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Kosisochukwu Ugochukwu
Kosisochukwu Ugochukwu

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🛠️ The Full Stack DevOps Workshop

#devops #cloudcomputing #github #softwaredevelopment

Understanding DevOps: Bridging Development and Operations

If you have ever built an app and thought:

  • How do I make sure it runs the same everywhere?
  • How can I test changes automatically?
  • How do I go from my laptop to production safely? …then this guide is for you.

In this hands-on tutorial, we will walk step-by-step through setting up a complete DevOps pipeline, from writing simple Node.js code, all the way to automated CI/CD deployments with Docker and Kubernetes.

By the end, you will know how to:

  • Set up Git, Docker, and GitHub Actions
  • Write and run automated tests
  • Build lightweight, secure Docker images
  • Use CI/CD pipelines to test, build, and deploy automatically
  • Deploy to staging (for testing) and production (for real users) with confidence

Note: No prior DevOps experience required, just a willingness to code, learn, and experiment.

Hands-On Practice: Preparing Your DevOps Workspace

🔧 Before You Begin: Install Required Tools

Before starting, let’s prepare your machine with the right tools:

  1. Node.js (v18 or higher, LTS v20 recommended in 2025)

    • Download: nodejs.org
    • Choose the LTS version (20.x)
    • Verify installation: 
     node --version
 npm --version

  2. Git (latest stable version) 

     git --version

  3. Docker Desktop (latest version) 

     docker --version
 docker-compose --version

  4. GitHub Account

    • Sign up: github.com
    • Needed for hosting your code and setting up CI/CD pipelines

  5. Code Editor (optional but recommended)

Final Check: Make Sure Everything Works

Run these commands in your terminal:

node --version    # Should show v18.x+ or v20.x+  
npm --version     # Should show 9.x+ or 10.x+  
git --version     # Should show 2.34+  
docker --version  # Should show 24.x+
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Image D1

Step 1: Set Up Git for Version Control

What this step does:

This tells Git who you are (your name and email) so it can label your changes. It also creates a folder for your project and starts tracking it with Git.

One-time Git Setup

Run these commands (replace with your name and email):

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
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Create and Initialize Your Project

Now, let’s create a new folder and start Git inside it by running the following command:

mkdir devops-project
cd devops-project
git init
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Step 2: Build a Node.js Web App

What this step does:

We will create a simple Node.js app that serves web pages and API endpoints. This will be the foundation for our DevOps journey.

1. Initialize Node.js Project

What it does:

Creates a package.json file that describes your project and manages dependencies.

# Create package.json with default settings
`npm init -y`
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After running this, you will see a new package.json file in your project folder.

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  1. Update package.json

What it does:
Adds scripts, metadata, and development tools to your project setup.

Open the file in your editor, or create one with:

touch package.json
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Note: Since we are using a vscode in linux npm init -y has done the opening for us but had it been we are using ubuntu or a linux server we must use touch package.json to open the file in the editor.

So copy and paste this content in the open file editor:

{
  "name": "my-devops-project",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "DevOps learning project with Node.js",
  "main": "app.js",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node app.js",
    "test": "jest",
    "dev": "node app.js",
    "lint": "eslint ."
  },
  "keywords": ["devops", "nodejs", "docker"],
  "author": "Your Name",
  "license": "MIT",
  "engines": {
    "node": ">=18.0.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "jest": "^29.7.0",
    "eslint": "^8.57.0",
    "supertest": "^7.1.4"
  }
}
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3. Create the Main Application File
What it does:
Creates the main web server (app.js) that:

  • Listens on port 3000
  • Serves routes: /, /health, /info, /metrics
  • Adds security headers
  • Supports graceful shutdown
  • Exports the server for testing

Create a the main application file using the code below:

touch app.js
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Copy this into app.js:

const http = require('http');
const url = require('url');
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
const environment = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';

let requestCount = 0;
const startTime = Date.now();

