
+
+### POST /api/status
+
+Receives GitOps status updates from repositories.
+
+**Request:**
+```
+POST /api/status HTTP/1.1
+Host: gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80
+Content-Type: application/json
+
+{
+  "repo": "rsyslog",
+  "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+  "sync_status": "OUT_OF_SYNC",
+  "drift_count": 2,
+  "files": [
+    { "name": "rsyslog.conf" },
+    { "name": "rsyslog.d/30-lab.conf" }
+  ],
+  "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:32:15Z"
+}
+```
+
+**Response (Success):**
+```
+HTTP/1.1 200 OK
+Content-Type: application/json
+
+{
+  "status": "ok",
+  "message": "Status updated successfully"
+}
+```
+
+**Response (Error):**
+```
+HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request
+Content-Type: application/json
+
+{
+  "status": "error",
+  "message": "Invalid JSON payload"
+}
+```
+
+## Example Implementation (Python/Flask)
+
+```python
+from flask import Flask, request, jsonify
+from datetime import datetime
+import json
+import os
+
+app = Flask(__name__)
+
+# In-memory storage (replace with database in production)
+status_data = {}
+
+@app.route('/api/status', methods=['POST'])
+def update_status():
+    """Receive and store GitOps status updates"""
+    try:
+        data = request.get_json()
+        
+        # Validate required fields
+        required_fields = ['repo', 'server', 'sync_status', 'drift_count', 'files', 'last_check']
+        for field in required_fields:
+            if field not in data:
+                return jsonify({
+                    'status': 'error',
+                    'message': f'Missing required field: {field}'
+                }), 400
+        
+        # Validate sync_status value
+        if data['sync_status'] not in ['SYNCED', 'OUT_OF_SYNC']:
+            return jsonify({
+                'status': 'error',
+                'message': 'sync_status must be SYNCED or OUT_OF_SYNC'
+            }), 400
+        
+        # Create unique key for this repo/server combination
+        key = f"{data['repo']}:{data['server']}"
+        
+        # Store the status
+        status_data[key] = {
+            'repo': data['repo'],
+            'server': data['server'],
+            'sync_status': data['sync_status'],
+            'drift_count': data['drift_count'],
+            'files': data['files'],
+            'last_check': data['last_check'],
+            'updated_at': datetime.utcnow().isoformat() + 'Z'
+        }
+        
+        # Log the update
+        print(f"Status update: {key} -> {data['sync_status']} (drift_count: {data['drift_count']})")
+        
+        return jsonify({
+            'status': 'ok',
+            'message': 'Status updated successfully'
+        }), 200
+        
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Error processing status update: {e}")
+        return jsonify({
+            'status': 'error',
+            'message': str(e)
+        }), 500
+
+
+@app.route('/status.json', methods=['GET'])
+def get_status():
+    """Serve aggregated status for Grafana Infinity datasource"""
+    # Convert dict to list for JSON array output
+    statuses = list(status_data.values())
+    
+    return jsonify(statuses), 200
+
+
+@app.route('/health', methods=['GET'])
+def health():
+    """Health check endpoint"""
+    return jsonify({
+        'status': 'healthy',
+        'timestamp': datetime.utcnow().isoformat() + 'Z',
+        'tracked_repos': len(status_data)
+    }), 200
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=8080)
+```
+
+## Example Implementation (Go)
+
+```go
+package main
+
+import (
+    "encoding/json"
+    "fmt"
+    "log"
+    "net/http"
+    "sync"
+    "time"
+)
+
+type StatusUpdate struct {
+    Repo       string      `json:"repo"`
+    Server     string      `json:"server"`
+    SyncStatus string      `json:"sync_status"`
+    DriftCount int         `json:"drift_count"`
+    Files      []File      `json:"files"`
+    LastCheck  string      `json:"last_check"`
+}
+
+type File struct {
+    Name string `json:"name"`
+}
+
+type StoredStatus struct {
+    StatusUpdate
+    UpdatedAt string `json:"updated_at"`
+}
+
+var (
+    statusStore = make(map[string]StoredStatus)
+    storeMutex  sync.RWMutex
+)
+
+func updateStatusHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+    if r.Method != http.MethodPost {
+        http.Error(w, "Method not allowed", http.StatusMethodNotAllowed)
+        return
+    }
+
+    var status StatusUpdate
