Have you ever heard of CI/CD? Here’s what it is and why you need it. CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (or Deployment). But what does it mean?
What is CI/CD?
Continuous Integration refers to the automation of the integration of code changes committed by multiple developers, in addition to the automatic testing of the application and its compilation (if necessary).
Continuous Delivery (or Deployment) is the automation of the last step in the new application version release cycle. The two practices are commonly presented together (CI/CD) because the automatic release process (CD) also requires automating every previous step in the chain (CI).
Why is CI/CD so important and why does it matter for your business?
The aim of CI/CD is to improve error detection, increase productivity, and ensure rapid and secure software releases. In practice, this method automates traditionally manual processes, with the following advantages:
- Less chance of human error;
- Less and faster work for developers;
- Time for operations and sharing knowledge with the team of developers reduced, which translates into reduced onboarding time.
But most importantly:
CI/CD is the most practical, effective and secure method to release software automatically on multiple machines, regardless of their number, and even if it varies over time. This makes CI/CD processes a must-have in an environment like the cloud, where new servers are being turned on and off each day.