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  requestCount++;
  const timestamp = new Date().toISOString();
  const { pathname } = url.parse(req.url, true);

  console.log(`${timestamp} - ${req.method} ${pathname} - ${req.headers['user-agent'] || 'Unknown'}`);

  // CORS headers
  res.setHeader('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*');
  res.setHeader('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', 'GET, POST, PUT, DELETE');
  res.setHeader('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', 'Content-Type');

  // Security headers
  res.setHeader('X-Content-Type-Options', 'nosniff');
  res.setHeader('X-Frame-Options', 'DENY');
  res.setHeader('X-XSS-Protection', '1; mode=block');

  switch (pathname) {
    case '/':
      res.statusCode = 200;
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/html');
      res.end(`<h1>I'm Getting Better at DevOps, Yay!</h1>`);
      break;

    case '/health':
      res.statusCode = 200;
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');
      res.end(JSON.stringify({ status: 'healthy', uptime: process.uptime() }, null, 2));
      break;

    case '/info':
      res.statusCode = 200;
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');
      res.end(JSON.stringify({ platform: process.platform, pid: process.pid }, null, 2));
      break;

    case '/metrics':
      res.statusCode = 200;
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain');
      res.end(`# HELP http_requests_total Total HTTP requests
# TYPE http_requests_total counter
http_requests_total ${requestCount}`);
      break;

    default:
      res.statusCode = 404;
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');
      res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Not Found' }, null, 2));
  }
});

process.on('SIGTERM', () => server.close(() => process.exit(0)));
process.on('SIGINT', () => server.close(() => process.exit(0)));

server.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`🚀 Server running at http://localhost:${port}/`);
});

module.exports = server;
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Install Dependencies

What it does:
Installs the testing and linting tools your app will use.

### Install testing and dev tools
npm install --save-dev jest eslint supertest

### Install all dependencies
npm install
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You wll now see:

A node_modules/ folder with installed packages

A package-lock.json file locking dependency versions

Step 3: Create Proper Tests

Now that your Node.js app is ready, it’s important to make sure it works every time you make changes. Automated testing lets you check your app’s endpoints without doing it manually.

  1. Create a tests folder → Store all your test files in one place.
  2. Write test cases → Each test checks if a specific route (/, /health, /info, /metrics) works as expected.
  3. Configure Jest → Tell Jest how to run your tests and where to store coverage reports.

By the end of this step, you will have an automated system that validates your app every time you make a change.

Creating Proper Tests

What this step does:
Sets up automated testing so your application is checked every time you make changes.

1. Create Tests Directory and File 

### Create a folder for your tests
mkdir tests

### Create the main test file
touch tests/app.test.js
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2. Write Test Cases

What it does:
Checks if your web server endpoints are working correctly.

Copy this code into tests/app.test.js:

const request = require('supertest');
const server = require('../app');

describe('App Endpoints', () => {
  afterAll(() => {
    server.close();
  });

  test('GET / should return welcome page', async () => {
    const response = await request(server).get('/');
    expect(response.status).toBe(200);
    expect(response.text).toContain('DevOps Lab 2025');
  });

  test('GET /health should return health status', async () => {
    const response = await request(server).get('/health');
    expect(response.status).toBe(200);
    expect(response.body.status).toBe('healthy');
    expect(response.body.timestamp).toBeDefined();
    expect(typeof response.body.uptime).toBe('number');
  });

  test('GET /info should return system info', async () => {
    const response = await request(server).get('/info');
    expect(response.status).toBe(200);
    expect(response.body.platform).toBeDefined();
    expect(response.body.node_version).toBeDefined();
  });

  test('GET /metrics should return prometheus metrics', async () => {
    const response = await request(server).get('/metrics');
    expect(response.status).toBe(200);
    expect(response.text).toContain('http_requests_total');
    expect(response.text).toContain('app_uptime_seconds');
  });

  test('GET /nonexistent should return 404', async () => {
    const response = await request(server).get('/nonexistent');
    expect(response.status).toBe(404);
    expect(response.body.error).toBe('Not Found');
  });
});
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  1. Configure Jest

What it does:
Tells Jest how to run your tests and generate coverage reports.