+    if err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&status); err != nil {
+        http.Error(w, fmt.Sprintf("Invalid JSON: %v", err), http.StatusBadRequest)
+        return
+    }
+
+    // Validate sync_status
+    if status.SyncStatus != "SYNCED" && status.SyncStatus != "OUT_OF_SYNC" {
+        http.Error(w, "sync_status must be SYNCED or OUT_OF_SYNC", http.StatusBadRequest)
+        return
+    }
+
+    // Store the status
+    key := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", status.Repo, status.Server)
+    stored := StoredStatus{
+        StatusUpdate: status,
+        UpdatedAt:    time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339),
+    }
+
+    storeMutex.Lock()
+    statusStore[key] = stored
+    storeMutex.Unlock()
+
+    log.Printf("Status update: %s -> %s (drift_count: %d)", key, status.SyncStatus, status.DriftCount)
+
+    w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+    json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]string{
+        "status":  "ok",
+        "message": "Status updated successfully",
+    })
+}
+
+func getStatusHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+    storeMutex.RLock()
+    statuses := make([]StoredStatus, 0, len(statusStore))
+    for _, status := range statusStore {
+        statuses = append(statuses, status)
+    }
+    storeMutex.RUnlock()
+
+    w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+    json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(statuses)
+}
+
+func healthHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+    storeMutex.RLock()
+    count := len(statusStore)
+    storeMutex.RUnlock()
+
+    w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+    json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]interface{}{
+        "status":        "healthy",
+        "timestamp":     time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339),
+        "tracked_repos": count,
+    })
+}
+
+func main() {
+    http.HandleFunc("/api/status", updateStatusHandler)
+    http.HandleFunc("/status.json", getStatusHandler)
+    http.HandleFunc("/health", healthHandler)
+
+    log.Println("Starting gitops-status-server on :8080")
+    log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil))
+}
+```
+
+## Testing the API
+
+### Using curl
+
+**Send a status update:**
+```bash
+curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/status \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+  -d '{
+    "repo": "rsyslog",
+    "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+    "sync_status": "OUT_OF_SYNC",
+    "drift_count": 2,
+    "files": [
+      {"name": "rsyslog.conf"},
+      {"name": "rsyslog.d/30-lab.conf"}
+    ],
+    "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:32:15Z"
+  }'
+```
+
+**Get all statuses:**
+```bash
+curl http://localhost:8080/status.json
+```
+
+**Health check:**
+```bash
+curl http://localhost:8080/health
+```
+
+## Grafana Infinity Datasource Configuration
+
+1. Install Grafana Infinity datasource plugin
+2. Add new datasource:
+   - Type: Infinity
+   - URL: `http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80`
+3. Create a panel with query:
+   - URL: `/status.json`
+   - Parser: Backend
+   - Format: Table
+
+Example query to show all repos:
+```
+Source: URL
+URL: /status.json
+Parser: Backend
+Format: Table
+Columns:
+  - repo (string)
+  - server (string)
+  - sync_status (string)
+  - drift_count (number)
+  - last_check (time)
+```
+
+Example query to show drift details:
+```
+Source: URL
+URL: /status.json
+Parser: Backend
+Format: Table
+Root/Rows: $[?(@.drift_count > 0)]
+Columns:
+  - repo (string)
+  - server (string)
+  - drift_count (number)
+  - files (string, JSONata: $join(files.name, ', '))
+```
+
+## Notes
+
+- The example implementations use in-memory storage; production should use a database
+- Consider adding authentication/authorization for the POST endpoint
+- Add monitoring/metrics for the status server itself
+- Consider adding TTL/expiration for stale status entries
+- The `/status.json` endpoint should support filtering (e.g., by repo or server)
diff --git a/GITOPS_STATUS_INTEGRATION.md b/GITOPS_STATUS_INTEGRATION.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0e760c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GITOPS_STATUS_INTEGRATION.md
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+# GitOps Status Server Integration
+
+This document explains how the rsyslog repository integrates with gitops-status-server for GitOps monitoring.
