DevOps Pipeline

Components of DevOps Pipeline     

Various DevOps tips and techniques must be implemented continuously so that the code transitions smoothly from one stage to another.   

The following are the components of a DevOps Pipeline:    

• Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery  
• Continuous Testing  
• Continuous Deployment    
• Continuous Monitoring  
• Continuous Operations    
• Continuous Feedback    

Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery    

CI/CD is a technique used for regularly delivering apps to clients by adding automation to different stages of application development. It allows developers to update any code, after which CI/CD automatically tests, builds, and deploys the updated code.    

In particular, continuous integration combines small parts of code from different developers into a shared code repository, which is automatically built and tested for errors. The developers are notified of the errors early on, and they can fix them on time.    

On the other hand, continuous delivery is responsible for packaging the code into deliverable units.      

Continuous Testing    

Continuous testing helps developers to run automated tests on the code integrations gathered during the continuous integration stage. It ensures the creation of high-quality software and applications.     

It is a fully automated process and does not require any manual intervention. However, the developers need to write the test scripts before coding, which leads to automatic testing as soon as the integration starts.     

Continuous testing aims to test the code early on and provide critical feedback to the developers, leading to faster and quality delivery.    

Continuous Deployment    

Continuous Deployment is a strategy that allows the code to be automatically released into the production environment after the testing is complete.    

It ensures that any modification made throughout production is released to the end users.    

Continuous Monitoring    

Continuous monitoring is an automated process that helps developers identify any errors, threats, or risks involved in the application or software production by continuously keeping an eye on the production cycle.     

It helps deliver a high-quality product to the end users and identifies any areas of improvement.    

Continuous Operations    

Continuous Operation is a data-processing characteristic that reduces or eliminates the need for planned downtime and prevents unplanned downtime. In addition, it ensures minimum interruption of the end-users.    

It manages any changes in the software production effectively to minimize disturbance to the end-users.    

Continuous Feedback    

Continuous feedback is the process of assessing software upgrades based on user feedback. Reviews and feedback from the end users help improve the product and deliver quality products in the future.        

Stages of DevOps Pipeline     

• Develop  
• Build  
• Test  
• Deploy  

Develop    

At the initial stage of development, the developers write the software code and push it to the common source control repository. After this, source code integration occurs.    

Build    

At this stage, the application is built using the integrated code in the source code repository from the previous phase.    

Test    

The next stage involves running various tests on the application built in the previous stage. It includes multiple tests such as system tests, functional tests, and unit tests. If there is any error, it is returned to the developer for corrections.    

Deploy    

At the last stage, the final version of the software or application is deployed into the production environment for the end-users to access.     

How to build a DevOps Pipeline?    

Source Control Management    

The initial step in building any DevOps pipeline is to choose a location to store the code. You can use any of the available source control management solutions. An SCM tool assists by storing the code in repositories, modifying it, and coordinating between teams.    

Although there are many SCM tools, Git is the most popular one. However, you can also choose from other open-source options like Subversion, Concurrent Versions System, Vesta, Mercurial, etc.    

Choose a Build Server    

The next step is to select a Build Automation Tool to configure the solution. It can assist you in creating builds.     

Many build automation tools are available, but Jenkins or Travis-CI are the most popular ones as they are user-friendly.    

Run Automated Tests on the Code    

After the code is built, the next stage is to test it. Many automated tests are essential to ensure that the code is error-free such as unit tests, integration tests, functional tests, etc.    

If the code is tested early on, one can easily avoid deploying any errors or bugs into the production environment.    

Configure a Web Application Server    

After the code passes all the automated tests, it can be deployed in the production environment. However, it is essential to note that the deployment requires server infrastructure.    

E.g., If you are deploying a web application, you have to set up a web server (e.g., Nginx or Apache) or a virtual machine in case the application runs on the cloud.     

Conclusion  

DevOps is a concept that is continually evolving in tandem with the market. Many organizations are hesitant to adopt or welcome this practice. Even yet, it is difficult for every developer to gradually minimize and plug the gap between the development and operational teams. DevOps Pipeline has improved the DevOps lifecycle as a whole.  

To Conclude 

From autonomous driving to medical diagnosis, from support with customer inquiries to quality control in production: The possible uses of artificial intelligence can be found in all industries. The fact that the use of AI is increasingly seen as a must and at the same time as an opportunity in the economy is a good sign.