Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) is a software development methodology that emphasizes the importance of automating and streamlining the development process. A CI/CD pipeline is a series of automated steps that enable software developers to build, test, and deploy code changes more quickly and efficiently.
The code repository is where the software code is stored and version controlled. Developers create new code and commit changes to the repository, which triggers the pipeline.
Once changes are committed to the code repository, the pipeline automatically triggers the build process. The build process compiles the code and creates a build artifact, such as an executable file or a container image.
The next stage in the pipeline is testing. The pipeline automatically runs a suite of tests against the build artifact to ensure that it meets quality and functionality requirements. This includes unit tests, integration tests, and other types of tests as needed.
Once the build artifact has passed all tests, the pipeline automatically deploys it to a staging environment or production environment, depending on the configuration. The deployment process can be fully automated, or it can require manual approval from a designated person or team.
After deployment, the pipeline monitors the application or service to ensure that it is running correctly and performing as expected. If any issues are detected, the pipeline may automatically roll back the changes or alert the appropriate team members.
The benefits of a CI/CD pipeline are numerous. By automating the development process, software developers can identify and fix issues more quickly, release code changes more frequently, and reduce the risk of errors and failures in production. This enables organizations to deliver software faster and with greater confidence, while also improving the quality and reliability of their products.