From Code to Cloud with DevOps Pipeline

Ever wondered how a Git commit turns into a fully running application on the cloud? The answer lies in DevOps practices, which combine automation, collaboration, and consistent workflows to make deployments fast, reliable, and scalable.

This guide breaks down the end-to-end DevOps pipeline, showing how high-performing teams move code from development to production seamlessly. Whether you’re just starting with DevOps or aiming to scale your cloud infrastructure, this roadmap will help you master the journey.

1. GitHub - Your Code Repository ​

The journey begins with GitHub, the central repository for your source code.

Key Roles:​

• Version control: Keep track of code changes across team members
• Trigger builds: Automatic pipelines start whenever new commits are pushed
• Collaboration: Pull requests, code reviews, and issue tracking

Example: GitHub webhook for CI/CD trigger

{
  "name": "web",
  "active": true,
  "events": ["push"],
  "config": {
    "url": "http://jenkins.example.com/github-webhook/",
    "content_type": "json"
  }
}

By integrating GitHub with CI/CD tools, teams ensure early feedback and catch bugs before they reach production.

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2. Jenkins - CI/CD Automation ​

Once code changes are detected, Jenkins automates the Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline.

Key Responsibilities:​

• Build and test code automatically
• Detect errors early in development
• Deploy applications to staging or production environments

Example: Jenkins pipeline script (Declarative)

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                sh 'npm install'
            }
        }
        stage('Test') {
            steps {
                sh 'npm test'
            }
        }
        stage('Deploy') {
            steps {
                sh 'ansible-playbook deploy.yml'
            }
        }
    }
}

Tip: Integrate Jenkins with GitHub to trigger pipelines on every commit for consistent automation.

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3. Docker - Containerization ​

Docker packages applications and their dependencies into portable containers, ensuring they run consistently across environments.

Benefits:​

• Consistent environments from development to production
• Easy scaling and replication
• Lightweight compared to virtual machines

Example: Dockerfile for a Node.js app

FROM node:18
WORKDIR /app
COPY package.json ./
RUN npm install
COPY . .
CMD ["node", "index.js"]
EXPOSE 3000

Containers are essential in DevOps pipelines because they reduce deployment errors and simplify scaling applications on the cloud.

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4. Terraform - Infrastructure as Code (IaC) ​

Terraform allows you to define cloud infrastructure in code, creating reproducible, version-controlled environments.

Key Tasks:​

• Provision EC2 instances, VPCs, and load balancers on AWS
• Manage infrastructure declaratively
• Track changes through code, not manual setup

Example: Terraform script for AWS EC2

provider "aws" {
  region = "us-east-1"
}

resource "aws_instance" "app_server" {
  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
  tags = {
    Name = "AppServer"
  }
}

Using IaC tools like Terraform ensures consistency, repeatability, and easy scaling of your cloud infrastructure.

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5. Ansible - Configuration & Deployment Automation ​

After provisioning infrastructure, Ansible automates the configuration and deployment of applications and containers.

Key Uses:​

• Deploy Docker containers to EC2 instances
• Configure servers, install dependencies, and set up environments
• Apply changes consistently across multiple servers

Example: Ansible playbook

- hosts: app_servers
  tasks:
    - name: Pull Docker image
      docker_image:
        name: myapp
        source: pull
    - name: Run Docker container
      docker_container:
        name: myapp_container
        image: myapp
        state: started
        ports:
          - "3000:3000"

Ansible reduces manual errors and ensures repeatable deployments, which is critical for high-availability systems.

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6. AWS EC2 - Hosting Your App ​

Finally, the application runs on AWS EC2 instances, providing a scalable, secure, and production-ready environment.

Advantages:​

• Scalability: Auto Scaling Groups adjust the number of instances based on demand
• Security: Security groups and IAM roles control access
• High availability: Spread instances across multiple Availability Zones

Example: Launching EC2 via Terraform

resource "aws_instance" "web" {
  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
  instance_type = "t2.medium"
}

By combining EC2 with Docker and Ansible, teams can deploy applications that are resilient, scalable, and easy to manage.

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Key DevOps Takeaways ​

The magic of DevOps is not just in the tools - it’s in automation, consistency, and collaboration. High-performing teams follow these principles:

• Automate early: Start CI/CD pipelines as soon as code is committed
• Test continuously: Catch issues before they reach production
• Deploy confidently: Use containers, IaC, and automation for repeatable deployments

Why This Workflow Matters ​

This DevOps pipeline ensures that:

• Code changes move fast and reliably from GitHub to production
• Infrastructure is version-controlled, repeatable, and scalable
• Applications are consistent across environments, reducing deployment errors
• Teams can collaborate efficiently while maintaining high system reliability

By mastering this workflow, you can confidently build, deploy, and scale cloud applications using modern DevOps tools.