CI/CD server
A CI/CD server is a computer or service that automates software integration, building, testing, packaging, validation, and delivery or deployment tasks.
Automating API Delivery
A build server is a platform that automates tasks in a software delivery pipeline and coordinates its components.
- How it is used
- Automates delivery-pipeline tasks and checks API design proposals before governance review.
- How deep it goes
- Explains PR-build triggers, checks, status, and failure investigation, without detailing a complete server configuration.
- Examples
- Uses an API team's PR title script, Spectral linting, Tufin/oasdiff checks, and GitHub Actions.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it to report PR-check results, fail builds at chosen thresholds, and route remaining issues to reviewers.
Azure Security
A CI/CD platform is a software platform that automates continuous integration and continuous delivery activities such as building, testing, and deploying code.
- How it is used
- Automates building, testing, and production deployment of repository changes, including security configuration through IaC.
- How deep it goes
- Walks through service-principal setup, secret configuration, workflow creation, and log verification without detailing workflow syntax.
- Examples
- Uses GitHub Actions to enable Defender CSPM plans across Azure subscriptions and shows workflow log output.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it to programmatically apply Azure security settings through a GitHub Actions workflow.
Google Anthos in Action
A CI/CD platform is an integrated set of services and tools that automates software integration, testing, delivery, and deployment workflows.
- How it is used
- Organizes application delivery across infrastructure, developer platforms, applications, and shared operational responsibilities.
- How deep it goes
- Decomposes platform layers, personas, configuration ownership, and integration points, while avoiding a single prescribed implementation.
- Examples
- Uses code repositories, image builds, and Kubernetes manifest definitions as shared pipeline interfaces.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate CI/CD platform designs by comparing layers, responsibilities, configuration ownership, and integration boundaries.
Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition
A build server is a server or online service that automatically builds software when source changes are pushed.
- How it is used
- Catches source and build problems early by building pushed changes in a shared environment and alerting the team.
- How deep it goes
- Explains the role, maintenance burden, and Docker-based replacement, stopping short of detailed server administration.
- Examples
- Uses a three-stage Dockerfile and the `docker image build -t multi-stage .` command.
- What you can do after
- Understand how Docker can package a repeatable build environment and separate compilation, testing, and final packaging.
Read how Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition explains CI/CD server →
Related concepts
- GitHub Actionsincludes · GitHub Actions is GitHub’s workflow automation platform for defining and running jobs in response to repository events, schedules, and other triggers.
- workflowproduces · A workflow is an organized sequence of coordinated activities, tasks, or decisions through which work progresses toward an outcome.
- pull request buildused by · A pull request build is an automated validation build triggered for a pull request to provide feedback on changes before integration.
- release candidateproduces · A release candidate is a software version considered complete enough for final validation and possible release.
- Jenkinsincludes · Jenkins is an open-source automation server for orchestrating configurable software build, test, delivery, deployment, and continuous integration workflows.
- workflow definitionincludes · A workflow definition is a declarative specification of an automated process’s tasks, their order or dependencies, and the conditions governing execution.
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