CICD Pipeline | DEVSECOPS | Real-World Projects | Adam - WezvaTech #devops #devsecops #cicdpipeline

This podcast discusses the implementation of DevSecOps in CI/CD pipelines, focusing on the automation and security of both build and deployment pipelines. The speaker explains the importance of continuous delivery and the advantages of using CI/CD, emphasizing the need for security measures at every stage of the process.

What is CI/CD

• 00:00:05 CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery) is a process that automates the integration of development and testing, allowing for continuous delivery of products to users. The process starts with developers writing code, which is then tested by QA, deployed to a staging environment for user acceptance testing, and finally pushed to production.

Why is CI/CD needed?

• 00:04:44 CI/CD is necessary because companies need to focus on continuous delivery to keep up with the rapidly changing market. With CI/CD, developers can continuously write and modify code, QA can continuously test it, and certified code can be continuously deployed to staging and production environments.

Build Pipeline stages

• 00:06:27 The build pipeline in DevSecOps consists of several stages that aim to automate and secure the process of converting code into a deployable artifact. These stages include code checkout, build and unit testing, code coverage, static analysis, static application security testing (SAST), quality gate, Docker image generation, image scanning, and smoke testing.

Code checkout

• 00:17:23 The first stage in a build pipeline is code checkout, where the code is retrieved from a specific repository and branch. This is usually the default stage, and it ensures that the correct codebase is being used for the build process.

Build and unit test

• 00:18:01 The second stage involves building the code into a product or artifact, which can be consumed by QA or customers. The build process also includes unit testing, where the code is tested individually to identify any issues. This step is crucial for ensuring that the code is functional and meets the required standards.

Code coverage

• 00:20:42 Code coverage is a critical step that aims to measure how much of the code has been covered by unit tests. It provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of the test suite and identifies any gaps in coverage. By analyzing the code coverage report, developers can determine if additional unit tests are required to ensure complete code coverage.

Static analysis

• 00:27:07 Static analysis, also known as software composition analysis (SCA), involves scanning the code to identify any potential vulnerabilities and security risks. This step is essential for ensuring that developers are not using any third-party applications or open-source code that might have licensing issues or vulnerabilities.

Static application security testing (SAST)

• 00:30:59 SAST is a process of scanning the application to identify potential vulnerabilities and security risks in the actual code. This step helps to detect issues such as memory leaks, coding errors, and security loopholes that could make the application vulnerable to attacks. SAST is a crucial aspect of DevSecOps as it helps to identify and fix vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle.

Quality gate

• 00:37:54 Quality gate is a stage in the build pipeline that checks if the code meets the predefined quality standards. It evaluates the code coverage, SCA results, and SAST results to determine if the code is of sufficient quality to proceed to the next stage. If the code fails the quality gate, developers need to fix the issues before the pipeline can continue.

Docker image generation

• 00:42:55 After the code passes the quality gate, a Docker image is generated, which serves as a deployable artifact. This step involves creating a Dockerfile and using the docker build command to build the image. The Docker image encapsulates the application and all its dependencies, making it easy to deploy and run in different environments.

Docker image scanning

• 00:44:32 Image scanning is an essential step in DevSecOps that aims to identify any vulnerabilities in the Docker image. This step is crucial because the image might contain vulnerabilities in its base image, operating system, or dependencies, making the application vulnerable to attacks. The scanner examines all the layers of the image, including the application, dependencies, and operating system, to detect any security issues.

Smoke testing

• 00:46:41 Smoke testing is a quick and simple test that validates the basic functionality of the Docker image. It involves creating a container from the image and checking if it starts successfully. Smoke testing helps to ensure that the image is properly built and can be deployed to QA or production environments. This step is particularly important for catching any errors or omissions in the Dockerfile or image configuration.

Deployment pipeline stages

• 02:00:02 The deployment pipeline in DevSecOps focuses on automating and securing the process of deploying the built Docker image to different environments, such as QA, staging, and production. This pipeline utilizes GitOps principles, where the desired state of the deployment is defined in YAML files and managed in a separate repository. This approach ensures that the deployment is automated, secure, and auditable.

What is GitOps?

• 02:03:25 GitOps is a modern approach to managing infrastructure and deployments using Git as the single source of truth. It involves storing the desired state of the infrastructure, including deployment configurations, in a Git repository. A GitOps controller or operator monitors the repository and automatically updates the infrastructure to match the desired state. This approach eliminates the need for manual deployments and ensures that all changes are auditable and reversible.

Argo CD

• 02:04:25 Argo CD is a popular GitOps controller that automates deployments to Kubernetes clusters. It monitors a Git repository containing YAML files defining the desired state of the cluster. When changes are detected in the repository, Argo CD automatically updates the cluster to reflect the new state. This approach simplifies deployment management, promotes collaboration, and ensures that the infrastructure remains in sync with the defined configuration.

Setting up Argo CD

• 02:04:35 To set up Argo CD, a Kubernetes cluster is required. You can either use an existing cluster or create a small, local cluster using tools like kind or minikube. Once the cluster is available, Argo CD can be installed and configured to monitor the Git repository containing the deployment YAML files. Argo CD will then automatically deploy the changes to the cluster based on the configurations defined in the YAML files.