HOW TO ANSWER CICD PROCESS IN AN INTERVIEW| DEVOPS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS #cicd#devops#jenkins #argocd

Summary

In this informative video, Abhishek guides aspiring DevOps engineers through explaining a CI/CD pipeline in interviews. He begins with version control systems like Git and target platforms like Kubernetes, then details the stages of a Jenkins-orchestrated pipeline, including code checkout, build, unit testing, code scanning, image building, and scanning. Abhishek emphasizes the importance of pushing images to a registry and updating Kubernetes manifests with tools like Argo CD for deployment. The video simplifies complex concepts, making it easier for viewers to articulate their CI/CD implementations in interviews.

Takeaways

• 😀 CI/CD is a critical component for DevOps engineers and a common interview topic.
• 🔧 The CI/CD process starts with a version control system like Git, GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.
• 🎯 The target platform for deployment is often Kubernetes, emphasizing the importance of containerization.
• 🔄 A user's code commit triggers a series of actions in the CI/CD pipeline via a pull request and review process.
• 🛠️ Jenkins is used as an orchestrator to automate the CI/CD pipeline, starting with the checkout stage.
• 🏗️ The build stage involves compiling code and running unit tests, with optional static code analysis.
• 🔍 Code scanning is performed to identify security vulnerabilities and ensure code quality.
• 📦 Image building involves creating a Docker or container image, specific to the Kubernetes platform.
• 🔬 Image scanning is crucial to verify the security and integrity of the created container image.
• 🚀 The final stage includes pushing the image to a registry like Docker Hub or AWS ECR.
• 📝 Declarative Jenkins pipelines are preferred for their ease of collaboration and flexibility.
• 🔄 CI/CD pipelines can be extended for deployment to Kubernetes using tools like Argo CD or GitOps practices.
• 🔧 Alternative deployment methods include using Ansible, shell scripts, or Python scripts for automation.
• 🔒 Security checks are an integral part of the pipeline to ensure the code and images are free from vulnerabilities.
• 📚 The video script provides a detailed guide for explaining a CI/CD pipeline in a DevOps interview context.

Q & A

What is the primary topic discussed in the video script?

The primary topic discussed in the video script is explaining the CI/CD pipeline in the context of DevOps engineering interviews.

Why is CI/CD a critical component in a DevOps engineer's job role?

CI/CD is a critical component in a DevOps engineer's job role because it is essential for automating the software delivery process, ensuring code quality, and enabling rapid and reliable deployments.

What is the first step in setting up a CI/CD pipeline according to the script?

The first step in setting up a CI/CD pipeline is to start with a Version Control System (VCS) like Git, using platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.

What is the role of a continuous integration continuous delivery orchestrator like Jenkins in the CI/CD pipeline?

The role of a CI/CD orchestrator like Jenkins is to automate the pipeline process, trigger builds and tests when changes are pushed to the repository, and manage the workflow of the CI/CD stages.

What is the purpose of the checkout stage in a Jenkins pipeline?

The purpose of the checkout stage in a Jenkins pipeline is to retrieve the latest code commit from the version control system to start the build process.

What actions are typically performed during the build and unit testing stage of a Jenkins pipeline?

During the build and unit testing stage, the code is compiled, a build artifact is created, and unit tests are executed to verify the functionality of the code.

What is the importance of code scanning in the CI/CD pipeline?

Code scanning is important for identifying security vulnerabilities, code quality issues, and potential bugs early in the development process, ensuring the code meets security and quality standards.

Why is image scanning performed after building a container image in the CI/CD pipeline?

Image scanning is performed to verify that the created container image is free from security vulnerabilities and to ensure the safety and integrity of the software being deployed.

What is the role of an image registry like Docker Hub or ECR in the CI/CD pipeline?

An image registry serves as a central repository to store and manage container images, making them accessible for deployment to the target platform, such as Kubernetes.

What is the purpose of updating the Kubernetes YAML manifests or Helm charts after building and pushing the image?

The purpose of updating the Kubernetes YAML manifests or Helm charts is to ensure that the new version of the application, contained within the updated image, is correctly configured for deployment to the Kubernetes cluster.

