set up at least three aspects of an automated continuous integration pipeline.

In order to understand the setup of an automated continuous integration pipeline, it is essential first to have a clear conception of what exactly continuous integration (CI) entails. CI is a software development practice that encourages developers to integrate their code into the mainline code base frequently – usually each time a team member updates the current working version, several times a day.

Setting up an automated CI pipeline involves creating a process in which your software is built, tested, and packaged in a repeatable, reliable manner. Utilizing CI pipelines has become an industry standard which is designed to catch and eliminate problems early in the development cycle. This ultimately improves code quality and reduces time to final delivery.

To set up a successful CI pipeline there are myriad aspects to consider. Here, we’ll focus on three: version control systems (VCS), test automation and deployment automation.

1. Version Control Systems (VCS):

VCS are essential tools for modern software development. They enable distributed teams to work on a project concurrently, helping in managing changes to documents, computer programs, large web sites, and other collections of information. Git is a popular example of a VCS tool.

The basic idea of version control can be seen in frameworks like Trunk Based Development where all developers work on a single branch and the feature toggling concept is used to hide incomplete features. In this way, VCS plays a critical role in CI as it allows every commit to be built, enabling early detection of integration bugs, easing their fix as you know the code causing the problem is freshly written.

2. Test Automation:

Test automation is the practice of running tests automatically, managing test data, and utilizing results to improve software quality. It’s the most reliable method of constantly checking software for bugs during development. With CI, developers frequently commit code to the main repository. After every commit, the CI server builds the system and runs the test suite.

JUnit, Selenium, Jest are among the most widely utilized test automation tools. JUnit, for example, a simple, open-source framework to write repeatable tests, is utilized for unit testing in Java.

3. Deployment Automation:

Once the application passes the tests, it’s time to move it to a live server, this process is known as deployment. However, this process can be time-consuming and error-prone if done manually, hence the need for deployment automation.

With deployment automation, applications are deployed across various environments smoothly and reliably. Each code commit triggers an automatic build that then runs the tests. If the tests pass, the build is automatically deployed to a server. Jenkins, CircleCI, and Google Cloud Build are some of the great tools for automating deployments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, setting up an automation continuous integration pipeline is an essential aspect of Agile Development, particularly for Scrum teams. It enables faster delivery of features, ensures stable builds, immediate feedback, and saving valuable time in the overall process. For a Certified Scrum Professional for Developers (CSP-D), taking strides towards mastering the CI pipeline setup using solid Version Control Systems, robust Test Automation, and reliable Deployment Automation can really set you apart and elevate your skillset to the next level.