DevOps • CI/CD • Automated Deployment

How I Built My CI/CD Pipeline

Problem Statement

Manually uploading files to the server using SSH was time-consuming and error-prone. I wanted an automated way to deploy changes instantly after code updates to improve reliability and speed.

VS Code GitHub GitHub Actions SSH Oracle VM Web Server
1

Step 1: Initialize Git Repository and Push Code

Establishing a clean version control workflow on GitHub is the foundation of any CI/CD strategy.

2

Step 2: Add Workflow YAML

I created a .github/workflows/deploy.yml file to automate the deployment logic.

name: Remote SSH Deploy
on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Executing remote ssh commands
        uses: appleboy/ssh-action@master
        with:
          host: ${{ secrets.HOST }}
          username: ${{ secrets.USERNAME }}
          key: ${{ secrets.SSH_KEY }}
          script: |
            cd /home/ubuntu/your-repo
            git pull origin main
            sudo cp -r * /var/www/html/

Workflow Explanation:

  • The workflow triggers automatically on every push to the main branch.
  • It connects to my Oracle VM via SSH using a secure private key stored in GitHub Secrets.
  • It executes a shell script to pull the latest code and sync it with the Nginx web directory.
3

Step 3: Configure Server Secrets

Security is paramount. Sensitive data like the VM's IP address and SSH Private Keys are stored in GitHub Secrets to prevent exposure.

Key Learnings

  • GitHub Actions can automate deployments without complex external tools like Jenkins.
  • SSH-based deployment is a simple, lightweight, and effective solution for small-to-medium cloud projects.
  • CI/CD pipelines drastically reduce manual human error and improve system reliability.