What is the role of a GitOps tool like Argo CD in the CI/CD pipeline?

Argo CD, as a GitOps tool, automates the deployment process by continuously monitoring the Git repository for changes in the manifests or Helm charts and deploying those changes to the Kubernetes cluster.

Why might someone choose to use scripted Jenkins pipelines over declarative pipelines?

Some might choose scripted Jenkins pipelines for their flexibility, allowing for custom scripting and control over the pipeline process, although declarative pipelines are generally recommended for easier collaboration.

What are some alternatives to using GitOps for deploying changes to a Kubernetes cluster?

Alternatives to using GitOps for deploying changes include using scripting solutions like Ansible, shell scripts, or Python scripts to automate the deployment process.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to CI/CD Pipelines in DevOps

In this introductory paragraph, Abhishek, the speaker, addresses his audience, which consists primarily of DevOps engineers and those aspiring to enter the field. He emphasizes the importance of CI/CD pipelines in DevOps roles and the need to be well-prepared to discuss them in interviews. He acknowledges the challenges faced by his subscribers in explaining their CI/CD implementations during interviews and promises to simplify the process in the video. The paragraph sets the stage for a detailed explanation of a CI/CD pipeline, starting with version control systems like Git, GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, and target platforms like Kubernetes. It also introduces the concept of a pull request and the role of an orchestrator, such as Jenkins, in triggering the pipeline upon code commits.

05:01

🛠️ Detailed Breakdown of CI/CD Pipeline Stages

This paragraph delves into the specifics of the CI/CD pipeline stages, starting with the checkout stage where the latest code commit is retrieved from the version control system. It then moves on to the build and unit testing stage, where tools like Maven are used for building Java applications and unit testing frameworks are employed to ensure code quality. The paragraph also touches on static code analysis and security checks using tools like SonarQube. The image building stage is highlighted next, where Docker images are created for deployment on Kubernetes. Image scanning is emphasized to ensure no vulnerabilities are present in the built images. The paragraph concludes with the push of the image to a registry, such as Docker Hub or AWS ECR, and the preference for using declarative Jenkins pipelines for orchestration due to their flexibility and ease of collaboration.

10:02

🚀 Deployment and Continuous Integration with GitOps

The final paragraph focuses on the deployment phase of the CI/CD pipeline. It discusses the process of pushing the newly built image to an image registry and updating the Kubernetes YAML manifests or Helm charts in a Git repository. The paragraph introduces GitOps tools like Argo CD, which automatically deploy changes to the Kubernetes cluster by watching the Git repository for updates. The advantages of using GitOps, such as maintaining Git as the single source of truth and continuous reconciliation, are highlighted. As an alternative, the paragraph also mentions the possibility of using scripting solutions like Ansible, shell scripts, or Python for deployment, especially when managing multiple Kubernetes clusters. The speaker invites viewers to ask questions and promises further clarification on specific stages if needed, concluding the video with a friendly sign-off.

Keywords

💡DevOps Engineer

A DevOps Engineer is a professional who practices the combination of software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops). In the context of the video, the role is critical for implementing CI/CD pipelines, which are essential for automating the software delivery process. The script mentions that CI/CD is a frequently discussed topic in interviews for DevOps engineers, highlighting the importance of this role in modern software development practices.

💡CI/CD

CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery/Deployment. It is a set of practices that automates the integration of code changes from multiple contributors into a single software project. The script emphasizes the significance of CI/CD pipelines in DevOps engineering, as they are a core component of the job role and a common topic in interviews.

💡Version Control System

A Version Control System (VCS) is a tool that helps software teams manage changes to source code over time. In the video script, Git is mentioned as an example of a VCS, which can be hosted on platforms like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. The script explains that starting with a VCS is the first step in setting up a CI/CD pipeline.

💡Orchestrator

In the context of CI/CD, an orchestrator is a tool that automates the execution of tasks in a pipeline. The script specifically mentions Jenkins as an example of a continuous integration and continuous delivery orchestrator, which triggers pipelines whenever there is a code commit in the version control system.

