---
title: "CI/CD Pipeline"
type: concept
tags: [devops, cicd, automation, continuous-delivery]
sources: [devops-culture-and-transformation-fostering-collaboration-agile-practices-and-innovation-linkedin]
last_updated: 2026-04-22
---

## Summary
CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery) Pipelines automate the entire software delivery process — from code commit through testing, integration, and deployment. In DevOps, CI/CD is a foundational automation enabler that shrinks feedback cycles from weeks to minutes. Key tools include Jenkins, GitLab CI, and GitHub Actions.

## Key Concepts

### Continuous Integration (CI)
- Developers merge code changes frequently (multiple times daily)
- Automated builds and tests run on every commit
- Catches integration bugs early

### Continuous Delivery (CD)
- Code changes are automatically prepared for release
- Deployment to staging/production is a manual decision
- Ensures software is always in a deployable state

### Continuous Deployment
- Every change that passes tests is automatically deployed to production
- Full automation of the release process

## Key Tools
- **Jenkins** — Open-source automation server with extensive plugin ecosystem
- **GitLab CI** — Integrated CI/CD within GitLab
- **GitHub Actions** — CI/CD built into GitHub

## In the DevOps Context
CI/CD pipelines are described as "Agile Accelerators" that automate testing and deployment to shrink feedback cycles. They enable teams to:
- Ship features faster with confidence
- Reduce deployment risk through automated testing
- Enable frequent, low-risk releases

## Connections
- [[DevOps Culture]] — CI/CD is an automation pillar of DevOps
- [[Infrastructure as Code (IaC)]] — Complementary automation practice
- [[DevSecOps]] — Security tools integrated into CI/CD pipelines
- [[GitOps]] — GitOps extends CI/CD with Git-as-source-of-truth