GitHub Actions CI/CD System

Overview

GitHub Actions powers our automated workflows, handling documentation deployment, code quality checks, and continuous integration/deployment processes.

Our GitHub Actions Implementation

Documentation Deployment: Automated mdBook site generation and deployment
Code Quality: Linting and formatting automation
Security: Automated vulnerability scanning
Notifications: Workflow status notifications
Multi-environment: Support for different deployment targets

Workflow Architecture

Core Workflows

.github/workflows/
├── deploy.yml              # Documentation deployment
├── test.yml               # Code testing and validation
├── security.yml           # Security scanning
└── maintenance.yml        # Repository maintenance

Workflow Triggers

Push to main: Automatic deployment
Pull requests: Code quality checks
Schedule: Regular maintenance tasks
Manual dispatch: On-demand workflow execution

Documentation Deployment Workflow

mdBook Site Generation

name: Deploy Documentation

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    permissions:
      contents: read
      pages: write
      id-token: write
    
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        
      - name: Setup mdBook
        uses: peaceiris/actions-mdbook@v1
        with:
          mdbook-version: '0.4.21'
          
      - name: Build documentation
        run: mdbook build
        
      - name: Setup Pages
        uses: actions/configure-pages@v3
        
      - name: Upload artifact
        uses: actions/upload-pages-artifact@v2
        with:
          path: './book'
          
      - name: Deploy to GitHub Pages
        id: deployment
        uses: actions/deploy-pages@v2

Deployment Process

Trigger: Push to main branch or manual dispatch
Environment Setup: Ubuntu runner with mdBook installation
Build Process: Generate static site from Markdown source
Artifact Upload: Package built site for deployment
Pages Deployment: Publish to GitHub Pages
Status Notification: Success/failure notifications

Code Quality Workflows

Linting and Formatting

name: Code Quality

on:
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  lint:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      
      - name: Setup Python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
        with:
          python-version: '3.11'
          
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: |
          pip install black flake8 mypy
          
      - name: Run Black
        run: black --check .
        
      - name: Run Flake8
        run: flake8 .
        
      - name: Run MyPy
        run: mypy .

Rust Code Quality

      - name: Setup Rust
        uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
        with:
          toolchain: stable
          override: true
          components: rustfmt, clippy
          
      - name: Check formatting
        run: cargo fmt --all -- --check
        
      - name: Run Clippy
        run: cargo clippy -- -D warnings
        
      - name: Run tests
        run: cargo test

Security & Maintenance Workflows

Dependency Updates

name: Update Dependencies

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 * * 1'  # Weekly on Monday
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  update:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      
      - name: Update Rust dependencies
        run: cargo update
        
      - name: Update Python dependencies
        run: pip-compile --upgrade requirements.in
        
      - name: Create Pull Request
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v5
        with:
          title: 'chore: update dependencies'
          commit-message: 'chore: update dependencies'
          branch: 'automated/dependency-updates'

Security Scanning

name: Security Scan

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  security:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      
      - name: Run Trivy vulnerability scanner
        uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
        with:
          scan-type: 'fs'
          scan-ref: '.'
          format: 'sarif'
          output: 'trivy-results.sarif'
          
      - name: Upload Trivy scan results
        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@v2
        with:
          sarif_file: 'trivy-results.sarif'

Workflow Optimization

Performance Improvements

Caching: Dependency and build caching
Parallel Jobs: Multiple jobs running simultaneously
Conditional Execution: Skip unnecessary steps
Artifact Management: Efficient file handling

Caching Strategy

      - name: Cache dependencies
        uses: actions/cache@v3
        with:
          path: |
            ~/.cargo/registry
            ~/.cargo/git
            target
          key: ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-${{ hashFiles('**/Cargo.lock') }}
          restore-keys: |
            ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-

Monitoring & Debugging

Workflow Monitoring

Status Badges: Repository README status indicators
Notification Integration: Slack/email notifications
Failure Analysis: Automated error reporting
Performance Metrics: Workflow execution time tracking

Debugging Techniques

      - name: Debug information
        run: |
          echo "Runner OS: ${{ runner.os }}"
          echo "GitHub Event: ${{ github.event_name }}"
          echo "Branch: ${{ github.ref }}"
          ls -la
          env | sort

Learning Journey

Starting Point: Basic deployment workflow creation
Current Proficiency: Complex multi-job workflows
Key Skills: YAML configuration, workflow optimization
Practical Application: Automated documentation and code quality
Future Goals: Advanced CI/CD patterns and custom actions

Best Practices

Workflow Organization

Modular Design: Separate workflows for different purposes
Reusable Actions: Custom actions for common tasks
Error Handling: Proper error handling and recovery
Documentation: Clear workflow documentation
Testing: Test workflows in feature branches

Security Considerations

# Secure secret usage
env:
  API_KEY: ${{ secrets.API_KEY }}

# Minimal permissions
permissions:
  contents: read
  pages: write
  id-token: write

# Secure checkout
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
  with:
    token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

Integration with Development Workflow

Local Development

Workflow Testing: Act for local workflow testing
Secret Management: Local environment variable management
Debugging: Local debugging before deployment
Performance: Optimize for fast feedback loops

Team Collaboration

Workflow Sharing: Reusable workflow templates
Status Visibility: Clear workflow status communication
Error Handling: Comprehensive error reporting
Documentation: Workflow documentation and runbooks

Advanced Features

Matrix Builds

strategy:
  matrix:
    os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest]
    python-version: [3.8, 3.9, '3.10', '3.11']
runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}

Custom Actions

# Local action usage
- uses: ./.github/actions/custom-action
  with:
    parameter: value

# Marketplace action usage
- uses: actions/setup-node@v3
  with:
    node-version: '18'

Development Workflow Documentation