💡Pipeline

A pipeline in CI/CD is a series of automated steps that software goes through as it moves from development to production. The script outlines multiple stages of a Jenkins pipeline, such as checkout, build, unit testing, code scanning, image building, and image scanning, which are part of the continuous integration process.

💡Checkout Stage

The Checkout Stage is the first stage in a Jenkins pipeline where the latest code changes are fetched from the version control system. The script describes this stage as the starting point of the continuous integration process, where the code commit made by a user is checked out for further processing.

💡Build and Unit Testing

Build and Unit Testing are processes where the code is compiled and individual components of the software are tested to ensure they work correctly. The script mentions using Maven for building Java applications and a unit testing framework to perform these tests, which are part of the continuous integration stages.

💡Code Scanning

Code Scanning is the process of analyzing the code for potential issues, such as security vulnerabilities or code quality problems. The script refers to tools like SonarQube for performing code scanning, which is an important stage in the CI/CD pipeline to ensure code quality and security.

💡Image Building

Image Building is the process of creating a container image from the application code, which can be deployed in environments like Kubernetes. The script explains that after the code has passed the previous stages, a Docker image or container image is built, which is a key step before deployment.

💡Image Registry

An Image Registry is a storage location for container images. The script mentions Docker Hub and AWS ECR as examples of image registries where the built images are pushed for storage and later deployment. This is an essential step in the CI/CD pipeline for containerized applications.

💡GitOps

GitOps is an operational framework for managing and deploying applications using Git as a single source of truth. The script discusses using tools like Argo CD, which is a GitOps tool, to deploy changes to the Kubernetes platform by watching for updates in a Git repository. This approach ensures that the latest application changes are automatically deployed to the production environment.

💡Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration system for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. The script positions Kubernetes as the target platform for deploying the container images built in the CI/CD pipeline, highlighting its importance in modern application deployment strategies.

💡Argo CD

Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. The script describes Argo CD as the final stage in the CI/CD pipeline, where it watches a Git repository for changes in the Kubernetes manifests or Helm charts and deploys them to the Kubernetes cluster, ensuring the application is always up-to-date with the latest code.

Highlights

Introduction to the importance of CI/CD pipelines in DevOps engineering roles.

Suggestion to start with Git or a Git-based Version Control System for CI/CD implementation.

Recommendation to choose a target platform like Kubernetes for CI/CD processes.

Description of the user code commit process and its initiation of the CI/CD pipeline.

Explanation of using a Continuous Integration Continuous Delivery orchestrator like Jenkins.

Details on the first stage of Jenkins pipeline: code checkout from the repository.

Discussion on the build and unit testing stage using Maven and unit testing frameworks.

Importance of static code analysis and its place in the CI/CD pipeline.

Introduction to code scanning tools like SonarQube for security vulnerability detection.

Process of building a Docker image or container image for the Kubernetes platform.

Necessity of image scanning to ensure security and vulnerability-free images.

Step of pushing the image to an image registry like Docker Hub or ECR.

Advantages of using declarative Jenkins pipelines over scripted ones for orchestration.

Use of Argo CD or other GitOps tools for deploying changes to the Kubernetes platform.

Explanation of how Argo CD watches the git repository for changes and deploys them.

Alternative approaches using scripting like Ansible, shell scripts, or Python for deployment.

Emphasis on the flexibility and scalability of the CI/CD pipeline for multiple Kubernetes clusters.

Conclusion and invitation for questions or further discussion on the CI/CD pipeline topic.