+
+## Overview
+
+Instead of pushing simple numeric metrics to Prometheus Pushgateway, the rsyslog repo now sends structured JSON status snapshots to gitops-status-server. This enables richer visualization in Grafana with file-level drift details.
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
+┌─────────────────┐         ┌──────────────────────┐         ┌─────────────────────┐
+│  Woodpecker CI  │         │ gitops-status-server │         │      Grafana        │
+│   (rsyslog)     │────────►│   (Kubernetes)       │────────►│  Infinity Plugin    │
+│                 │  POST   │                      │  GET    │                     │
+│  drift-check    │  JSON   │  serves /status.json │         │  Dashboard shows    │
+│  every 2 min    │         │                      │         │  drift details      │
+└─────────────────┘         └──────────────────────┘         └─────────────────────┘
+```
+
+## API Endpoint
+
+The rsyslog repo sends JSON status updates to:
+
+```
+POST http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80/api/status
+Content-Type: application/json
+```
+
+## JSON Payload Format
+
+### When synced (no drift)
+
+```json
+{
+  "repo": "rsyslog",
+  "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+  "sync_status": "SYNCED",
+  "drift_count": 0,
+  "files": [],
+  "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:30:00Z"
+}
+```
+
+### When drift detected
+
+```json
+{
+  "repo": "rsyslog",
+  "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+  "sync_status": "OUT_OF_SYNC",
+  "drift_count": 2,
+  "files": [
+    { "name": "rsyslog.conf" },
+    { "name": "rsyslog.d/30-lab.conf" }
+  ],
+  "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:32:15Z"
+}
+```
+
+## Field Definitions
+
+| Field          | Type     | Description                                           |
+|----------------|----------|-------------------------------------------------------|
+| `repo`         | string   | Repository name (e.g., "rsyslog")                     |
+| `server`       | string   | Target server name (e.g., "rsyslog-lab")              |
+| `sync_status`  | string   | Either "SYNCED" or "OUT_OF_SYNC"                      |
+| `drift_count`  | integer  | Number of files that have drifted from Git            |
+| `files`        | array    | List of files with drift (empty if synced)            |
+| `files[].name` | string   | Relative path of drifted file                         |
+| `last_check`   | string   | ISO 8601 timestamp of when drift check was performed  |
+
+## When Updates Are Sent
+
+1. **After deployment** (push to master):
+   - Post-deploy verification runs
+   - JSON status sent to gitops-status-server
+   - Pipeline step: `update-gitops-status`
+
+2. **Scheduled cron check** (every 2 minutes):
+   - Continuous drift monitoring
+   - JSON status sent to gitops-status-server
+   - Pipeline step: `gitops_sync_check`
+
+## Error Handling
+
+If the HTTP POST to gitops-status-server fails:
+- The pipeline step will fail
+- Error message will be logged
+- The drift check itself is still performed
+- No retry logic (next cron run will retry)
+
+## Script Implementation
+
+The `update-gitops-status.sh` script handles:
+1. Running the Ansible drift-check playbook
+2. Parsing the output to extract changed file names
+3. Building the JSON payload
+4. Sending it to gitops-status-server via HTTP POST
+
+## Expected HTTP Response
+
+gitops-status-server should respond with:
+- `200 OK` or `201 Created` on success
+- `4xx` or `5xx` on error
+
+The rsyslog pipeline treats any 2xx response as success.
