Platform Tips #13: What's the Future of CI/CD?
I want to explore what the future of traditional CI/CD could be in the context of platform engineering. With the emergence of Internal Developer Platforms and Portals, do developers still need CI/CD
Hey Folks 👋,
I'm Romaric Philogene, CEO and co-founder of Qovery, and this is my 12th post on my Substack. In my previous post, we discussed Platform Orchestrators and demystified this emerging concept.
Today, I want to explore what the future of traditional CI/CD could be in the context of platform engineering. With the emergence of Internal Developer Platforms and Portals, do developers still need to interact with CI/CD to release their apps? I share my view on this and how CI/CD platforms as we know could change in the future.
The Original Intent of CI/CD
The story of CI/CD begins with an operational mindset, focusing on automating testing and deployment to make life easier for those managing the infrastructure. It's a bit like setting up a highly efficient assembly line for software, ensuring every piece fits perfectly as it moves towards release. But as these tools became more ingrained in the development process, developers found themselves front and center, navigating systems that weren't exactly designed with them in mind.
Where Developer Experience Meets CI/CD
As it turns out, the design of many CI/CD platforms didn't put the Developer Experience at the forefront. This oversight is somewhat akin to handing someone a map in a language they don't understand; yes, it's possible to navigate, but it's far from intuitive.
Developers faced a learning curve with each new CI/CD system, grappling with unique configurations and syntax that felt more like a hurdle than a help.
Imagining a Different CI/CD Landscape
What if the future of CI/CD looked a bit different? Picture a world where CI/CD isn't a separate entity but an integrated part of the codebase itself. This is the innovative path platforms like Dagger.io are exploring. By weaving CI/CD principles directly into the development environment, the process becomes more natural for developers, freeing them from the need to master yet another syntax and allowing them to focus on their code.
Internal Developer Platforms to replace CI/CDs?
Even more exciting is the potential of Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs) to transform how we think about CI/CD.
These platforms offer a streamlined experience, where selecting a code repository and Dockerfile is all it takes to kickstart the build and deployment process. It's a significant leap towards making developers' lives easier, focusing on productivity and enabling them to deliver great work with less friction.
Let's Chat About the Future
As we peer into the future of software development, it's clear that the conversation around CI/CD is ripe for evolution. Are IDPs the final answer, or is there another path that better serves our needs as developers?
I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. How do you see CI/CD evolving? Do you think the abstraction offered by IDPs is the way forward, or are there aspects of CI/CD that we should hold onto and refine? 👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments 👀
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