In today’s digital age where users expect a constant stream of new features and updates, SAAS development companies need to be quick on their feet. AWS provides continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) tools that have become a crucial need for modern software teams looking to ship updates frequently and efficiently.

Take for example a SaaS company building a web application on AWS. As developers commit code changes multiple times a day, they want to automatically build, test, and validate those changes to catch issues early. They also want to deploy updates to production in a fast and repeatable way.

Recently, AWS has banned the reselling of reserved instances which means that the companies have to come up with new solutions. The best practices will help them in cost optimisation.

By leveraging AWS services like CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline, the company can set up automated CI/CD workflows to deploy their web app quickly and reliably. Integrating CI/CD best practices into their AWS infrastructure allows them to focus on rapid innovation rather than manual processes.

This article will dive into how AWS’s suite of tools enables organisations to implement robust CI/CD pipelines and take their software delivery to the next level.

What is continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery/deployment (CD)?

Continuous integration

Continuous integration is a development practice that helps teams release software faster and with better quality. With CI, developers frequently commit their code changes to a shared repository like GitHub. Each commit triggers an automated build and test process. By integrating code and testing it regularly, teams catch bugs and integration issues early when they are easier to fix.

For example, a mobile app startup has developers pushing code changes to GitHub multiple times a day. Each GitHub commit triggers a CI server like Jenkins to run build scripts and unit tests. If tests fail, developers are notified immediately to fix the issue before more code is built on top of it. CI gives rapid feedback to help developers release quality code faster.

Continuous delivery

Continuous delivery automates the software release process to production but still allows for manual intervention and approvals before deployment. With CD, code changes that pass automated testing can be released to customers quickly, but a developer or operator will typically still click a button to push changes live.

For example, an e-commerce site uses a CD pipeline so developers can rapidly deploy code changes to staging environments. Once business owners manually approve new features and updates, they can be released to production with a single click. CD ensures software is releasable anytime while still providing control before going live.

Continuous deployment

Continuous deployment takes automation one step further, validated code changes are automatically and immediately deployed to production without any manual approvals or intervention. With CD, tested code is automatically pushed from the repository to customers.

For instance, a SaaS startup relies on extensive test automation and confidence in its CD pipeline. Developers focus on writing code and tests rather than deployment mechanics. Any changes that pass tests are instantly released to users, enabling very rapid iteration and innovation.

With the right AWS services, you can automate these processes to accelerate your development lifecycle. Our DevOps experts can help you implement robust CI/CD pipelines leveraging AWS Code services, deployment tools, and more.

How can continuous integration and continuous delivery/deployment accelerate your releases?

CI/CD enables reliable and rapid delivery of software changes -

Reduces bug fixing

• Automated builds and tests in CI catch integration issues and bugs early in development when they are less expensive and faster to fix.
• With fewer bugs making it to later stages, less time is spent on bug fixes before release.

Removes manual steps

• CI/CD pipelines replace manual, human-driven processes with automated workflows for building, testing, and deployment.
• Automation removes bottlenecks from manual handoff points and the changes can flow quickly through the pipeline.

Validates changes

• Automated tests at each stage like unit tests, integration tests, UI tests, load tests, etc. validate changes before release.
• Testing builds confidence that the changes work as expected and prevents defects from impacting users.

Enables incremental delivery

• Small code changes can flow through the pipeline frequently in a low-risk way instead of bundled into large, batched releases.
• Incremental changes simplify troubleshooting and rollbacks additionally releases can happen continuously.

Provides instant feedback

• Developers get notifications when builds or tests fail so issues can be fixed immediately.
• Fast feedback loops help teams continuously improve code quality and release processes.

Automates deployments

• Manual deployments are replaced with automated release processes through tools like AWS CodeDeploy.
• On-demand deployment automation allows the release of changes frequently and reliably.

Simplifies rollbacks

• In case of issues, automated deployments make rolling back changes safer and faster.
• Failed changes can be rolled back before they impact customers.

