Git is the backbone of most DevOps workflows. When you integrate Git tightly with CI/CD, every change is tracked, tested, and deployed in a repeatable way. Here’s how to make Git and your pipelines work together smoothly.
Why Git matters in DevOps
- Single source of truth: Code, configs, and pipeline definitions live together.
- Traceability: Every change is attributed to a commit, PR, and author.
- Automation hooks: Pushes and PRs trigger pipelines automatically.
Branching strategies that fit CI/CD
- Trunk-based: Short-lived feature branches, frequent merges to main, fast feedback.
- GitFlow-lite: Release/hotfix branches when you need longer stabilization, but keep them short.
- Protected main: Require reviews and green CI before merging.
Pipeline triggers
- On push/PR: Run CI (build, test, lint, scan) for quick feedback.
- On main merge: Build and store a versioned artifact; promote the same artifact to stage/prod.
- Tag/release triggers: Publish releases and images tied to a Git tag.
Best practices for Git + CI/CD
- Pipelines as code: Store pipeline YAML/DSL in the repo; review it like application code.
- Fast, reliable CI: Keep tests lean; fix flaky tests quickly to maintain trust.
- Artifact promotion: Build once per commit/tag and reuse the artifact across environments.
- Feature flags: Separate deploy from release; toggle features without redeploying.
- Security in CI: Secrets from a vault, SAST/SCA scans, and signed artifacts/images.
- Rollback readiness: Keep previous artifacts/tags handy; document rollback steps.
Example CI/CD flow (conceptual)
- Developer opens a PR. CI runs tests, lint, security scans.
- PR is reviewed; on merge to main, CI builds and pushes a versioned artifact (e.g., image tag).
- CD deploys the same artifact to staging with smoke tests.
- Gate to production: approval or automated canary/blue-green rollout.
- Post-deploy checks: health probes, smoke tests, dashboards; roll back if signals fail.
Git hygiene tips
- Small, focused commits with clear messages.
- Rebase or merge main frequently to reduce conflicts.
- Squash or rebase+FF for clean history; or merge commits if you value branch context—be consistent.
- Tag releases to mark deployable snapshots.
Observability for pipelines
- Track build duration, success/failure rate, deploy frequency, and MTTR.
- Surface pipeline logs and artifacts per commit/PR.
- Alert on stuck/risky pipelines (e.g., failing main, long queues).
Putting it all together
Keep Git as your single source of truth, let CI/CD react to every change, and promote the same artifact through environments. With disciplined branching, fast tests, and clear rollout/rollback paths, you get frequent, safe releases—and a history that tells the story of your software.