CI/CD Pipelines

Automated Build, Test & Release with Azure Pipelines

I design end-to-end CI/CD workflows in Azure DevOps that kick off on every Git commit in Azure Repos. Your code flows through YAML-defined pipelines
a CI stage compiles and runs unit tests, lints your IaC (ARM/Bicep/Terraform) and publishes Artifacts (NuGet/NPM/Docker) to Azure Artifacts.

The CD stage then deploys to Development, QA and Production via release pipelines—each gated by automated security scans (WhiteSource/Fortify) and manual approvals in Azure Boards. Integration with Key Vault, variable groups and service connections ensures secrets and service principals are managed securely.

The result? Consistent, zero-touch deployments, instant feedback loops and full traceability from backlog item to production release.

CI/CD Pipeline Stages

Once code leaves “Deploy” in the loop, it flows through a series of increasingly stable environments before going live.

DEV (Development)
Developers push feature branches to Azure Repos, CI builds, unit tests and static analysis run here.

SIT (System Integration Testing)
The integrated build is deployed to SIT, automated end-to-end and API tests validate system interactions.

UAT (User Acceptance Testing)
Stakeholders and QA validate against acceptance criteria using Azure Test Plans, feedback loops log bugs back into your backlog.

PRE-PROD (Staging)
A mirror of production for final checks-security scans, performance/load tests, and manual approval gates.

PROD (Production)
The live environment, monitored 24x7 by Azure Monitor and Application Insights, with alerts driving work items or Teams notifications.

Why CI/CD Is So Beneficial-and What It Brings to DevOps

Automating manual builds, environment drift, QA bottlenecks and big-bang releases into consistent, low-risk CI/CD with instant feedback and full visibility.

Speed & Agility
Automating builds, tests and deployments shrinks the feedback loop from days (or weeks!) to minutes. Teams can iterate on features rapidly, respond to market changes, and deliver value continuously.

Reliability & Consistency
Every change goes through the same automated pipeline-no more “it works on my machine” surprises. Repeatable, versioned infrastructure and artifacts ensure each environment (DEV → SIT → UAT → PRE-PROD → PROD) is configured identically.

Early Defect Detection
Integrating static code analysis, unit and integration tests into CI catches bugs, security flaws and performance regressions immediately-before they ever reach production.

Safer Deployments
With gated approvals, staged roll-outs (slots, feature flags) and automated validation, teams can promote the same build through each stage with confidence, dramatically reducing deployment risk.

Transparency & Collaboration
Every CI/CD run-and its outcome-is visible in Azure Pipelines and Azure Boards. Developers, QA and Ops share a single source of truth, breaking down silos and fostering shared ownership.

Continuous Improvement
Rich telemetry from Application Insights and pipeline metrics (build times, failure rates, deployment frequency) feed directly into retrospectives and backlog refinement. DevOps becomes a living practice of measurement, learning and evolution.