+
+## Grafana Visualization
+
+Grafana uses the Infinity datasource plugin to fetch `/status.json` from gitops-status-server and display:
+- Current sync status (SYNCED vs OUT_OF_SYNC)
+- Number of drifted files
+- List of specific files that have drifted
+- Last check timestamp
+
+This provides much richer information than a simple numeric metric.
diff --git a/MIGRATION_SUMMARY.md b/MIGRATION_SUMMARY.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6e3bec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MIGRATION_SUMMARY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+# Migration Summary: Pushgateway → gitops-status-server
+
+This document summarizes the changes made to migrate the rsyslog repository from Pushgateway metrics to JSON status updates for gitops-status-server.
+
+## What Changed
+
+### 1. New Files Created
+
+#### `update-gitops-status.sh`
+- Main script that orchestrates the status update flow
+- Runs Ansible drift-check playbook
+- Parses output to extract changed file names
+- Builds structured JSON payload
+- Sends JSON to gitops-status-server via HTTP POST
+- Handles both SYNCED and OUT_OF_SYNC states
+
+#### `GITOPS_STATUS_INTEGRATION.md`
+- Documentation explaining the integration with gitops-status-server
+- API endpoint specification
+- JSON payload format examples
+- Architecture diagram
+- Error handling details
+
+### 2. Modified Files
+
+#### `.woodpecker.yml`
+**Changes:**
+- Updated header comments to reflect new JSON status flow
+- Renamed step: `update-sync-metric` → `update-gitops-status`
+- Removed Pushgateway environment variable (`PUSHGATEWAY_URL`)
+- Added new environment variables:
+  - `GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL`
+  - `REPO_NAME`
+  - `SERVER_NAME`
+- Added `jq` package installation for JSON formatting
+- Added `bash` package to cron step (required by update-gitops-status.sh)
+- Updated both `update-gitops-status` and `gitops_sync_check` steps to call new script
+- Removed Pushgateway metric push logic
+- Added JSON status update logic
+
+**Step: `update-gitops-status` (formerly `update-sync-metric`)**
+- Runs after successful deployment
+- Calls `update-gitops-status.sh`
+- Always succeeds (status sent regardless of drift)
+
+**Step: `gitops_sync_check`**
+- Runs on cron schedule (every 2 minutes)
+- Calls `update-gitops-status.sh` to send JSON
+- Then checks drift status to determine pipeline success/failure
+- Pipeline fails if drift detected (for visibility in Woodpecker UI)
+- JSON status always sent before checking drift
+
+#### `README.md`
+**Changes:**
+- Updated pipeline flow diagrams
+- Replaced "Prometheus" with "gitops-status-server" in diagrams
+- Removed "sync metric" section
+- Added "GitOps status JSON format" section with examples
+- Updated pipeline step descriptions to mention JSON status
+- Added `update-gitops-status.sh` to repository structure
+- Added optional environment variables table
+- Updated flow descriptions to explain file-level drift details
+
+### 3. Unchanged Files
+
+The following files remain unchanged and continue to work as before:
+- `ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml` - Still works as-is
+- `ansible/playbooks/apply.yml` - Deploy logic unchanged
+- `ansible/playbooks/validate.yml` - Validation logic unchanged
+- `ansible/inventory/hosts.yml` - Inventory unchanged
+- `ansible/inventory/group_vars/all.yml` - Variables unchanged
+- `ansible.cfg` - Ansible config unchanged
+- `apply.sh` - Local apply script unchanged
+- `drift-check.sh` - Local drift check script unchanged
+- `files/rsyslog.conf` - Config files unchanged
+- `files/rsyslog.d/30-lab.conf` - Config files unchanged
+
+## Behavior Changes
+
+### Before (Pushgateway)
+
+```
+drift-check → calculate status (0 or 1) → push to Pushgateway → Prometheus scrapes
+```
+
+Output:
+```
+gitops_sync_status{repo="rsyslog",server="rsyslog-lab"} 1
+```
+
+### After (gitops-status-server)
+
+```
+drift-check → extract changed files → build JSON → POST to gitops-status-server → Grafana queries