# Create Jest configuration file
touch jest.config.js
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Copy this into jest.config.js:

module.exports = {
  testEnvironment: 'node',
  collectCoverage: true,
  coverageDirectory: 'coverage',
  testMatch: ['**/tests/**/*.test.js'],
  verbose: true
};
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Step 4: Add GitHub Actions for CI/CD

Instead of manually running tests and building Docker images, you can set up GitHub Actions. This creates a pipeline that automatically runs every time you push code to GitHub.

Here’s what happens:

  1. Tests run automatically → Your app is linted, tested, and security-checked.

  2. Docker image builds automatically → When changes are pushed to main, GitHub builds and pushes your Docker image to GitHub’s container registry (GHCR).

This ensures your app is always tested and ready to deploy without extra manual steps.

Fixed GitHub Actions CI/CD

What this step does:

Sets up an automated workflow that runs tests and builds Docker images every time you push to GitHub.

1. Create Workflow Directory

# Create the GitHub Actions directory structure
mkdir -p .github/workflows
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Image d13

2. Create CI/CD Pipeline File

# Create the workflow file
touch .github/workflows/ci.yml
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Copy this into .github/workflows/ci.yml:

name: CI/CD Pipeline

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

env:
  NODE_VERSION: '20'
  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
  IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}

jobs:
  test:
    name: Run Tests
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    strategy:
      matrix:
        node-version: [18, 20]

    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup Node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
          cache: 'npm'

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci

      - name: Run linting
        run: npx eslint . --ext .js --ignore-pattern node_modules/
        continue-on-error: true

      - name: Run tests
        run: npm test

      - name: Run security audit
        run: npm audit --audit-level=moderate || true

  build:
    name: Build Docker Image
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs: test
    if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'

    permissions:
      contents: read
      packages: write

    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3

      - name: Log in to Container Registry
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        with:
          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
          username: ${{ github.actor }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

      - name: Extract metadata
        id: meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
          tags: |
            type=ref,event=branch
            type=sha,prefix={{branch}}-
            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}

      - name: Build and push Docker image
        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
        with:
          context: .
          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
          push: true
          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
          cache-from: type=gha
          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
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Step 5: Create a Dockerfile

A Dockerfile is like a recipe that tells Docker how to build a container image for your app. With this, you can run your app anywhere on your laptop, a server, or in the cloud.

Here’s what this Dockerfile does:

  • Uses a multi-stage build so the final image is small and efficient
  • Installs curl for health checks
  • Runs the app as a non-root user for better security
  • Configures health checks to make sure the app is running
  • Ensures proper file permissions and clean setup

Creating a Dockerfile

What this step does:

Defines instructions for Docker to build a portable container image of your Node.js application.

1. Create Dockerfile 

# Create the Dockerfile (no extension needed)
touch Dockerfile
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2. Add Dockerfile Content

Copy the code below into your Dockerfile:

# Fixed and Verified Multi-stage build for optimized image
FROM node:20-alpine AS dependencies

# Update packages for security
RUN apk update && apk upgrade --no-cache

WORKDIR /app

# Copy package files first for better caching
COPY package*.json ./

# Install only production dependencies
RUN npm ci --only=production && npm cache clean --force

# Production stage  
FROM node:20-alpine AS production

# Update packages and install necessary tools
RUN apk update && apk upgrade --no-cache && \
    apk add --no-cache curl dumb-init && \
    rm -rf /var/cache/apk/*

# Create non-root user with proper permissions
RUN addgroup -g 1001 -S nodejs && \
    adduser -S nodeuser -u 1001 -G nodejs

WORKDIR /app

# Copy dependencies from previous stage with proper ownership
COPY --from=dependencies --chown=nodeuser:nodejs /app/node_modules ./node_modules

# Copy application code with proper ownership
COPY --chown=nodeuser:nodejs package*.json ./
COPY --chown=nodeuser:nodejs app.js ./

# Switch to non-root user
USER nodeuser

# Expose port
EXPOSE 3000

# Health check with proper timing for Node.js startup
HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=10s --start-period=15s --retries=3 \
  CMD curl -f http://localhost:3000/health || exit 1

# Use dumb-init for proper signal handling in containers
ENTRYPOINT ["dumb-init", "--"]

# Start application
CMD ["npm", "start"]
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Step 6: Essential Configuration Files

Configuration files are like “rules” for your project. They tell tools what to ignore, how to check your code, and what settings to use. Adding these makes your project easier to maintain and safer to share with others.

