CI/CD and Automation

Continuous Integration Fundamentals

• What you Need to Know

  • CI Pipeline Design and Architecture

    • Understanding of build triggers and automated workflows
    • Pipeline stages: source, build, test, package, and deploy
    • Parallel execution and dependency management in pipelines
    • Resources:
      • Continuous Integration - Martin Fowler - CI principles and best practices
      • CI/CD Pipeline Design - GitLab - Pipeline architecture and configuration
      • Jenkins Pipeline Best Practices - Pipeline optimization and design patterns

  • Automated Build Systems

    • Build automation with Make, Maven, Gradle, and npm
    • Dependency management and package resolution
    • Build optimization and caching strategies
    • Resources:
      • Build Automation Guide - Gradle - Modern build automation
      • Maven Tutorial - Apache - Java build automation
      • npm Scripts Guide - JavaScript build automation

  • Code Quality and Static Analysis

    • Static code analysis tools and integration
    • Code coverage measurement and reporting
    • Security scanning and vulnerability detection
    • Resources:
      • SonarQube Documentation - Code quality and security analysis
      • ESLint Guide - JavaScript code quality
      • Security Code Scanning - GitHub - Automated security analysis

Automated Testing Strategies

• What you Need to Know

  • Test Automation Pyramid

    • Unit testing, integration testing, and end-to-end testing
    • Test-driven development (TDD) and behavior-driven development (BDD)
    • Test data management and test environment provisioning
    • Resources:
      • Test Automation Pyramid - Martin Fowler - Testing strategy and implementation
      • TDD Guide - Kent Beck - Test-driven development practices
      • BDD with Cucumber - Behavior-driven development framework

  • Testing Frameworks and Tools

    • Unit testing frameworks (JUnit, pytest, Jest)
    • Integration testing tools and strategies
    • Performance and load testing automation
    • Resources:
      • JUnit 5 User Guide - Java unit testing framework
      • pytest Documentation - Python testing framework
      • Jest Testing Framework - JavaScript testing framework

  • Test Environment Management

    • Test data provisioning and management
    • Environment isolation and containerized testing
    • Test result reporting and analysis
    • Resources:
      • Test Environment Management - Atlassian - Environment strategy
      • Testcontainers - Integration testing with containers
      • Allure Test Reports - Test reporting framework

CI/CD Pipeline Implementation

• What you Need to Know

  • GitHub Actions Workflows

    • Workflow syntax and event triggers
    • Action marketplace and custom actions
    • Matrix builds and parallel execution
    • Resources:
      • GitHub Actions Documentation - Complete workflow automation guide
      • GitHub Actions Marketplace - Pre-built actions and integrations
      • Workflow Examples - GitHub - Sample workflow configurations

  • GitLab CI/CD Pipelines

    • GitLab CI YAML configuration and syntax
    • Runners, executors, and job execution
    • Pipeline optimization and caching
    • Resources:
      • GitLab CI/CD Documentation - Pipeline configuration and management
      • GitLab Runner - CI/CD job execution environment
      • GitLab CI Examples - Pipeline configuration examples

  • Jenkins Pipeline Automation

    • Declarative and scripted pipeline syntax
    • Jenkins plugins and integrations
    • Distributed builds and agent management
    • Resources:
      • Jenkins Pipeline Documentation - Pipeline as code with Jenkins
      • Jenkins Plugin Index - Available plugins and integrations
      • Jenkins Best Practices - Optimization and management

Deployment Automation and Strategies

• What you Need to Know

  • Deployment Patterns and Strategies

    • Blue-green deployments for zero-downtime releases
    • Canary deployments and gradual rollouts
    • Rolling deployments and rolling back strategies
    • Resources:
      • Deployment Strategies - Atlassian - Deployment patterns comparison
      • Blue-Green Deployment - Martin Fowler - Zero-downtime deployment strategy
      • Canary Releases - Danilo Sato - Gradual deployment approach

  • Infrastructure Provisioning for Deployments

    • Environment provisioning and configuration
    • Infrastructure as code for deployment environments
    • Auto-scaling and load balancing configuration
    • Resources:
      • Terraform for Deployments - Infrastructure automation for deployments
      • AWS CodeDeploy - Automated application deployment service
      • Kubernetes Deployments - Container deployment strategies

  • Release Management and Orchestration

    • Release planning and coordination
    • Feature flags and configuration management
    • Rollback procedures and disaster recovery
    • Resources:
      • Release Management Guide - Atlassian - Release planning and execution
      • Feature Flags - LaunchDarkly - Feature toggle implementation
      • Rollback Strategies - DigitalOcean - Deployment rollback procedures

Configuration Management and Automation

• What you Need to Know

  • Ansible Automation Platform

    • Playbook development and best practices
    • Inventory management and variable handling
    • Role-based automation and reusability
    • Resources:
      • Ansible Documentation - Complete automation platform guide
      • Ansible Best Practices - Playbook optimization
      • Ansible Galaxy - Community roles and collections

  • Configuration as Code

    • Version control for configuration files
    • Template engines and dynamic configuration
    • Configuration validation and testing
    • Resources:
      • Configuration Management - Puppet - Configuration automation concepts
      • Chef Configuration Management - Infrastructure automation with Chef
      • Jinja2 Templates - Template engine for configuration

  • Secrets Management and Security

    • Secure storage and rotation of secrets
    • Integration with CI/CD pipelines
    • Encryption and access control for sensitive data
    • Resources:
      • HashiCorp Vault - Secrets management platform
      • AWS Secrets Manager - Cloud-based secrets management
      • Kubernetes Secrets - Container secrets management