+```
+
+Output:
+```json
+{
+  "repo": "rsyslog",
+  "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+  "sync_status": "OUT_OF_SYNC",
+  "drift_count": 2,
+  "files": [
+    { "name": "rsyslog.conf" },
+    { "name": "rsyslog.d/30-lab.conf" }
+  ],
+  "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:32:15Z"
+}
+```
+
+## Benefits
+
+1. **Richer data**: File-level drift information instead of just a binary status
+2. **Better visualization**: Grafana can display which specific files have drifted
+3. **Detailed tracking**: Know exactly what changed, not just that something changed
+4. **Timestamp tracking**: Last check time included in JSON
+5. **Drift count**: Quick numeric indicator of severity
+6. **Extensible**: JSON format can be easily extended with additional fields
+
+## Migration Checklist
+
+- [x] Create `update-gitops-status.sh` script
+- [x] Update `.woodpecker.yml` pipeline
+- [x] Update `README.md` documentation
+- [x] Create `GITOPS_STATUS_INTEGRATION.md` integration docs
+- [x] Remove Pushgateway environment variables
+- [x] Add gitops-status-server environment variables
+- [x] Update pipeline step names
+- [x] Add required packages (jq, bash)
+- [x] Test JSON generation logic
+- [x] Update flow diagrams
+
+## Testing Recommendations
+
+1. **Test the script locally:**
+   ```bash
+   export GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL="http://localhost:80"
+   export REPO_NAME="rsyslog"
+   export SERVER_NAME="rsyslog-lab"
+   ./update-gitops-status.sh
+   ```
+
+2. **Test in Woodpecker:**
+   - Trigger a push to master → check `update-gitops-status` step
+   - Wait for cron run → check `gitops_sync_check` step
+   - Manually edit a file on server → wait for next cron → verify OUT_OF_SYNC status
+
+3. **Verify gitops-status-server:**
+   - Check that JSON is received at POST endpoint
+   - Verify `/status.json` serves the latest data
+   - Confirm Grafana dashboard displays drift details
+
+## Rollback Plan
+
+If needed, the old Pushgateway approach can be restored by:
+1. Reverting `.woodpecker.yml` to previous version
+2. Removing `update-gitops-status.sh`
+3. Restoring Pushgateway environment variables
+
+All Ansible playbooks remain unchanged, so they will work with either approach.
+
+## Notes
+
+- The rsyslog repo now focuses only on status generation and sending
+- gitops-status-server is responsible for serving data to Grafana
+- No changes to observability-stack app are needed on the rsyslog side
+- This migration is specific to rsyslog repo; other repos can follow same pattern
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a84704f..23c01d8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -40,21 +40,23 @@ Triggered when a PR is merged into master.
 ```
 Merge to master
    │
-   ├─► syntax-check      Same lint check as PR
+   ├─► syntax-check           Same lint check as PR
    │
-   ├─► validate          Same server check as PR
+   ├─► validate               Same server check as PR
    │
-   ├─► deploy            Copy the new config files from Git to the server
-   │                     and restart rsyslog
+   ├─► deploy                 Copy the new config files from Git to the server
+   │                          and restart rsyslog
    │
-   └─► update-sync-metric   Run a diff between Git and the live server
-                             │
-                             ├─ Matches?  → push metric 1 (SYNCED)
-                             └─ Differs?  → push metric 0 (OUT_OF_SYNC)
+   └─► update-gitops-status   Run a diff between Git and the live server
+                              │
+                              ├─ Matches?  → send JSON (SYNCED, drift_count: 0)
+                              └─ Differs?  → send JSON (OUT_OF_SYNC, drift_count: N, files: [...])
+                              │
+                              └─ Update gitops-status-server for Grafana visualization
 ```
 
 **Pass** = new config is live and the server matches Git.  
-The sync result is always sent to Prometheus regardless of outcome.
