We’ve all heard the abbreviation CI/CD, but until recently, I didn’t really know what it meant.
When I started the Data Engineering Extension course, the term kept coming up, and I found myself a little unsure about what it actually referred to. I’d also heard it mentioned a few times in previous placements but never had the chance to dig deeper. So, this blog is here to help anyone else who’s ever wondered the same thing.
What Does CI/CD Stand For?
CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (or sometimes Continuous Delivery, depending on the context).
At its core, CI/CD is all about automating and streamlining the software development process — from writing code to testing and deploying it. It’s a key part of DevOps, the practice that brings together development and operations teams to deliver software faster and more reliably.
Breaking It Down
Continuous Integration (CI)
Continuous Integration is the practice of frequently merging code changes into a shared repository — usually several times a day. Each time new code is integrated, automated tests are run to ensure that nothing breaks.
This helps catch bugs early, makes collaboration easier, and reduces the “it works on my machine” problem that often arises when multiple developers are working on the same project.
Continuous Deployment (CD)
Continuous Deployment takes things one step further. Once the new code has passed all the tests, it’s automatically deployed to production (or to a staging environment first).
This means updates reach users faster, and teams can continuously improve their product without lengthy manual release cycles. It’s about delivering value quickly and consistently while maintaining confidence that everything works as expected.
Why It Matters
In traditional development workflows, releasing updates could take weeks or even months, with long testing and approval cycles. CI/CD transforms that by making releases small, frequent, and automated.
For data engineering and analytics projects, this means:
- Pipelines can be tested and deployed automatically.
- New data transformations or models can go live faster.
- Errors or inefficiencies can be caught early and fixed before they cause major issues.
In Simple Terms
Think of CI/CD like constantly tuning a car while it’s running. You’re not waiting until it breaks down — you’re checking performance, making adjustments, and improving it continuously.
You start with something that works, then make updates, test those updates, and deploy them — over and over again. It’s a cycle of build, test, deploy, monitor, improve.
Final Thoughts
At first, CI/CD can sound like just another buzzword in tech, but it’s a powerful concept that underpins modern development and data workflows. It helps teams deliver higher-quality work, faster, with fewer surprises along the way.
Now that I’ve got a better grasp of it, I can see why it comes up so often — it’s not just about coding, it’s about creating a culture of continuous improvement.