Here’s what we will add:

  1. .dockerignore → tells Docker which files to skip when building the container.
  2. .gitignore → tells Git which files not to track.
  3. .env.example → shows what environment variables the project needs (without secrets).
  4. .eslintrc.js → sets up ESLint to keep your code clean and consistent.

Essential Configuration Files

What this step does:

Adds important project config files to ignore unnecessary stuff, define environment settings, and enforce clean coding standards.

1. Create .dockerignore

Tells Docker which files/folders to ignore when building images.

touch .dockerignore
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Copy this inside .dockerignore:

node_modules
npm-debug.log*
.git
.github
.env
.env.local
.env.*.local
logs
*.log
coverage
.nyc_output
.vscode
.idea
*.swp
*.swo
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db
README.md
tests/
jest.config.js
.eslintrc*
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2. Create .gitignore

Tells Git which files not to track in version control, by running the code below:

touch .gitignore
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Copy the code inside .gitignore:

# Dependencies
node_modules/
npm-debug.log*

# Runtime data
pids
*.pid
*.seed
*.pid.lock

# Coverage
coverage/
.nyc_output

# Environment variables
.env
.env.local
.env.*.local

# Logs
logs
*.log

# IDE
.vscode/
.idea/
*.swp
*.swo

# OS
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db
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3. Create .env.example

Shows other developers what environment variables your application needs, without exposing actual secrets.

touch .env.example
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Copy this inside:

# Server Configuration
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=production

# Logging
LOG_LEVEL=info
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4. Create .eslintrc.js

Configures ESLint to check code quality and style.

touch .eslintrc.js
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Copy the code inside:

module.exports = {
  env: {
    node: true,
    es2021: true,
    jest: true
  },
  extends: ['eslint:recommended'],
  parserOptions: {
    ecmaVersion: 12,
    sourceType: 'module'
  },
  rules: {
    'no-console': 'off',
    'no-unused-vars': ['error', { 'argsIgnorePattern': '^_' }]
  }
};
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Step 7: Docker Compose for Development

Docker Compose is like a shortcut remote control for your app. Instead of typing long docker commands, you define everything in one file, and then just run:

docker-compose up
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This makes development faster and keeps things consistent for every developer on the project.

Docker Compose for Development

What this step does:

Creates a docker-compose.yml file that makes it easy to run your app (and later, databases) with just one command.

1. Create Docker Compose file

touch docker-compose.yml

2. Copy and paste the following code:

version: '3.8'

services:
  app:
    build: .
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=development
      - PORT=3000
    restart: unless-stopped
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "curl", "-f", "http://localhost:3000/health"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 3
      start_period: 10s
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What this does:

  • Defines your app as a service
  • Maps port 3000 → so you can visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser
  • Sets environment variables → tells the app to run in development mode
  • Adds a health check → ensures the app is running properly
  • Auto restarts → if the app crashes, Docker brings it back up

Step 8: Commands to Run Everything

Now that your app, tests, Dockerfile, and CI/CD are ready, it’s time to run it locally and make sure everything works:

  1. Install and test with npm → Installs dependencies, runs your automated tests, and starts the app.
  2. Run with Docker → Build a Docker image and run it in an isolated container.
  3. Run with Docker Compose → Start the app (and other services) together easily.

After this step, your app should be fully functional at http://localhost:3000.

Commands to Run Everything

What this step does:

Shows how to run and test your Node.js application locally before deploying it.