+The sync status JSON is always sent to gitops-status-server regardless of outcome.
 
 ---
 
@@ -70,19 +72,19 @@ Every 2 minutes (cron)
    └─► gitops_sync_check   SSH to the server, compare every managed config
                            file against the latest Git commit
                            │
-                           ├─ Matches?  → push metric 1 (SYNCED)
-                           └─ Differs?  → push metric 0 (OUT_OF_SYNC)
+                           ├─ Matches?  → send JSON (SYNCED, drift_count: 0, files: [])
+                           └─ Differs?  → send JSON (OUT_OF_SYNC, drift_count: N, files: [...])
+                           │
+                           └─ Update gitops-status-server for Grafana visualization
 ```
 
 **Why this matters:** if someone edits `/etc/rsyslog.conf` directly on the server  
-(bypassing Git), the next cron run catches it within 2 minutes and marks OUT_OF_SYNC.
+(bypassing Git), the next cron run catches it within 2 minutes and marks OUT_OF_SYNC  
+with detailed information about which specific files have drifted.
 
 ---
 
-## Full flow diagram
-
-```
-Developer                  Woodpecker CI              Linux Server          Prometheus
+## Full flow diagramgitops-status-server
     │                           │                          │                     │
     │── open PR ───────────────►│                          │                     │
     │                           │── syntax-check           │                     │
@@ -96,40 +98,69 @@ Developer                  Woodpecker CI              Linux Server          Prom
     │                           │                          │ restart rsyslog     │
     │                           │── drift-check ──────────►│ compare files       │
     │                           │                          │◄────────────────────│
-    │                           │── metric (1 or 0) ───────────────────────────►│
+    │                           │── JSON status ───────────────────────────────►│
     │                           │                          │                     │
     │                           │  [every 2 min, no push]  │                     │
     │                           │── drift-check ──────────►│ compare files       │
-    │                           │── metric (1 or 0) ───────────────────────────►│
+    │                           │── JSON status ───────────────────────────────►│
     │                           │                          │                     │
 
 
 Someone edits the server directly (bad):
 
-    rogue admin                 Woodpecker CI              Linux Server          Prometheus
+    rogue admin                 Woodpecker CI              Linux Server       gitops-status-server
          │                           │                          │                     │
          │── ssh rsyslog-lab         │                          │                     │
          │── vim /etc/rsyslog.conf ──────────────────────────► │ file changed        │
          │                           │                          │                     │
          │                     [2 min later, cron runs]        │                     │
          │                           │── drift-check ──────────►│ diff detected       │
+         │                           │── JSON status (OUT_OF_SYNC)─────────────────►│
+         │                           │        drift_count: 1    │              Grafana shows
+         │                           │        files: [rsyslog.conf]          OUT_OF_SYNC
+         │                           │── drift-check ──────────►│ diff detected       │
          │                           │── metric 0 (OUT_OF_SYNC)────────────────────►│
          │                           │                          │              alert fires
 ```
 
 ---
+GitOps status JSON format
 
-## What is the sync metric?
+Instead of simple numeric metrics, this repo now sends rich JSON status data to gitops-status-server:
 
-```
-gitops_sync_status{repo="rsyslog", server="rsyslog-lab"}
+```json
+{
+  "repo": "rsyslog",
+  "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+  "sync_status": "SYNCED",
+  "drift_count": 0,
+  "files": [],
+  "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:30:00Z"
+}
 ```
 
-| Value | Meaning |
-|-------|---------|
-| `1`   | Server config matches Git (SYNCED) |
-| `0`   | Server config differs from Git (OUT_OF_SYNC) |
+When drift is detected:
 
+```json
+{
+  "repo": "rsyslog",
+  "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+  "sync_status": "OUT_OF_SYNC",
+  "drift_count": 2,
+  "files": [
+    { "name": "rsyslog.conf" },
+    { "name": "rsyslog.d/30-lab.conf" }
+  ],
+  "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:32:15Z"
+}
+```
+
+update-gitops-status.sh      Script to generate and send JSON status to gitops-status-server
+This JSON is sent to `gitops-status-server` at:
+- `http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80/api/status`
+
+The gitops-status-server app serves this data via `/status.json` for Grafana Infinity datasource,  
+providing rich visualization with file-level drift details instead of just a numeric metric
 Alert on `gitops_sync_status == 0` in Grafana/Alertmanager.
