AWS CodePipeline for Orchestration

Deploying software manually might work when we’re just getting started, but it quickly becomes unmanageable as the application grows. AWS CodePipeline addresses this by automating the entire process, from the moment code is committed to a repository, through building and testing, all the way to deployment.

Think of CodePipeline as the project manager for the application releases. It coordinates each step, ensuring that the code passes the right checks before making its way into production. Whether working with Lambda functions or container-based apps, CodePipeline adapts to the workflow that suits the environment.

Core concepts of CodePipelines

Let’s discuss the core concepts of CodePipeline to understand its working and components.

A pipeline is an automated workflow composed of multiple stages that build, test, and deploy code from a source repository to a production environment.

Stages

A pipeline is divided into logical stages, which represent a major phase of the release process. Stages are processed sequentially; the next stage only begins after all actions in the current stage have succeeded. Following are the main stages in a CodePipeline:

• The first stage is the Source. This is where it all begins. As soon as we commit code to a version control system like GitHub or Bitbucket, this stage detects the change and kicks off the pipeline.

• Next comes the Build stage. Here, tools like AWS CodeBuild compile the application, run static analysis, and conduct unit tests. If the project needs something like Jenkins instead, we can plug that in too. This stage ensures the code is functional before moving forward.

• Then we have the Test stage. This is where we simulate real-world usage to verify functionality. Whether it’s through Lambda-based integration tests or a full-blown test framework, the goal is to catch issues early.

• Finally, there’s the Deploy stage. CodeDeploy, CloudFormation, or even a simple S3 sync command can push our code to its target environment. Each deployment is traceable, monitored, and optionally gated by approval steps.

Actions

An action is a specific task performed within a stage. Each action is carried out by an AWS service. For example, within a Build stage, we would have a Build action whose provider is AWS CodeBuild. Common actions include source, build, test, deploy, approval, and invoke.

Execution Types and Modes