1. Install and Test Locally

Install dependencies

npm install

Run tests

npm test

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Start application

npm start

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### In a new terminal, test endpoints
curl http://localhost:3000/         # Homepage
curl http://localhost:3000/health   # Health check JSON
curl http://localhost:3000/info     # System info JSON
curl http://localhost:3000/metrics  # Prometheus metrics
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Expected results:

  • Tests pass (green checkmarks)
  • Server logs: 🚀 Server running at http://localhost:3000/
  • Health endpoint returns JSON: {"status":"healthy","timestamp":"...","uptime":...}

2. Docker Commands

What these commands do: Build your application into a Docker container and run it in an isolated environment.

How to run Docker commands:

Build Docker image
docker build -t my-devops-app:latest .

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Run container
docker run -d \
--name my-devops-container \
-p 3000:3000 \
--restart unless-stopped \
my-devops-app:latest

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Check container status
docker ps

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docker logs my-devops-container

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Test health check
curl http://localhost:3000/health

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Stop and remove container
docker stop my-devops-container

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docker rm my-devops-container

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### Start all services in docker-compose.yml
docker-compose up -d

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View logs from all services
docker-compose logs -f

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Stop all services and clean up
docker-compose down

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Expected results:

  • Containers build and start automatically
  • Logs show your application initializing
  • Application accessible at http://localhost:3000

Step 9: CI/CD with Deployment

What this step does:
Pushes your local project to GitHub so the CI/CD pipeline (from Step 4) can automatically run tests, build Docker images, and deploy.

1. Initial Commit

Take a snapshot of your full project and save it in Git history:

Add all files to Git staging area

git add .

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Create your first commit with a descriptive message

git commit -m "Initial commit: Complete DevOps setup with working CI/CD"

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What this does: Takes a snapshot of all your files and saves it in Git history and gets your project ready to push.

2. Connect to GitHub

First, create a new repository on GitHub.com
.
Then link your local repo to GitHub:

Set main as the default branch

git branch -M main

Connect to your GitHub repository (replace yourusername with your actual GitHub username)

git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/my-devops-project.git

Push your code to GitHub for the first time
git push -u origin main

Things to know before this step

  1. Create a new repo on GitHub before running these commands
  2. Copy the repo URL from GitHub (HTTPS or SSH)
  3. Replace yourusername with your actual GitHub username

What You will See:

  • Your project files appear in your GitHub repository
  • GitHub Actions automatically triggers the CI/CD pipeline you configured earlier
  • Tests, linting, security checks, and Docker builds all run in the cloud 🚀 Image d42

This is where everything comes alive:
👉 Code → GitHub → Automated CI/CD → Ready for deployment

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10. Step 10: Continuous Deployment (CD) Setup

What this step does:
Extends your CI pipeline to automatically deploy your application to staging and production environments when code is pushed.

⚡ Enhanced CI/CD Pipeline with Deployment
This enhanced pipeline will:

  • ✅ Run tests on multiple Node.js versions
  • 🐳 Build Docker images for multiple platforms (AMD64 + ARM64)
  • 🚀 Deploy to staging when pushing to develop branch
  • 🎯 Deploy to production when pushing to main branch
  • 🔒 Run security scans on production deployments

🛠 Update Your GitHub Actions Workflow

Open .github/workflows/ci.yml and replace it with this:

name: CI/CD Pipeline

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

env:
  NODE_VERSION: '20'
  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
  IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}

jobs:
  test:
    name: Run Tests
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    strategy:
      matrix:
        node-version: [18, 20]

    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup Node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
          cache: 'npm'

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci

      - name: Run linting
        run: npx eslint . --ext .js --ignore-pattern node_modules/
        continue-on-error: true

      - name: Run tests
        run: npm test

      - name: Run security audit
        run: npm audit --audit-level=moderate || true

  build:
    name: Build Docker Image
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs: test
    if: github.event_name == 'push'

    permissions:
      contents: read
      packages: write

    outputs:
      image-digest: ${{ steps.build.outputs.digest }}
      image-tag: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}

