Continuous Delivery & Deployment: Challenges and Solutions

Hey, folks

Today we'll figure out what continuous delivery and software deployment are, how they relate, differ, and their challenges. So let's start from the basis.

P.S. However, you won't have to figure out the complex terms if you have a reliable outsourcing partner covering all the development processes like CGS-team. 

CI/CD

CI/CD is like a handy helper for making and updating apps. It simplifies the process of regularly sending new versions of apps to users by automating certain steps. These steps include code builds, running automated tests, and software deployment processes.

There are three key parts to CI/CD: continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment.

The "CI" in CI/CD stands for continuous integration. When continuous integration is doing its job, any changes to an app's code are consistently created, tested, and added to a common place where all the code lives. 

Here is the scheme of how it works:

Source: Blackduck​

The "CD" in CI/CD can mean one of two things: continuous delivery or continuous deployment. These are all about making the next steps in the process easier and automatic. Yet, they're not quite the same.

The whole process looks like this:

Source: Jet Brains​

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Continuous delivery

Continuous delivery is like the next chapter of continuous integration. After the code is built, it automatically sends all the changes in the code to a testing // production stage. This way, you have an automated testing release process. You can send your application live whenever you want just by clicking a button. 

You could release updates daily, weekly, every two weeks, or whatever works best for you. But to truly reap the rewards of continuous delivery, it's best to release updates as soon as they're ready. This way, you're dealing with small updates that are easier to fix.

Continuous deployment

Continuous deployment is like the superhero version of continuous delivery. Continuous deployment automatically releases to your customers every change that passes all the checks in your pipeline. Humans don't have to step in. Only a failed test can stop a new update from going live.

This is fantastic because it speeds up getting feedback from your customers. It also takes the stress off your team because there's no longer a big "release day" to worry about. Developers can concentrate on creating and see their work go live just minutes after they're done with it.

The difference between continuous delivery & deployment 

To put it simply, continuous delivery is like a semi-automatic mode where developers can send any updates to customers with just a click of a button. On the other hand, continuous deployment is like putting the whole process on auto-pilot. It handles deploying software without a human click.

Source: SimpleLearn

The challenges and the ways to solve them

So, the beauty of continuous delivery and deployment is that they make software updates quicker and more efficient. Teams can release updates regularly and adapt rapidly to what the market needs. But remember, with great speed comes a new set of challenges. Discover the threats and the ways to solve them.

1. Management
   In the continuous delivery and deployment world, it's all about adaptability. Teams need to be ready to embrace new ways of working, like agile and DevOps, and foster a culture of constant learning and trying new things.
   
   How to solve it?
   Well, it starts by ensuring everyone on the team feels they have a part to play in delivering your software. Creating a trustful environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing and testing ideas can do wonders. It's not just good for the team, but it benefits the organization and the software you produce too. Remember, if things don't go as planned, the goal is to learn from it, not point fingers.
2. Versions
   In a nutshell, CI/CD processes can sometimes get tripped up when a new software version rolls out. It can cause a domino effect of some problems: everything from your tests to the deployment and even production can start going haywire.
   
   How to solve it?
   Consider turning off auto-updates if that's a good fit for your team. 
   Next, having a dedicated DevOps team to oversee version control can be really helpful. 
   Prioritize stability over having the newest release. Keeping a stable version of the software as your default for deployment rather than the latest one is better.
3. Testing
   To make continuous delivery and deployment work, you need a strong testing strategy covering all your software parts. This includes automating your tests and knowing what to test and when.
   
   How to solve it?
   Begin by running the quickest tests first. This way, you'll get feedback sooner and can then move on to more detailed tests once you're confident in the build. Typically, the first tests you'll run are unit tests, which give wide coverage. 
   After that, you might run automated integration or component tests.
   Finally, once you've done these, you can start on more complex automated tests, followed by manual exploratory and/or acceptance tests if needed.
4. Infrastructure
   To make continuous delivery and deployment work, you need a stable infrastructure that can handle constant and rapid code changes. This might be a bit tough for teams more familiar with traditional infrastructure or those who need more experience managing cloud-based environments.
   
   How to solve it?
   Popular deployment software like CruiseControl, Atlassian Bamboo, and TeamCity can help out here. Essentially, these systems are environments where testing and building come together, making the whole development process more unified. They keep an eye on new code commits and let you create and integrate automated tests. These tests will then be run each time new code is added.
   
5. Overreliance on automation
   While automation can be a big time-saver and crucial for keeping continuous delivery on track, it's possible to lean on it too much. If your team's tasks change and new ones come up, there can be a temptation to automate processes too quickly just to save time. Automating a process that needs to be well-designed can be a quick fix. However, in the long run, it could turn into a big roadblock that's hard to get around.
   
   How to solve it?
   Make sure you sort out any process issues first before you automate them. It's also a good idea for developers to regularly check their automated procedures to ensure they're still doing what they're supposed to and to test the effectiveness of current processes.
   
6. Security
   To ensure that software is delivered safely, continuous delivery and deployment need a strong focus on security. Unfortunately, attacks on the software supply chain have become much more common recently. A report by CSO found that in 2022, there was a whopping 633% increase in the number of attacks involving harmful third-party components.
   
   How to solve it?
   It's good to have a reliable monitoring system in place. This way, you can spot threats quickly and defend your pipeline effectively. Also, try to keep sensitive information out of the pipeline as much as you can. Another useful strategy is to use a code analysis tool to identify and eliminate weak spots in your code.
   

You did it

Congrats, you've just puzzled out the CI/CD, continuous integration, deployment, and delivery definitions. You're a master in the difference between continuous deployment & delivery, aware of the challenges they bring and the solutions. Treat yourself and check our other articles.