Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) introduces automation into the stages of app development to frequently deliver to customers. CI/CD introduces continuous automation and monitoring throughout the app lifecycle, from testing to delivery and then deployment.
Understanding Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment
As the notion of software development continues to expand, many adjacent facets of the software development process have become prime targets for code takeover. Examples of these targets include integration and deployment, which form the basis of CI/CD.
CI/CD introduces continuous automation and monitoring throughout the app lifecycle, from testing to delivery and then deployment. Automation during script execution reduces the likelihood of introducing errors and as a result, requires less human intervention.
Furthermore, code changes are continually built, tested, and deployed at every iteration to lessen the chances that code is based on bugs or previous failed versions.
The CI/CD pipeline
Collectively, these practices are referred to as a “CI/CD pipeline” and are supported by agile approaches such as DevOps or Site Reliability Engineering (SRE). This pipeline has several benefits for business, including:
- The ability to reduce costs and complexities and divert resources to areas that will give the best return on investment. Ultimately, the CI/CD pipeline accurately balances project resources in the context of project constraints.
- Improved reliability. CI/CD pipelines manage the complexity of software integration where the work of multiple developers must be combined. This is achieved using the Continuous Integration Certification Test. The test is comprised of three components: daily commits to the main branch, automated triggering of build and test, and repair from any failed build within ten minutes.
- Making the team more attractive to developers. The chances of attracting skilled talent can be increased by implementing the CI/CD pipeline, which automatically allows teams to meet 25% of the items on the Joel Test. This gives the impression of a high-functioning, professional team.
The two components of the CI/CD approach
There are two core components to the CI/CD approach. Although closely related, each component should be incorporated by the business for maximum effect.
Here is a look at each:
- Continuous integration. Automation is an integral part of an effective development workflow and gives project teams the time to focus on what is important. Indeed, every task that can be automated should be automated. Testing is one such process. They should verify that the steps a customer will take through a system are working – irrespective of any changes made. This gives team members the confidence to experiment, incorporate new features, detect problems early, and deliver quickly.
- Continuous deployment. Essentially, continuous deployment is the release of every good build that passes automated tests into production. This requires an ability to get new features, configuration changes, and bug fixes into production. Importantly, it must be achieved safely, sustainably, and quickly by ensuring that code is always in a deployable state. This state must be maintained in the face of many developers making hundreds or even thousands of changes daily.
Differences between core component terms and phrasing
Many practitioners use continuous deployment interchangeably with another term: continuous delivery.
However, there is a difference in meaning between each term. As we have discussed, continuous deployment concerns the automation of the release of a good build to the production environment. Some prefer to call this component “continuous release” for this reason.
Continuous delivery, on the other hand, seeks to ensure that every good build is potentially ready for production release. Ideally, this means that the build is subject to user acceptance tests.
Case Studies
Software Development Company: CI/CD for Agile Software Delivery
Challenge: A software development company wants to streamline its software development process, reduce manual interventions, and ensure frequent and reliable software releases.
Application of CI/CD:
- Continuous Integration:
- Developers regularly commit code changes to a shared repository.
- Automated build and test pipelines are triggered after each commit.
- Unit tests, integration tests, and code quality checks are automatically performed.
- Any failures in the pipeline trigger immediate notifications to the development team.
- Continuous Deployment:
- Once code changes pass all automated tests and quality checks, they are automatically deployed to a staging environment.
- Automated user acceptance tests (UAT) are conducted in the staging environment.
- If UAT passes, the changes are automatically deployed to the production environment.
- Continuous monitoring and automated rollback mechanisms are in place to address any issues in production.
Outcome: By implementing CI/CD, the software development company achieves faster and more reliable software releases. Developers can focus on coding while automated processes ensure code quality and minimize deployment risks.
E-commerce Platform: CI/CD for Continuous Feature Deployment
Challenge: An e-commerce platform wants to deliver new features and updates to its online store continuously to stay competitive and responsive to customer demands.
Application of CI/CD:
- Continuous Integration:
- Development teams work on new features in feature branches.
- Code changes are continuously integrated into the main codebase.
- Automated tests, including load testing and security scanning, are run on each integration.
- Code reviews and peer feedback are integrated into the process.
- Continuous Deployment:
- After successful integration and testing, new features are automatically deployed to a staging environment.
- A/B testing is conducted in the staging environment to assess the impact of new features on user behavior.
- If results are positive, changes are automatically deployed to the production environment.
- Real-time monitoring and analytics help track feature performance and user engagement.
Outcome: The e-commerce platform achieves a competitive edge by continuously delivering new features and updates to its users. CI/CD allows for rapid experimentation and adaptation based on user feedback.
Cloud Infrastructure Provider: CI/CD for Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Challenge: A cloud infrastructure provider wants to manage and update its vast infrastructure efficiently and with minimal human errors.
Application of CI/CD:
- Continuous Integration:
- Infrastructure changes, defined as code, are stored in version-controlled repositories.
- Automated tests and validation scripts are run to ensure code correctness.
- Peer reviews are conducted for infrastructure code changes.
- Code changes are merged into the main repository.
- Continuous Deployment:
- Approved infrastructure changes trigger automated provisioning and deployment.
- Infrastructure updates are applied to various data centers and cloud regions.
- Automated health checks and rollbacks are in place to handle any issues during deployment.
- Real-time monitoring ensures infrastructure performance and availability.
Outcome: The cloud infrastructure provider effectively manages and updates its infrastructure using CI/CD for Infrastructure as Code. This approach minimizes configuration errors, reduces downtime, and enhances infrastructure reliability.
Key takeaways
- Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment introduces automation into the software development process to help businesses remain competitive.
- Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment practices are collectively known as the CI/CD pipeline, which is supported by agile approaches such as DevOps.
- Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment is based on the two core components of continuous integration and continuous deployment. Both work together to ensure that automation – which should be introduced wherever possible – is present in nearly every facet of the product lifecycle.
Key Highlights
- Understanding Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): CI/CD automates software development stages to frequently deliver to customers. It ensures continuous automation and monitoring from testing to deployment, reducing errors and human intervention.
- CI/CD Pipeline and Benefits:
- The CI/CD pipeline manages software integration complexity and reduces costs.
- It improves reliability through continuous integration and certification tests.
- Attractiveness to developers is enhanced, showcasing a professional team.
- Core Components of CI/CD:
- Continuous Integration: Automate tasks like testing to ensure system steps work, enabling experimentation, and quick delivery.
- Continuous Deployment: Release good builds to production automatically, maintaining a deployable state amid multiple changes.
- Differentiating Continuous Deployment and Continuous Delivery:
- Continuous Deployment: Automates release of good builds to production.
- Continuous Delivery: Ensures every good build is potentially ready for production, often subject to user acceptance tests.
- Key Takeaways:
- CI/CD introduces automation for competitive software development.
- CI/CD practices form the CI/CD pipeline, supported by DevOps.
- Core components include continuous integration and deployment, fostering automation throughout the product lifecycle.
Connected Agile & Lean Frameworks
Read Also: Continuous Innovation, Agile Methodology, Lean Startup, Business Model Innovation, Project Management.
Read Next: Agile Methodology, Lean Methodology, Agile Project Management, Scrum, Kanban, Six Sigma.
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