    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3

      - name: Log in to Container Registry
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        with:
          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
          username: ${{ github.actor }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

      - name: Extract metadata
        id: meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
          tags: |
            type=ref,event=branch
            type=sha,prefix={{branch}}-
            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}

      - name: Build and push Docker image
        id: build
        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
        with:
          context: .
          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
          push: true
          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
          cache-from: type=gha
          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max

  deploy-staging:
    name: Deploy to Staging
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs: build
    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/develop'
    environment: staging

    steps:
      - name: Deploy to staging
        run: |
          echo "🚀 Deploying to staging environment..."
          echo "Image: ${{ needs.build.outputs.image-tag }}"
          echo "Would deploy to staging server here"
          # In real scenario, you'd use:
          # - kubectl apply -f k8s/staging/
          # - docker-compose -f docker-compose.staging.yml up -d
          # - ssh staging-server "docker pull $IMAGE && docker-compose up -d"

  deploy-production:
    name: Deploy to Production
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs: build
    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
    environment: production

    steps:
      - name: Deploy to production
        run: |
          echo "🎯 Deploying to production environment..."
          echo "Image: ${{ needs.build.outputs.image-tag }}"
          echo "Image digest: ${{ needs.build.outputs.image-digest }}"
          echo "Would deploy to production server here"
          # In real scenario, you'd use:
          # - kubectl apply -f k8s/production/
          # - terraform apply
          # - ansible-playbook deploy.yml

  security-scan:
    name: Security Scan
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs: build
    if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'

    steps:
      - name: Run Trivy vulnerability scanner
        uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
        with:
          image-ref: 'ghcr.io/kosinachi/getting-started-with-devops:latest'
          format: 'sarif'
          output: 'trivy-results.sarif'

      # - name: Upload Trivy scan results
      #   uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@v3
      #   with:
      #     # sarif_file: 'trivy-results.sarif'

    env:
      TRIVY_USERNAME: ${{ github.actor }}
      TRIVY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
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Image d43

Commit and push your workflow:

`git add .github/workflows/ci.yml`
`git commit -m "Enhance CI/CD pipeline with staging and production deployment"`
`git push origin main`
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☸️ Kubernetes Deployment Configurations

We will now define how the app should run in staging and production.
📦 Staging Deployment

mkdir -p k8s/staging

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touch k8s/staging/deployment.yml

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Copy this content into k8s/staging/deployment.yml:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: devops-app-staging
  namespace: staging
spec:
  replicas: 2
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: devops-app
      environment: staging
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: devops-app
        environment: staging
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: app
        image: ghcr.io/yourusername/my-devops-project:develop-latest
        ports:
        - containerPort: 3000
        env:
        - name: NODE_ENV
          value: "staging"
        - name: PORT
          value: "3000"
        livenessProbe:
          httpGet:
            path: /health
            port: 3000
          initialDelaySeconds: 30
          periodSeconds: 10
        readinessProbe:
          httpGet:
            path: /health
            port: 3000
          initialDelaySeconds: 5
          periodSeconds: 5
---
apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: devops-app-service-staging
  namespace: staging
spec:
  selector:
    app: devops-app
    environment: staging
  ports:
  - protocol: TCP
    port: 80
    targetPort: 3000
  type: LoadBalancer
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🏭 Production Deployment

mkdir -p k8s/production
touch k8s/production/deployment.yml

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Copy this content into k8s/production/deployment.yml:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: devops-app-production
  namespace: production
spec:
  replicas: 3
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: devops-app
      environment: production
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: devops-app
        environment: production
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: app
        image: ghcr.io/yourusername/my-devops-project:latest
        ports:
        - containerPort: 3000
        env:
        - name: NODE_ENV
          value: "production"
        - name: PORT
          value: "3000"
        resources:
          requests:
            memory: "128Mi"
            cpu: "100m"
          limits:
            memory: "256Mi"
            cpu: "200m"
        livenessProbe:
          httpGet:
            path: /health
            port: 3000
          initialDelaySeconds: 30
          periodSeconds: 10
        readinessProbe:
          httpGet:
            path: /health
            port: 3000
          initialDelaySeconds: 5
          periodSeconds: 5
---
apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: devops-app-service-production
  namespace: production
spec:
  selector:
    app: devops-app
    environment: production
  ports:
  - protocol: TCP
    port: 80
    targetPort: 3000
  type: LoadBalancer
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What You will Get

