What is CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery)?

Continuous Integration

CI stands for Continuous Integration. It is a software development process/ technique whereby the new changes which are supposed to improve the code’s performance are updated automatically. Code changes by multiple software developers are integrated and updated automatically into a single database. It is a process by which the network of developers is committed to a central codebase, like stash or GitHub. The main function of Continuous Integration (CI) is to perform bug testing by assessing the code and integrating it across the development team. This leads to improvement in the quality of the code as it is less prone to crashing and lessens the time taken to release the new features in the application for wide use. Some of the tools used for CI are Bamboo, TeamCity, and Jenkins.

Continuous Delivery

This process is carried out just after Continuous Integration. It is done to ensure that the changes in the software were done by the developers to improve the code and reach the customers speedily and in error-free manner. This is done by performing regression and integration tests in a simulator or a staging area to make sure that the final application is running error-free.

It helps in the automation of the software development lifecycle and makes the product release ready so that the deployment of the application can be possible at any point. Some of the tools used for Continuous Delivery are Gitlab, CodeDeploy, and AWS.

What is DevOps?

DevOps is derived from Development and Operations. It is the union of the Development team and the IT Operation team of the organization. The main aim is to create better software products with shorter software development lifecycles to provide better and enhanced end products to the customer. DevOps is used to bridge the gap between developers and testers. Using specific tools and techniques, more stable software applications can be created which are less prone to crashing and increase the confidence of the customer in the final product. DevOps brings the personnel from different work backgrounds and work in unison to avoid any bottleneck in delivering a new product in the market.

How is CI/CD Different From DevOps (Differences in Processes and Implementation)?

DevOps is a collaboration of ideas, roles, processes, and strategies that aim to speed up the whole development cycle. It ensures that the product getting designed from the beginning is in line with optimized workflows, which leads to better product delivery and a result in robust software delivery. It promotes the cross-training of the professionals in each-other fields so that they can appreciate and participate in the ongoing development and have a better understanding and perspective at all levels of the development lifecycle of the software. It promoted communication between Project managers, IT teams, and software developers.

To implement DevOps in an already working infrastructure, a cultural and process change is required as it needs resources from different departments in an organization. In the case of CI/CD only a process shift is needed.

CI/CD focuses on the automation of the better Integration of the updates in the product and making smooth workflows for the Delivery of the product. It also relies on feedback from the end user. This automated process benefits both the end client and the solution provider. However, CI/CD is only a tool used by the DevOps team in the organization.

What is CI/CD in DevOps? and How are They Related to Agile?

CI/CD and DevOps used in conjunction can improve the efficiency of the product made and Delivery on large scales.

The main benefit of using CI/CD in a DevOps Architecture is quick feedback which positively affects the enhancement of the product by removing any issues faced or software bugs present in the product. By using CI/CD tools, some of the processes of updating the bugs and testing the updated build are done in a safe environment without affecting the end client. Once the final product performs in a stable manner in test conditions, it is released for general use.

It helps in creating the pipeline through which the developers get the accumulated data on what exact issues to fix or what new features to add to the application. This automation process saves time and makes the Delivery of the product faster.

Agile focuses on removing bottlenecks of lengthy processes and directly establishing communication between the different stakeholders like developers, customers, and management of an organization. It lays emphasis on the changes which are required to optimize the final product by connecting other teams working on the same product.

How to Implement CI/CD within a DevOps Culture? 

The implementation of CI/CD can happen in four stages:

1. Commit: New features are integrated with the database by different developers
2. Build: Developers push the updates in the registry and send it for testing
3. Test: Testing the new updates is done, and the stability of the final product is verified.
4. Production Deployment: Once the updates are tested to be stable, they are released/Deployed.

Testing and Automation in CI/CD and DevOps?

There are three types of automated testing in DevOps:

• Unit Testing: This validates the units of the code
• Integration Testing: This validates that all unit codes are working together
• End-to-end Testing: This validates that the final product is stable for the end client.

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