Module 1 Lesson 4: CI/CD vs CI/CT vs CI/CP

As DevOps evolves, the single acronym "CI/CD" has expanded into several specialized disciplines. Understanding these nuances will help you design better pipelines in GitLab.

1. CI (Continuous Integration)

The Heart: Automated building and unit testing.

Focus: Code health and merging.

2. CT (Continuous Testing)

The Depth: While CI runs "Quick" tests, CT involves running the entire spectrum of testing:

Integration Tests: Do the services talk to each other?
Security Tests: Are there known bugs in the libraries?
Load Tests: Does the app crash if 1,000 people enter at once?
UI Tests: Does the button actually click on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox?

3. CD (Continuous Delivery/Deployment)

The Goal: Getting the code to the user.

Review: Delivery (Manual click) vs. Deployment (Automated).

4. CP (Continuous Policy/Compliance)

The Guardian: In large companies, a pipeline can pass all tests but still be "Illegal" or "Insecure."

Policy as Code: Scripts check if your infrastructure matches company rules (e.g., "All databases must be encrypted").
This ensures that no developer accidentally opens a security hole in the cloud.

5. The "Infinity Loop"

If you've seen the DevOps infinity symbol (∞), these acronyms represent different parts of that loop:

Plan -> Code -> Build -> Test (CI/CT)
Release -> Deploy -> Operate -> Monitor (CD/CP)

Exercise: The Acronym Audit

In your current project, do you have CI? (Do you have any automated tests?)
Imagine you add a script that checks if your images are too large. Is that CI, CT, or CP?
Why is Continuous Testing (CT) often the slowest part of a pipeline?
Research: In GitLab CI/CD, what is the "Code Quality" feature, and which acronym does it belong to?

Summary

Don't get bogged down by the letters; focus on the Intention.

CI ensures it compiles.
CT ensures it works.
CD ensures it reaches the user.
CP ensures it stays safe.

Next Lesson: The GitLab Edge: Overview of GitLab features.