CI/CD with GitHub Actions

Step 9 of the DevOps Roadmap

Learn about the concepts of CI/CD and how to implement in your projects using some CI/CD tool. There are several options available in this space, you can pick any one. Integrate CI/CD into your app.

Why GitHub Actions for DevOps?

Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment with GitHub Actions provides:

• Native integration with GitHub repositories
• Scalable and flexible workflow automation
• Built-in security and secret management
• Extensive marketplace of pre-built actions
• Cost-effective solution for CI/CD pipelines

What You'll Learn

CI/CD Fundamentals

• Continuous Integration Concepts

  • CI/CD pipeline principles
  • Build automation strategies
  • Automated testing approaches
  • Code quality and security scanning

• Continuous Deployment Patterns

  • Deployment strategies (blue-green, canary)
  • Environment promotion workflows
  • Rollback and recovery procedures
  • Infrastructure as Code integration

GitHub Actions Architecture

• Workflow Components

  • Workflows, jobs, and steps
  • Events and triggers
  • Runners and execution environments
  • Action marketplace ecosystem

• Advanced Features

  • Matrix builds and parallelization
  • Conditional execution
  • Workflow dependencies
  • Reusable workflows and composite actions

Workflow Development

• YAML Workflow Syntax

  • Workflow file structure
  • Event triggers and scheduling
  • Job configuration and dependencies
  • Environment variables and contexts

• Action Development

  • JavaScript and Docker actions
  • Input and output parameters
  • Action metadata and branding
  • Publishing to marketplace

Testing Automation

• Automated Testing Strategies

  • Unit testing integration
  • Integration testing workflows
  • End-to-end testing automation
  • Performance and security testing

• Quality Gates

  • Code coverage requirements
  • Static analysis integration
  • Security vulnerability scanning
  • Compliance and policy enforcement

Deployment Automation

• Multi-Environment Deployments

  • Development and staging environments
  • Production deployment strategies
  • Environment-specific configurations
  • Approval workflows and gates

• Infrastructure Integration

  • Terraform deployment automation
  • Ansible configuration management
  • Container registry integration
  • Cloud platform deployments

Security & Secrets Management

• Pipeline Security

  • Secret management best practices
  • OIDC and federated authentication
  • Dependency scanning
  • Supply chain security

• Access Control

  • Branch protection rules
  • Environment protection rules
  • Required reviewers and approvals
  • Audit logging and compliance

Hands-on Projects

Project 1: Full-Stack Application Pipeline

Build complete CI/CD pipeline:

• Multi-stage testing (unit, integration, e2e)
• Automated security scanning
• Container image building and scanning
• Multi-environment deployment automation

Project 2: Infrastructure as Code Pipeline

Create infrastructure automation:

• Terraform plan and apply workflows
• Infrastructure testing and validation
• Multi-environment infrastructure management
• Drift detection and remediation

Project 3: Microservices Deployment

Implement microservices CI/CD:

• Service-specific build pipelines
• Container registry management
• Kubernetes deployment automation
• Service mesh integration

Project 4: GitOps Workflow

Build GitOps deployment system:

• Git-based deployment triggers
• Automated configuration management
• Environment synchronization
• Monitoring and alerting integration

Course Modules

Module 1: CI/CD Fundamentals

• CI/CD concepts and benefits
• GitHub Actions introduction
• Basic workflow creation
• Testing integration basics

Module 2: Advanced Workflows

• Complex workflow patterns
• Matrix builds and parallelization
• Custom actions development
• Marketplace integration

Module 3: Deployment Strategies

• Multi-environment deployments
• Blue-green and canary deployments
• Infrastructure automation
• Rollback procedures

Module 4: Security & Monitoring

• Pipeline security best practices
• Secret management
• Monitoring and observability
• Compliance and governance

Lab Environment

• GitHub repository access
• Cloud environment integration
• Container registry access
• Multiple deployment targets

Prerequisites

• Required: All previous DevOps courses (1-8)
• Strong understanding of Git workflows
• Experience with application deployment
• Knowledge of cloud infrastructure

Learning Path

This is the ninth course in the DevOps roadmap. After completing this course, continue with:

1. Nginx Web Server & Load Balancing - Application delivery optimization

Tools & Technologies

• GitHub Actions platform
• Various programming languages
• Container technologies
• Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Monitoring and alerting tools

Integration Ecosystem

• Development Tools

  • Code quality tools (SonarQube, CodeClimate)
  • Security scanners (Snyk, WhiteSource)
  • Testing frameworks
  • Package managers

• Deployment Targets

  • Cloud platforms and services
  • Kubernetes clusters
  • Container registries
  • CDN and edge networks

Monitoring & Observability

• Pipeline execution monitoring
• Deployment success tracking
• Performance metrics collection
• Error tracking and alerting

Advanced Topics

• Enterprise Features

  • GitHub Enterprise integration
  • Self-hosted runners
  • Organization-level policies
  • Advanced security features

• Performance Optimization

  • Workflow optimization techniques
  • Caching strategies
  • Parallel execution patterns
  • Resource usage optimization

Industry Best Practices

• DevOps Integration

  • GitOps methodology implementation
  • Infrastructure as Code workflows
  • Configuration management automation
  • Monitoring and observability

• Security Practices

  • Zero-trust security model
  • Least privilege access
  • Supply chain security
  • Compliance automation

Real-world Applications

• Enterprise application deployments
• Microservices architectures
• Infrastructure automation
• Multi-cloud deployments
• Compliance and governance workflows

Career Preparation

• DevOps Engineer skill development
• Site Reliability Engineer preparation
• Platform Engineer capabilities
• Cloud Architect foundations

Certification

Upon completion, you'll receive a certificate demonstrating your CI/CD pipeline expertise with GitHub Actions essential for modern DevOps automation.

Automate your entire software delivery lifecycle with GitHub Actions!