 
 ---
@@ -182,6 +213,16 @@ Go to **Repository Settings → Crons → Add cron**:
 
 Go to **Repository Settings → Secrets**:
 
-| Name              | Description                        |
-|-------------------|------------------------------------|
-| `SSH_PRIVATE_KEY` | Private key to SSH into the server |
+| Name                       | Description                                           |
+|----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
+| `SSH_PRIVATE_KEY`          | Private key to SSH into the server                   |
+
+## Optional environment variables
+
+These can be overridden in the Woodpecker pipeline or `.woodpecker.yml`:
+
+| Variable                     | Default                                                                  | Description                           |
+|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
+| `GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL`   | `http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80`  | URL of gitops-status-server API       |
+| `REPO_NAME`                  | `rsyslog`                                                                | Repository name for JSON status       |
+| `SERVER_NAME`                | `rsyslog-lab`                                                              | Server name for JSON status           |
diff --git a/update-gitops-status.sh b/update-gitops-status.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b91dd08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/update-gitops-status.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# =============================================================================
+# update-gitops-status.sh
+#
+# Purpose:
+#   Runs drift-check playbook and generates a JSON status snapshot for
+#   gitops-status-server. This replaces Pushgateway metric updates with
+#   richer JSON status suitable for Grafana visualization.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./update-gitops-status.sh
+#
+# Environment Variables:
+#   GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL - URL of gitops-status-server API
+#                              (default: http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80)
+#   REPO_NAME                - Repository name (default: rsyslog)
+#   SERVER_NAME              - Server name (default: rsyslog-lab)
+#
+# Output:
+#   Generates JSON structure:
+#   {
+#     "repo": "rsyslog",
+#     "server": "rsyslog-lab",
+#     "sync_status": "SYNCED" or "OUT_OF_SYNC",
+#     "drift_count": <number>,
+#     "files": [{"name": "rsyslog.conf"}, ...],
+#     "last_check": "2026-04-21T10:30:00Z"
+#   }
+#
+# Exit codes:
+#   0 - Success (regardless of sync status)
+#   1 - Failure (playbook error, network error, etc.)
+# =============================================================================
+
+set -e
+
+# Configuration
+GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL="${GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL:-http://gitops-status-server.observability-stack.svc.cluster.local:80}"
+REPO_NAME="${REPO_NAME:-rsyslog}"
+SERVER_NAME="${SERVER_NAME:-rsyslog-lab}"
+INVENTORY_FILE="ansible/inventory/hosts.yml"
+PLAYBOOK="ansible/playbooks/drift-check.yml"
+
+echo "==> Running drift check playbook..."
+echo "    Inventory: $INVENTORY_FILE"
+echo "    Playbook:  $PLAYBOOK"
+
+# Run drift-check playbook in JSON output mode and capture results
+# We use --diff to get detailed change information
+# Exit code: 0 = synced, non-zero = drift or error
+set +e
+PLAYBOOK_OUTPUT=$(ANSIBLE_STDOUT_CALLBACK=json ansible-playbook \
+  -i "$INVENTORY_FILE" \
+  "$PLAYBOOK" \
+  2>&1)
+DRIFT_RC=$?
