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

A Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline involves a series of steps that is performed in order to deliver a new version of application. CI/CD pipelines are a practice focused on improving software delivery using automation.

Components of a CI/CD pipeline

The steps that form a CI/CD pipeline are distinct subsets of tasks that are grouped into a pipeline stage. Typical pipeline stages include:

  • Build - The stage where the application is compiled.

  • Test - The stage where code is tested. Automation here can save both time and effort.

  • Release - The stage where the application is delivered to the central repository.

  • Deploy - In this stage code is deployed to production environment.

  • Validation and compliance - The steps to validate a build are determined by the needs of your organization. Image security scanning, security scanning and code analysis of applications ensure the quality of images and written application's code.

CI/CD Pipeline Stages Figure: CI/CD Pipeline Stages