NHI 101: CI/CD Pipelines

CI/CD Pipeline 101: An Introduction to Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment

A CI/CD pipeline automates software development processes, facilitating Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD). It acts as a streamlined sequence of automated steps to build, test, and deploy code changes, ensuring efficiency and quality in software delivery.

Definition

A CI/CD pipeline is an automated workflow that integrates code changes, runs tests, and deploys applications to production. It leverages version control and automated testing to detect issues early and minimize human error.

CI/CD pipelines automate the journey from code commit to deployment through a series of well-defined stages: building, testing, and deploying applications. Here’s a high-level overview of how they work.

Before the pipeline takes effect, the first step is the Code Commit & Trigger: Developers push code changes to a version control system like Git. This triggers the CI/CD pipeline:

1. Build Stage: The pipeline fetches the latest code, compiles it, and packages it into a deployable artifact.

2. Test Stage: Automated tests (unit, integration, etc.) run against the build. If tests fail, the pipeline halts to prevent faulty code from progressing.

3. Deployment: On successful tests, the pipeline deploys the new build to staging or production environments. Additional automated checks or approval gates may be used in this stage.

Importance

Implementing a CI/CD pipeline is crucial for modern development teams. It reduces manual work, accelerates release cycles, and boosts collaboration between development and operations—core to a DevOps culture. By automating testing and deployment, teams ensure more reliable and secure releases while quickly iterating based on feedback. Put simply, CI/CD pipelines enable: 

• Automated Testing: Integrates with testing suites to catch bugs early.

• Rapid Deployment: Enables frequent, small releases with minimal downtime.

• IaC (Infrastructure as Code): Seamlessly manages infrastructure changes.

How it works

CI/CD pipelines heavily depend on APIs to integrate various tools and services. For example:

• Version Control APIs: Connect with GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket to monitor changes.

• Build & Test Tools: Jenkins, CircleCI, or Travis CI use APIs to orchestrate build and test processes.

• Deployment Tools: Kubernetes, Docker, or cloud providers are interfaced via their APIs to automate environment provisioning and code deployment.

These APIs enable seamless communication between different pipeline stages, ensuring a cohesive and automated workflow.

Dependencies

Strong Non-Human Identity (NHI) management is essential in CI/CD environments as it secures machine identities like API keys, service accounts, and bots that automate code deployment. It minimizes security risks by enforcing strict access controls, regularly rotating credentials, and auditing automated actions, thereby preventing breaches and unauthorized access. Robust NHI practices also enhance the reliability of CI/CD pipelines, ensuring smooth operations, compliance, and greater trust among development and operations teams.

Glossary

• CI/CD: Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment.

• DevOps: A methodology combining development and operations for shorter development cycles.

• IaC: Infrastructure as Code, managing infrastructure via code.