Transcripts

hello everyone my name is Abhishek and

welcome back to my channel

so if you are a devops engineer or an

aspiring devops engineer planning to

give interviews CI CD is one of the most

anticipated topics that you will discuss

in your interviews

and many times the question that

interviewers will ask you is explain the

CI CD pipeline that you have implemented

in your current or previous projects

why because in your devops engineering

job role CI CD is one of the critical

components so you should be really

prepared for this and many of our

subscribers have been asking me that I

have implemented the CI CD pipeline I

have followed your videos but I am

finding it difficult to explain during

the interview about the CI CD pipeline

that I've implemented so watch the video

till the end because in this video I am

going to make it very simple for you to

explain the interviewer okay this is the

process that I have implemented

okay

always start with Git or any Version

Control System that's based on git you

can use GitHub git gitlab or bitbucket

and you can choose your target platform

as kubernetes so you will start seeing

the interviewer that we use GitHub or

gitlab or bitbucket as our source code

repository and our Target platform is

kubernetes so that tells the interviewer

that okay you are trying to use a

version control system and trying to

implement the CI CD on the target

platform kubernetes love

let's say there is a user who tries to

make a code commit okay the pull request

is reviewed and then the code commit

creates a commit in the version control

system for easy understanding let's

assume that is a GitHub repository so

user makes a code commit to a GitHub

repository then we use an orchestrator

The Continuous integration continuous

delivery orchestrators like Jenkins the

reason for using the orchestrators is

whenever there is a code coming to the

git repository git the book triggers the

pipeline in your orchestrator okay so in

this case there is a git web hook that

triggers the Jenkins pipeline now what

Jenkins does is the continuous

integration part then there is

continuous delivery part which will

cover later but using Jenkins you will

implement the continuous integration as

part of continuous integration there are

multiple stages okay so start with the

stage that is the checkout stage so

explain the interviewer that as part of

the first stage in the Jenkins pipeline

we will check out the code now what is

the code that you are checking out the

code commit that user has made okay so

you will check out the code commit that

user has made I mean all the code along

with that code commit and then you will

try to perform a build action along with

the unit test cases in the same state

some people also perform static code

analysis using some linting actions

formatting but it depends upon your use

case you can say that we use Maven for

building and we use the unit test cases

in the code repository if it is a Java

application if it is node.js or if it is

python then you can convert your unit

testing framework and the build language

accordingly but let's assume that you

are using a Java application so you can

say we check out the code in the first

stage then we perform the build and unit

testing in the second stage where we use

Maven and we use the unit testing

framework to test the unit test

and then once this is done the build

unit testing and static code analysis is

done then you will move towards the code

scanning as part of the code scanning

you can use some repositories like uh

sonar Cube or you can use any

self-hosted uh sonar Solutions or you

can use any code scanning Solutions okay

and you will tell them that okay we will

scan the code for any uh security

related vulnerabilities or even for the

static code analysis in this stage or

you can also tell them that you know we

perform some Security checks to ensure

that our code is free from any

Securities and in this stage we will

talk about sonar Cube after that once

this entire thing is done you will move

towards the image building okay what you

will do as part of image building so

because the target platform is

kubernetes you will try to build a

Docker image or a container image to be

very specific so let's not talk about

Docker because some people might use

Docker some people might use Builder but

end of the day you will create a

container image in this stage for that

you will use the docker file in the

GitHub repository

once the image is built it is very

important to perform the image scanning

what you will do as part of the image

scanning you will verify if the image

that you have created has any

vulnerabilities right so the binary is

that you are using the default packages

that you are using in the image or the

base image itself you have to verify

that the base image and the overall

image is free from any vulnerabilities

finally once this entire things is done

you will push the image to your image

registry so the image registry can be

Docker Hub or query.io ECR if you are on

AWS you can say that I am using ECR as a

registry or any any other things right

now this is about the continuous

integration so you will say these are

multiple stages that we have in

continuous integration and we write

Jenkins file in Jenkins for

orchestrating each of them now if the

interviewer asks you how do you write

that we use the declarative Jenkins

pipelines it is always good to go with

the declarative Jenkins pipelines over

the scripted scripted Jenkins pipelines

because scripted pipelines does not have

more flexibility or does not have uh you

know by the means of flexibility in

scripted pipelines you can write your

own code but declarative pipelines are

very easy to collaborate even with