Leverages cloud elasticity

• Cloud platforms like AWS make it easy to spin up many instances to run tests in parallel.
• CI/CD systems can leverage cloud elasticity to dynamically allocate build servers, test environments, and other resources on demand.

Provides pipeline visibility

• CI/CD metrics around build time, test coverage, and deployment frequency provide visibility.
• Teams can optimise pipelines based on data-driven insights over time.

What is the ci/cd pipeline?

A CI/CD pipeline automates the software delivery process, which includes building code, running tests, and deploying to production. CI/CD aims to improve software quality and accelerate release cycles.

CI/CD transforms software delivery from slow, risky manual processes to automated pipelines that improve quality and enable continuous iteration. With CI/CD, high-quality software can be released rapidly, frequently, and reliably.

Overview of ci/cd components

A mature CI/CD pipeline is made up of many different building blocks working together to automate the software delivery process. The main components that enable continuous integration, delivery, and deployment include:

Version control system

• Developers commit code changes to a version control repository like GitHub. This triggers the CI/CD workflow.
• A version control system like Git and GitHub enables developers to collaborate on code and track changes.
• It provides source control for the codebase with branches for feature development, commit history, and tools like pull requests to review code changes before merging.
• Using version control is essential for CI/CD automation to have a single source of truth for application code.

Build automation

• The code is compiled, dependencies installed, and artifacts packaged. Tools like Jenkins or AWS CodeBuild automate building.
• Build automation tools like AWS CodeBuild compile code, run tests, and package application artifacts in a reproducible and reliable manner.
• CodeBuild handles build configuration, and scaling infrastructure, and integrates with other AWS services involved in the CI/CD pipeline.
• Automated building eliminates manual work and provides fast and consistent feedback on changes.

Testing

• Automated tests validate the code changes.
• Automated testing at different levels like unit, integration, UI, and load testing validate that code changes work as expected.
• AWS CodeBuild can run test cases during the build process. AWS Device Farm enables testing on real mobile devices. 
• Comprehensive test automation is key for the continuous delivery and deployment of code changes.

Artifact repository

• Code that passes testing is released to production environments. AWS CodeDeploy can automate deployments.
• An artifact repository like S3 stores the output of the build process such as compiled code, test results, logs, and release packages. 
• These artifacts flow through the CI/CD pipeline and can be deployed using automation tools. 
• Having a centralised repository ensures build artifacts are accessible across the system.

Deployment automation

• The release is installed on servers or infrastructure. Deployments may be incremental or full rollouts.
• Deployment automation tools like CodeDeploy, Elastic Beanstalk, and OpsWorks automate installing builds onto servers or cloud infrastructure. 
• CodeDeploy integrates with CI/CD services and handles tasks like capacity provisioning, load balancing, and health checks to release updates.
• Automated deployments enable continuous delivery and deployment.

Key AWS services for ci/cd

AWS provides a suite of services to enable complete CI/CD workflows for building, testing, and deploying applications:

AWS CodeCommit

CodeCommit is a fully managed source control service that hosts private Git repositories. It integrates with other AWS services and enables collaboration through features like pull requests and comments. CodeCommit eliminates the need to self-host repositories like Github.

AWS CodeBuild

CodeBuild is a build service that compiles source code, runs tests, and produces software packages ready for deployment. CodeBuild scales automatically to meet build demands. Buildspec defines the commands to run for builds. Test commands can also be added to validate code changes.

AWS CodeDeploy

CodeDeploy automates application deployments to EC2 instances, Lambda functions, and ECS services. It handles details like updating batches of instances to avoid downtime. Multiple deployment policies are available like all-at-once, rolling, and blue/green deployments.

AWS CodePipeline

CodePipeline orchestrates the various stages of a CI/CD pipeline from source code changes to production deployments. It connects to CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and other services to model pipelines. Pipeline stages can include build, test, manual approval, and deployment.

AWS Device Farm

Device Farm enables the testing of mobile apps across an extensive device cloud. Tests can validate functionality, usability, localization, payments, and other aspects on real devices before launch. Device Farm integrates with CodePipeline.

AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Elastic Beanstalk provides preconfigured resources and services for quickly deploying applications. It handles details like load balancing, scaling, and monitoring. Beanstalk environments integrate with CodePipeline for CI/CD deployments.

AWS provides a complete suite of cloud DevOps services to enable automated CI/CD workflows. Connect with our consultants to learn how these tools can transform your software delivery.

Setting up a ci/cd pipeline in AWS

Setting up a continuous integration and delivery pipeline on AWS provides automation for building, testing, and deploying applications. By connecting various AWS services together, you can create a workflow that takes code changes from a repository and runs builds, automated testing, and deployments. This creates a repeatable, reliable process for releasing software updates frequently. 

Follow these steps to configure a complete CI/CD pipeline in AWS using CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline:

1. Create a CodeCommit repository to store source code

• In the CodeCommit console, create a new repository to hold your application source code.
• Clone the repository locally and add your code.
• Commit and push code changes to sync with the CodeCommit repository.

2. Create a CodePipeline pipeline

• In CodePipeline, create a new pipeline.
• Add a source stage that connects to the CodeCommit repository.
• Add a build stage using CodeBuild to compile, test, and package code.
• Add a deployment stage using CodeDeploy to deploy updates.
• Optional: Add additional test stages between build and deployment.

3. Configure CodeBuild

• Create a CodeBuild project for compiling, testing, and packaging code.
• Add commands to install dependencies, run tests, and produce deployment artifacts.
• Configure CodeBuild to run on source changes triggered by CodePipeline.

4. Set up CodeDeploy

• Create a CodeDeploy application for the software application.
• Create a deployment group mapped to the EC2 instances.
• Install or update the CodeDeploy agent on the instances.

5. Make a code change

• Update code in the CodeCommit repository.
• Commit and push the change to trigger the pipeline automatically.
• Monitor pipeline progress in CodePipeline.
• Verify updates on EC2 instances after deployment.

6. Clean up resources

• Delete the pipeline in CodePipeline.
• Delete related resources like CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodeCommit.

Best practices for ci/cd in AWS

These are some of the best practices that will enable highly automated, secure, and reliable CI/CD pipelines on AWS:

1. Use infrastructure-as-code (CloudFormation) for repeatable deployments

Manage all infrastructure through code with AWS CloudFormation templates. This ensures consistent, repeatable deployments across environments. CloudFormation grants the least privilege permissions through service roles.

2. Implement automated testing at multiple levels (unit, integration, etc)

Rigorously validate code changes by running unit tests, integration tests, UI tests, performance tests, etc. Add test stages throughout the pipeline to catch issues early.

3. Use CodeDeploy deployment groups for staged rollouts

Incrementally deploy updates to instance groups using CodeDeploy. This allows for controlled, gradual rollouts to test changes before full production rollout.

4. Monitor deployments with AWS X-Ray and CloudWatch

Gain observability into deployments and monitor key metrics with X-Ray tracing and CloudWatch alarms and dashboards. Quickly detect and diagnose any issues.

5. Validate software before promoting it to production

Manually test and validate builds to meet requirements before releasing them to customers. Add approval gates before production deployment.

6. Automate post-deployment tests with AWS Lambda

Create Lambda functions to run smoke tests and integration tests to confirm the software is working as expected after deployments.

7. Leverage IAM and security groups for least privileged access

Restrict access to resources through IAM policies and security groups. Grant only the minimum permissions needed to complete tasks.

Implementing continuous integration and continuous delivery on AWS provides teams with a repeatable, automated pipeline for delivering high-quality software changes quickly and reliably. AWS offers all the tools needed to build mature CI/CD workflows, from source control and build services to automated deployment options. By following best practices around infrastructure such as code, extensive testing, and access controls, organisations can evolve development practices to enable rapid iteration on top of AWS. 

For expert guidance on implementing robust CI/CD pipelines tailored to your infrastructure needs, consider talking to our cloud experts and learn how they can help you roll out your software faster.