AWS CodePipeline (CI/CD Pipeline)

Basics of AWS CodePipeline

Use cases of AWS CodePipeline

AWS CodePipeline is a fully managed continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) service that automates your release pipelines for fast and reliable application and infrastructure updates. Its deep integration with AWS services—and flexibility to include third-party tools—makes it ideal for a variety of deployment strategies.

The image shows a DevOps lifecycle diagram with stages like Source, Build, Test, Deploy, CI, and CD, flanked by "aws" and "non aws" logos.

1. All-AWS Pipeline

When you want an end-to-end AWS-only solution, CodePipeline orchestrates native AWS services at each stage:

The image illustrates a DevOps workflow using AWS services, featuring AWS CodeCommit and Amazon S3 for source control, AWS CodeBuild for building, and AWS CodeDeploy for deployment.

StageAWS ServiceDescription
SourceCodeCommit / S3Manage application code or store build artifacts
BuildCodeBuild (with CodeArtifact)Compile, test, and package. Integrate [CodeArtifact] for dependencies
DeployCodeDeployAutomate deployments to EC2, on-premises, or Lambda

Note

Amazon S3 can serve as both a source and an artifact store. You can version objects or set lifecycle rules to manage storage costs.

2. Hybrid Pipeline with Third-Party Tools

Already invested in tools like GitHub or Jenkins? No problem—CodePipeline integrates them seamlessly:

StageCodePipeline IntegrationExample Third-Party Tool
SourceWebhooks / GitHub ActionGitHub, Bitbucket
BuildCustom action / PluginJenkins, CircleCI
TestParallel actionsSelenium, JMeter
ApprovalManual approval step

Warning

When connecting Jenkins agents, ensure your IAM roles and security groups allow CodePipeline to trigger Jenkins builds.

3. Flexible Deployment Targets

Choose the runtime that matches your workload. CodePipeline deploys across containers, servers, PaaS, and serverless:

The image displays four AWS deployment services: Amazon ECS, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Amazon EC2, and AWS Lambda, each with its respective icon.

Deployment TypeAWS ServiceUse Case
ContainersAmazon ECS / EKSMicroservices, Dockerized workloads
Virtual ServersAmazon EC2Legacy or custom AMI-based apps
PaaSAWS Elastic BeanstalkSimplified platform management
ServerlessAWS LambdaEvent-driven functions

Note

Lambda deployments can use Serverless Application Model (SAM) or custom CloudFormation actions in CodePipeline.

Summary

AWS CodePipeline enables you to:

  • Build a fully AWS-managed CI/CD pipeline
  • Integrate your favorite third-party DevOps tools
  • Deploy to multiple runtime environments

Whether you’re migrating to AWS or enhancing an existing DevOps workflow, CodePipeline’s extensibility and deep service integrations help you ship faster and more reliably.

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