Artifact Management and Registries

• What you Need to Know

  • Package and Artifact Repositories

    • Artifact versioning and lifecycle management
    • Package repository setup and configuration
    • Dependency resolution and security scanning
    • Resources:
      • Nexus Repository Manager - Universal artifact repository
      • JFrog Artifactory - Binary repository management
      • npm Registry Guide - JavaScript package management

  • Container Image Management

    • Container registry setup and management
    • Image tagging strategies and best practices
    • Image security scanning and vulnerability management
    • Resources:
      • Docker Registry Documentation - Container image registry
      • Harbor Registry - Open source container registry
      • Container Image Security - Aqua - Image security practices

  • Build Artifact Optimization

    • Multi-stage builds and layer optimization
    • Artifact caching and build acceleration
    • Cross-platform builds and compatibility
    • Resources:
      • Docker Multi-Stage Builds - Optimized container builds
      • Build Caching Strategies - GitLab - CI/CD build optimization
      • Cross-Platform Builds - Docker - Multi-architecture builds

Environment Management and Promotion

• What you Need to Know

  • Environment Strategy and Design

    • Development, staging, and production environment setup
    • Environment parity and configuration management
    • Environment provisioning and deprovisioning automation
    • Resources:
      • Environment Management - Atlassian - Environment strategy and best practices
      • 12-Factor App Methodology - Modern application development principles
      • Environment Promotion - GitLab - Environment-based deployments

  • Database Migration and Schema Management

    • Database version control and migration scripts
    • Schema evolution and backward compatibility
    • Data migration strategies and rollback procedures
    • Resources:
      • Flyway Database Migrations - Database version control
      • Liquibase Documentation - Database schema management
      • Database Migration Best Practices - Atlassian - Migration strategies

  • Configuration Drift Detection

    • Infrastructure state monitoring and validation
    • Configuration compliance and remediation
    • Automated drift correction and alerting
    • Resources:
      • Terraform State Management - Infrastructure state tracking
      • AWS Config - Configuration compliance monitoring
      • Chef InSpec - Infrastructure compliance testing

Performance and Quality Gates

• What you Need to Know

  • Automated Performance Testing

    • Load testing and performance benchmarking
    • Performance regression detection
    • Scalability testing and capacity planning
    • Resources:
      • JMeter Performance Testing - Load testing framework
      • k6 Load Testing - Modern load testing tool
      • Performance Testing Guide - Atlassian - Performance testing strategies

  • Quality Gates and Approval Processes

    • Automated quality checks and thresholds
    • Manual approval workflows and gates
    • Compliance validation and audit trails
    • Resources:
      • Quality Gates - SonarQube - Code quality thresholds
      • Approval Workflows - GitHub - Manual approval processes
      • Compliance Automation - Chef InSpec - Automated compliance validation

  • Monitoring and Observability Integration

    • Deployment monitoring and health checks
    • Application performance monitoring integration
    • Alerting and notification systems
    • Resources:
      • Deployment Monitoring - Datadog - Monitoring and alerting
      • Health Checks - Kubernetes - Application health monitoring
      • APM Integration - New Relic - Application performance monitoring

Security Integration in CI/CD

• What you Need to Know

  • DevSecOps Pipeline Integration

    • Security scanning in CI/CD pipelines
    • Vulnerability assessment and remediation
    • Security policy enforcement and compliance
    • Resources:
      • DevSecOps Guide - OWASP - Security integration practices
      • SAST and DAST Integration - Security testing automation
      • Container Security Scanning - Snyk - Container vulnerability management

  • Secrets and Credential Management

    • Secure credential storage and access
    • Secret rotation and lifecycle management
    • Integration with external secret management systems
    • Resources:
      • GitHub Secrets Management - CI/CD secrets handling
      • GitLab CI Variables - Secure variable management
      • Jenkins Credentials - Credential management in Jenkins

  • Compliance and Audit Automation

    • Automated compliance checking and reporting
    • Audit trail generation and management
    • Regulatory compliance integration (SOX, GDPR, HIPAA)
    • Resources:
      • Compliance as Code - Chef InSpec - Automated compliance testing
      • Audit Logging - AWS CloudTrail - Infrastructure audit trails
      • GDPR Compliance - Microsoft - Data protection compliance

Advanced Pipeline Patterns

• What you Need to Know

  • Multi-Branch and Multi-Repository Pipelines

    • Branch-based pipeline strategies
    • Monorepo vs. multi-repo CI/CD approaches
    • Cross-repository dependencies and coordination
    • Resources:
      • Multi-Branch Pipelines - Jenkins - Branch-based automation
      • Monorepo CI/CD - GitLab - Monorepo pipeline strategies
      • Cross-Repo Dependencies - GitHub - Workflow reuse and coordination

  • Pipeline Orchestration and Coordination

    • Pipeline dependencies and sequencing
    • Fan-out and fan-in pipeline patterns
    • Event-driven pipeline triggers
    • Resources:
      • Pipeline Orchestration - Argo Workflows - Kubernetes-native workflow engine
      • Tekton Pipelines - Cloud-native CI/CD framework
      • Azure DevOps Pipelines - Enterprise pipeline orchestration

  • GitOps and Continuous Deployment

    • Git-based deployment workflows
    • Infrastructure and application GitOps patterns
    • Automated synchronization and drift detection
    • Resources:
      • GitOps Guide - Argo CD - GitOps continuous deployment
      • Flux GitOps - GitOps toolkit for Kubernetes
      • GitOps Principles - Weaveworks - GitOps methodology and practices

Ready to Continue? Advance to Module 3: Infrastructure as Code to master infrastructure automation, cloud provisioning, and configuration management!