Continuous deployment supports various types of artifacts, which are essential components in the software development and delivery process. Artifacts can include:
Source Code: This is the most fundamental artifact, containing the code written by developers. It can be in various programming languages and formats.
Binary Files: Compiled versions of the source code, such as executables or libraries, ready to be run on specific platforms.
Container Images: These are lightweight, standalone, executable packages that include everything needed to run an application, including code, libraries, runtime, system tools, and settings. Docker is a popular platform for creating and managing container images.
Configuration Files: These files contain settings and parameters that define how an application should behave. They can be environment-specific, such as development, testing, or production configurations.
Documentation: While not executable, documentation is crucial for understanding how to use, deploy, and maintain an application. This can include user manuals, API documentation, and deployment guides.
Test Artifacts: These include test scripts, test results, and coverage reports that help ensure the quality of the software before deployment.
Deployment Packages: These are collections of files and configurations that are ready to be deployed to a production environment. They can include all the necessary components for an application to run, such as databases, web servers, and application code.
Example: In a continuous deployment pipeline, a developer might commit source code changes to a version control system like Git. This triggers an automated build process that compiles the code into binary files, creates a container image, runs tests, and generates deployment packages. If all tests pass, the pipeline can automatically deploy the container image to a cloud environment, such as Tencent Cloud's Kubernetes Engine, for scaling and management.
Tencent Cloud offers services like Tencent Kubernetes Engine (TKE), which supports containerized applications and integrates well with continuous deployment practices, enabling automated deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.