AWS CodePipeline

A service that automates the flow from code change to deployment.

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In one sentence

A service that automates the flow from code change to deployment.

Overview

AWS CodePipeline is a CI/CD pipeline service that connects source, build, test, and deploy stages.

Common use cases

Automated deployments
Releases with approval gates
Integration with CodeBuild and CodeDeploy

CLF-C02 exam points

A service for building CI/CD pipelines
Can connect multiple stages
Comes up in development and operations automation contexts

SAA-C03 exam points

Can include an approval stage before production deployment
Design IAM permissions separately for each stage
Roles may overlap with GitHub Actions

Practical Use

AWS CodePipeline is an orchestration service that visually constructs and manages CI/CD pipelines, from source code commits through build, test, and deployment. Pipelines are composed of stages and actions; each stage can incorporate AWS services (CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, CloudFormation, ECS, Lambda) or third-party services (GitHub Actions, Jenkins) as actions. The standard configuration is a three-stage pipeline: a source stage (triggered by pushes to CodeCommit or GitHub) → a build stage (compilation and tests via CodeBuild) → a deploy stage (production rollout via CodeDeploy or CloudFormation). Inserting a manual approval action between stages can make approver confirmation mandatory before production deployment. Promotion across multiple environments (dev → staging → prod) can be implemented by simply adding more stages. Pricing is based on a fixed monthly fee per active pipeline, with the first pipeline included in the free tier. CLF-C02 asks questions such as "Which service manages CI/CD pipelines?". It is important to organize and remember the roles of four services: CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline. While CodeBuild handles individual build and test processing, CodePipeline orchestrates them and the entire pipeline as a whole. Starting at SAA-C03, design patterns for blue/green deployments, canary releases, and cross-account pipelines fall within the exam scope.

Official Documentation

Cost notes

Charged based on the number of active pipelines and similar factors
For a personal MVP, GitHub Actions is often sufficient

Security notes

Limit deployment permissions to the target resources
Define approval rules for production deployments

Related services

AWS CodeBuild

An AWS managed service for building and testing code.

AWS Identity and Access Management

Core security service that controls who is allowed to perform which actions on AWS.

Amazon Simple Storage Service

A representative AWS storage service for storing files securely and at low cost.

Related architecture diagrams

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