Embrace CI/CD for a faster, more effective way to build and deliver software.

CI refers to the practice of continuously publishing code changes and new code to a shared branch. Code changes initiate automated test-and-build sequences so the new code can be updated in real-time in relation to the rest of the software.

CD refers to the discipline of building software that can be deployed to production at any time, automation means engineers don’t need to perform every step manually, so the process is faster and much more stable.

In a CI/CD pipeline, all developers merge their code changes in a central repository on a regular basis. Each code change initiates automated build-and-test sequences, providing feedback to the developers so they can fix any issues, deployment, and continuous monitoring to proactively identify problem areas.

DevOps incorporates how teams utilise people, processes, and technologies to deliver value to customers, but it isn’t just about getting deliverables released. For DevOps to be successful, teams need to ensure they’re delivering value quickly, securely, and repeatedly. 

CI/CD helps teams to focus on making rapid improvements to the customer experience. It builds automation, governance, longevity, and security into software development. It speeds up the life cycle by combining build, configure, test, and deployment functions into product-oriented teams.

Practising CI/CD enables your organisation to keep up with the fast-paced global economy by bringing new features and code changes to your customers more quickly and efficiently. It sets your software apart from competitors’, giving you an advantage in a crowded marketplace. And it makes it easier to keep evolving, improving the quality of your software for your customers. 

With automated pipelines taking care of the heavy lifting, your teams will also benefit from increased efficiency and be able to channel their skills into improving testing, creating resilient code, and innovating for your end users.

Source: a change in code in the repository (or automatic scheduling) triggers a notification to run automations in the pipeline.

Build: the source code is combined to build an artifact, a usable instance of the product, flagging any potential problems.

Test: automated tests are run to validate the code and how the product behaves. These tests might be run in multiple stages, and provide feedback to the developers.

Deploy: when code has passed the tests, it’s ready to be deployed into a new environment, either manually into a staging environment first or automatically into a production environment for the customers.

Monitor: once the artifact is deployed into production, the application is continuously monitored to analyse trends, examine the performance, and proactively identify problem areas.

Any failures will trigger notifications to let the relevant developer know the cause, and when code is successfully deployed to production, the whole team is made aware too.

The benefits of CI/CD include shorter review time and faster time to market, faster bug fixes and better code quality, and a more efficient infrastructure, supported by faster feedback loops and more effective collaboration and communication. You’ll also be able to measure your progress, improving your processes as you go. 

People, processes, and tools all have a big role to play in CI/CD’s success. You need people who are happy to move away from traditional software development models, focusing on making ongoing improvements and responding to customers’ demands. You need processes that work with your people rather than against them, so that integration becomes a non-event and new features can be rolled out as soon as they’re ready. And you need tools that meet your requirements and your size, whether you’re still dependent on monolithic applications or your environment is based on a microservices architecture.