Here are the multiple steps in CI/CD:

 

1. Code Integration: Developers regularly commit their code changes to a version control system like Git. CI/CD starts with integrating these changes into a shared repository.

2. Automated Build: Once code is integrated, an automated build process compiles the code, packages dependencies, and creates executable artifacts.

3. Automated Testing:

   • Unit Tests: Automated tests validate individual components of the software to ensure they work as intended.
   • Integration Tests: These tests check the interaction between different parts of the application.
   • Functional Tests: Validate the overall functionality of the software from a user perspective.
   • Regression Tests: Ensure that new changes do not negatively impact existing functionality.

4. Code Quality Analysis: Tools analyze code for adherence to coding standards, identify potential vulnerabilities, and provide insights into code quality.

5. Artifact Repository: The built and tested artifacts are stored in a central repository for easy access and version management.

6. Continuous Deployment:

   • Staging Environment: Deploy the application to a staging environment that mirrors the production environment.
   • Automated Deployment: Automation tools deploy the application to the staging environment, ensuring consistency and repeatability.

7. Automated Testing in Staging:

   • Smoke Tests: Quick tests to ensure the basic functionality of the application in the staging environment.
   • Performance Tests: Validate the application's performance and scalability.

8. Manual Testing (if required): In some cases, manual testing is performed to ensure the application's usability and user experience.

9. Approval/Gatekeeping: Human intervention or automated approval gates can be set up to ensure that the application is ready for production deployment.

10. Continuous Delivery to Production:

    • Production Environment: If all tests pass and approvals are granted, the application is deployed to the production environment.
    • Blue-Green Deployments: A technique where two identical environments ("blue" and "green") are maintained, and switching between them minimizes downtime during updates.

11. Monitoring and Logging: Continuous monitoring of the production environment helps identify issues and performance bottlenecks. Logs provide insights into application behavior.

12. Rollback and Recovery: If issues are detected post-deployment, a well-defined process for rollback or recovery is crucial to minimize downtime and impact.

13. Feedback Loop: Feedback from monitoring, user feedback, and performance metrics is used to further refine the development process.

The ultimate goal of CI/CD is to accelerate software delivery, improve quality, and increase the efficiency of development cycles.