What is CI/CD? — UK Software Development Guide
Direct Answer
CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery, or Continuous Deployment) is a software development practice that automates the process of integrating code changes, running tests, and deploying to production. Continuous Integration (CI) automatically builds and tests code whenever changes are pushed. Continuous Delivery (CD) automatically deploys tested code to a staging environment. Continuous Deployment goes further, automatically deploying to production.
Cicd in the UK
CI/CD has specific UK regulatory value. Cyber Essentials patch management control requires high-risk vulnerabilities to be patched within 14 days — a CI/CD pipeline with automated dependency scanning (Dependabot/Snyk) and rapid deployment capability is the only practical way to meet this requirement. HMRC MTD, NHS, and FCA systems all have strict change management requirements that CI/CD supports via: automated regression testing (no regressions deployed), audit trails of every deployment, and rollback capability for instant reversal of problematic changes.
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