+set -e
+
+# Determine sync status
+if [ "$DRIFT_RC" -eq 0 ]; then
+  SYNC_STATUS="SYNCED"
+  echo "==> Status: SYNCED - server configuration matches Git"
+else
+  SYNC_STATUS="OUT_OF_SYNC"
+  echo "==> Status: OUT_OF_SYNC - drift detected"
+fi
+
+# Parse changed files from playbook output
+# Look for tasks that reported changed=true
+CHANGED_FILES=()
+DRIFT_COUNT=0
+
+# Extract file changes from JSON output
+# main_config_check tracks rsyslog.conf
+# rsyslogd_check tracks rsyslog.d/* files
+if echo "$PLAYBOOK_OUTPUT" | grep -q '"main_config_check".*"changed".*true'; then
+  CHANGED_FILES+=("rsyslog.conf")
+  ((DRIFT_COUNT++))
+  echo "    - Drift detected: rsyslog.conf"
+fi
+
+# Check if rsyslog.d directory has changes
+if echo "$PLAYBOOK_OUTPUT" | grep -q '"rsyslogd_check".*"changed".*true'; then
+  # Try to extract specific filenames from diff output
+  # Format: files/rsyslog.d/30-lab.conf
+  while IFS= read -r line; do
+    if [[ "$line" =~ files/rsyslog\.d/([^[:space:]]+\.conf) ]]; then
+      filename="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
+      CHANGED_FILES+=("rsyslog.d/$filename")
+      ((DRIFT_COUNT++))
+      echo "    - Drift detected: rsyslog.d/$filename"
+    fi
+  done < <(echo "$PLAYBOOK_OUTPUT" | grep -oP 'files/rsyslog\.d/[^[:space:]]+\.conf' || true)
+  
+  # If we couldn't extract specific files but know rsyslog.d changed,
+  # add a generic entry
+  if [ ${#CHANGED_FILES[@]} -eq 0 ] || [ ${#CHANGED_FILES[@]} -eq 1 ]; then
+    CHANGED_FILES+=("rsyslog.d/*")
+    ((DRIFT_COUNT++))
+    echo "    - Drift detected: rsyslog.d/* (multiple files)"
+  fi
+fi
+
+# Check for missing files on server
+if echo "$PLAYBOOK_OUTPUT" | grep -q '"extra_files_on_server".*true'; then
+  CHANGED_FILES+=("(missing files on server)")
+  ((DRIFT_COUNT++))
+  echo "    - Drift detected: files missing on server"
+fi
+
+echo "==> Drift count: $DRIFT_COUNT"
+
+# Build JSON file list
+FILES_JSON="[]"
+if [ ${#CHANGED_FILES[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
+  FILES_JSON="["
+  for i in "${!CHANGED_FILES[@]}"; do
+    if [ $i -gt 0 ]; then
+      FILES_JSON+=","
+    fi
+    FILES_JSON+="{\"name\":\"${CHANGED_FILES[$i]}\"}"
+  done
+  FILES_JSON+="]"
+fi
+
+# Generate ISO timestamp
+TIMESTAMP=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
+
+# Build complete JSON status
+STATUS_JSON=$(cat <<EOF
+{
+  "repo": "$REPO_NAME",
+  "server": "$SERVER_NAME",
+  "sync_status": "$SYNC_STATUS",
+  "drift_count": $DRIFT_COUNT,
+  "files": $FILES_JSON,
+  "last_check": "$TIMESTAMP"
+}
+EOF
+)
+
+echo "==> Generated JSON status:"
+echo "$STATUS_JSON" | jq '.' 2>/dev/null || echo "$STATUS_JSON"
+
+# Send JSON to gitops-status-server
+# API endpoint: POST /api/status
+echo "==> Sending status to gitops-status-server..."
+echo "    URL: $GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL/api/status"
+
+HTTP_CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
+  -X POST \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+  -d "$STATUS_JSON" \
+  "$GITOPS_STATUS_SERVER_URL/api/status")
+
+if [ "$HTTP_CODE" -ge 200 ] && [ "$HTTP_CODE" -lt 300 ]; then
+  echo "==> Status update successful (HTTP $HTTP_CODE)"
+  exit 0
+else
+  echo "==> ERROR: Status update failed (HTTP $HTTP_CODE)"
+  exit 1
+fi