Introduction
CI/CD pipeline setup is the backbone of modern software delivery. It automates builds, tests, and deployments so teams ship code faster with fewer errors. This guide explains core concepts, tool choices like GitHub Actions and Jenkins, and step-by-step setup that beginners and intermediate readers can follow. Read on for clear steps, real examples, and practical tips to get a working pipeline in hours.
What is a CI/CD pipeline?
A CI/CD pipeline is an automated workflow that moves code from development to production. It includes stages for:
- Continuous Integration — automatic builds and tests on commits.
- Continuous Delivery — deployable builds ready for release.
- Continuous Deployment — automatic deployment to production when criteria are met.
Why set up CI/CD? Key benefits
CI/CD reduces manual steps and risks. Key wins:
- Faster feedback on code changes.
- Fewer integration bugs.
- Consistent, repeatable releases.
- Better team collaboration and confidence.
Plan your CI/CD pipeline
Start with a simple plan. Define goals, environments, and release rules. Keep the first version small: build, test, and deploy to staging. Add complexity later.
Decide pipeline scope
- Which branches trigger pipelines? (e.g., main, develop)
- Which tests run on PRs versus main?
- Who can approve deployments?
Pick the right tools
Choose tools that match team skills and scale. Popular options include GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI, and CircleCI. For containerized apps use Docker and orchestrate with Kubernetes.
Tool comparison
| Tool | Best for | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Actions | Repos on GitHub | Integrated, easy YAML, marketplace | Limits on concurrency for free tier |
| Jenkins | Highly customizable | Plugins, self-hosting control | Maintenance overhead |
| GitLab CI | All-in-one DevOps | Built-in registry, CI/CD | Self-hosted complexity |
| CircleCI | Cloud CI/CD | Performance, caching | Cost at scale |
Core pipeline stages and examples
Design a pipeline with these core stages. Keep each stage focused and testable.
1. Build
Compile code, build artifacts, or create container images. Use reproducible build steps and cache dependencies to speed up runs.
2. Test
Run unit tests, linters, and smoke tests. For PRs, run fast checks. For main branch runs, include integration tests.
3. Package
Create deployable packages. For containers, tag images with semantic or pipeline-specific tags.
4. Deploy
Deploy to staging automatically. Use manual approvals for production or gated triggers for Continuous Deployment.
Example: GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline
Below is a compact example for a Node.js app. Save as .github/workflows/ci-cd.yml.
name: CI-CD
on:
push:
branches: [ main ]
pull_request:
branches: [ main ]
jobs:
build-and-test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
– uses: actions/checkout@v3
– name: Set up Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v3
with:
node-version: ’18’
– run: npm ci
– run: npm test
docker-build-deploy:
needs: build-and-test
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
– uses: actions/checkout@v3
– run: |
docker build -t myapp:${{ github.sha }} .
docker tag myapp:${{ github.sha }} myrepo/myapp:latest
– name: Push image
run: echo “Push to registry here”
Container and orchestration tips
Use Docker for consistent environments and tag images with pipeline metadata. For deployments to clusters, integrate with Kubernetes via secure service accounts and CI/CD tokens.
For official guidance, see the GitHub Actions docs and Kubernetes docs.
Testing, quality gates, and observability
Include these quality gates:
- Unit tests passing
- Static analysis/linting
- Code coverage threshold
- Security scans (SAST) and dependency checks
Add observability: logging, metrics, and alerts for failed deployments. Use simple dashboards first, then evolve.
Best practices for durable CI/CD
- Keep pipelines fast: run quick checks on PRs and heavier tests on main.
- Use immutable artifacts: avoid rebuilding the same version in production.
- Secrets management: store tokens in secure vaults or pipeline secrets.
- Fail fast: stop the pipeline on critical failures.
- Shift-left security: add scans early in the pipeline.
Real-world example: small team flow
A small team might use this flow:
- Developers open a PR; lightweight lint and unit tests run on PR.
- When merged to main, full test suite and build run.
- Successful build publishes an image to a registry.
- Deployment to staging happens automatically; manual approval promotes staging to production.
Troubleshooting common CI/CD issues
- Failing builds: reproduce locally using the same container or runner image.
- Flaky tests: mark or fix unstable tests; run multiple retries sparingly.
- Secret access errors: verify pipeline secret names and scopes.
- Slow runs: add caching for dependencies and parallelize jobs.
Security and compliance
Limit who can approve deployments and rotate keys. Run dependency scanning and container base image scanning. Enforce role-based access for pipelines and artifact registries.
Conclusion
Setting up a CI/CD pipeline makes releases predictable and fast. Start small: automate builds and tests, then add packaging, deployment, and security gates. Use tools like GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes to scale as needs grow. Implement observability and iterate on pipeline speed and reliability.