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What is AWS CodePipeline?

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AWS CodePipeline is a fully managed continuous delivery (CD) service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It helps automate the process of releasing and deploying applications by orchestrating the various steps involved in the software delivery lifecycle. Here's a technical breakdown of AWS CodePipeline:

  1. Pipeline Structure:
    • A CodePipeline consists of a series of stages, and each stage contains one or more actions.
    • Stages represent the different phases of your release process, such as source, build, test, deploy, and so on.
    • Actions are the individual tasks or steps within a stage, such as fetching code from a repository, running tests, or deploying the application.
  2. Integration with Other AWS Services:
    • CodePipeline integrates with various AWS services to perform specific tasks within each stage.
    • Common integrations include AWS CodeBuild for building applications, AWS CodeDeploy for deploying applications to different environments, AWS Lambda for running custom scripts, and more.
  3. Source Stage:
    • In the source stage, CodePipeline pulls source code from version control repositories such as AWS CodeCommit, GitHub, or Bitbucket.
    • It can also trigger the pipeline based on events, such as changes in the source code repository.
  4. Build Stage:
    • The build stage involves using services like AWS CodeBuild to compile source code, run tests, and generate executable artifacts.
    • CodeBuild provides a scalable and managed environment to build applications using build specifications defined in the source code repository.
  5. Test and Deploy Stages:
    • After the build stage, the pipeline can have one or more stages dedicated to testing the application.
    • Deployment stages involve using services like AWS CodeDeploy to deploy the application to different environments, such as development, testing, and production.
  6. Custom Actions with AWS Lambda:
    • CodePipeline supports custom actions through AWS Lambda functions, allowing you to execute custom logic or scripts at specific points in the pipeline.
    • This enables you to extend the functionality of CodePipeline to meet specific requirements.
  7. Artifact Management:
    • Artifacts, generated during the build stage, are passed between stages. These artifacts are the deployable components of your application, such as binaries, packages, or configuration files.
  8. Visualization and Monitoring:
    • CodePipeline provides a visual representation of your pipeline, making it easy to understand and monitor the flow of your application through different stages.
    • AWS CloudWatch can be integrated to monitor and log events, and AWS CloudTrail captures API calls for auditing.
  9. Security and Permissions:
    • CodePipeline integrates with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for securing the pipeline. IAM roles and policies control who can perform specific actions within the pipeline.
  10. Integration with Third-Party Tools:
    • CodePipeline allows integration with various third-party tools and services, extending its capabilities to fit into diverse development workflows.