people who does not have enough idea on

the scripting part the group is

scripting part

perfect now once this is done the image

is pushed now what is the next stage

that you have like you have there is a

user who has committed the code then

your Jenkins have triggered all of these

things the image is also created image

is pushed to the image registering that

can be Docker Hub now what will be the

next step is to get this image onto your

kubernetes platform because this image

has the new changes of your application

so to do that some people use the same

Jenkins pipeline that we have created

and update this image in the kubernetes

yaml manifests

and you know you need to again push this

updated image to a GitHub repository

which is hosting all of this kubernetes

manifest in some cases this can be the

same repository as well but it is

ideally preferred to have a different

GitHub repository one is your source

code repository that is here and then

you can have a different repository for

storing your image manifest or you can

also store them as Helm charts customize

any of the different things better to go

with plain manifest or Helm chats

and like I told you some people keep the

git repository common for the source

code and image manifest if you feel that

is easy you can say that using the

Jenkins same Jenkins pipeline we update

the git repository with the image that

we have created in the last stage of the

CI that is image push stage

now once this is done your image is

created your GitHub repository is

updated with the image manifest the helm

chart is updated with the values.aml any

of the things then you have the final

stage where you use Argo CD or any git

Ops tool such as flux CD better to go

with the github's approach if you feel

that you are not comfortable with Git

Ops okay I'll tell you the solution

watch the video till then but it is

always preferred to go with GitHub

solution and what you will do is using

Argo CD you will deploy this new change

onto the kubernetes

platform how do you do that Argo CD is

continuously watching this git

repository whether it can be this git

repository or git repository that you

have used in the first case here

wherever you are pushing uh the updated

K8 CML manifest

there you have to configure Argo CD to

watch that git repository and push the

changes to the kubernetes cluster

okay so advantage of using githubs is

you know githubs will make sure that git

is a single source of Truth and any

changes that is made to this repository

is automatically pulled and deployed to

kubernetes Cluster also it has multiple

other advantages like continuous

reconciliation let's not go into the

details of it you can watch my githubs

playlist

now let's say that you find this entire

git option complicated you don't know it

good about anything about githubs you

can replace this with any scripting like

ansible shell scripts or Python scripts

so you can say that once the images once

the updated kubernetes yaml manifest or

pushed to the GitHub repository what we

do is as part of the same pipeline we

use the shell script using the cube CTL

binary or using the helm command we just

push this new

commit in the git repository to the

kubernetes

platform right so either go with ansible

or go with shell script or python in any

ways you can push these things like the

helm chart onto the kubernetes cluster

the advantage of using ansible is if

there are multiple platforms like in

this case in this picture I have shown

only one kubernetes cluster but if there

are 10 kubernetes clusters ansible will

make your life easy if you know GitHub

solution go with GitHub solution because

in githubs you can manage 1 or 10 or 100

kubernetes clusters as well okay so you

can take uh this diagram as a reference

you can use this same diagram you can

take a screenshot screenshot of it write

your own notes but this is how you will

explain the interviewer that once the

user commits a code to a gate repository

then we use Jenkins as an orchestrator

which takes care of our continuous

integration part using multiple stages

we use Jenkins groovy scripting where we

use the declarative Jenkins pipelines

for writing multiple stages and as part

of it the first stage is the checkout

stage where we check out the code the

second stage is a build and unit testing

we also perform static code analysis in

this stage you can say that if required

then we move towards the code scanning

stage and once the code scanning is done

and if everything is fine we will move

towards the building of image in this

case we are building a container image

because the target platform is

kubernetes then we perform the image

scanning to verify that the image built

is safe from the security

vulnerabilities and finally we push this

image to the image registry

once the image is pushed to the image

registry what we do is we take this new

version of the image and we update the

kubernetes yaml Manifest or we update

the

Helm charts depending upon your use case

onto a git repository this git

repository can be a different one or the

same one

and finally we have a gitops tool called

Argo CD which is watching for this hand

charts Whenever there is a new version

or a code commit that is made to this

git repository it becomes the new coming

it picks up the new commit and deploys

it onto the kubernetes cluster so this

is the entire pipeline how you explain I

hope you watch this I mean I hope sorry

I hope you enjoy the video if you have

any questions put that in the comment

section if you want to talk anything

related to it yeah definitely let me

know that you know you are finding it

difficult to understand a specific stage

I'll definitely make a detailed video on

that as well see you all in the next

video take care everyone bye