  • Push to develop → Staging deployed
  • Push to main → Production deployed
  • Automated Docker builds, tests, and security scans
  • Kubernetes-powered scalability with replicas, probes, and resource limits

👉 At this point, ywe have got a full DevOps pipeline from code → CI → Docker → Kubernetes → CD.

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Step 11: Complete Deployment Workflow

What this step does:
Shows you how to use the full CI/CD pipeline with a proper branching strategy for staging and production deployments.

Branch-based Deployment Strategy

Here’s how the flow works:

  • develop branch → 🚀 Automatically deploys to staging
  • main branch → 🎯 Automatically deploys to production
  • Pull Requests → ✅ Run tests only (no deployment)

This ensures safe testing in staging before releasing to production.

Deploy Changes
👉 Deploy to Staging

Create and switch to develop branch

git checkout -b develop

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Make your changes, then commit and push

git add .
git commit -m "Add new feature"
git push origin develop

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🔄 What happens:

  1. GitHub Actions runs tests ✅
  2. If successful, your app is deployed to staging automatically

Switch to main branch

git checkout main

Merge changes from develop

git merge develop

Push to trigger production deployment

git push origin main

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🔄 What happens:

  1. GitHub Actions runs tests + build + security scan
  2. If successful, your app is deployed to production

📊 Monitor Deployments

Check whether everything is working as expected:

  • 🟢 GitHub Actions status: 👉 Your Actions page or: 
### Check GitHub Actions status
### Visit: https://github.com/yourusername/my-devops-project/actions
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  • 📦 Container registry: 👉 Your Docker images or: 
### Check your container registry
### Visit: `https://github.com/yourusername/my-devops project/pkgs/container/my-devops-project`
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🧪 Test live endpoints:

Staging health check

curl https://your-staging-url.com/health

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Production health check

curl https://your-production-url.com/health

✅ Expected response:

{ "status": "healthy", "timestamp": "...", "uptime": ... }
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🎉 At this point.

We have set up a complete DevOps environment:

  • Local development 🖥
  • Containerization 🐳
  • CI/CD pipelines ⚙️
  • Branch-based deployments 🌿
  • Kubernetes for staging & production ☸️
  • This is a production-grade workflow you can scale for real projects.

Conclusion & Best Practices

Congratulations! we have just built a complete DevOps pipeline, from coding locally all the way to automated staging and production deployments.

This setup covers:

  • Local development with Node.js + Docker
  • Automated testing (Jest + Supertest)
  • GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline
  • Secure Dockerfile and configs
  • Kubernetes staging & production deployments
  • Branch-based workflow (develop → staging, main → production)

Best Practices to Keep in Mind

1. Keep CI/CD Fast

  • Cache dependencies
  • Run tests in parallel
  • Fail fast on errors

2. Automate Security

  • Use npm audit, Trivy, or Dependabot
  • Regularly update dependencies

3. Protect Secrets

  • Store secrets in GitHub Actions Secrets 🔑
  • Never commit .env files to Git

4. Monitor Everything

  • Use /health and /metrics endpoints
  • Connect to monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana, etc.)

5. Use Branching Wisely

  • develop → Safe place for testing
  • main → Only stable, production-ready code

Final Thoughts

This workflow gives you a real-world DevOps setup that’s:

  • Scalable – ready for growth
  • Secure – avoids common pitfalls
  • Automated – less manual work, more focus on coding

From here, you can expand further by:

  • Adding Terraform for infrastructure-as-code
  • Integrating Helm charts for Kubernetes
  • Setting up CDNs & load balancers for global scalability

You now have all the building blocks to manage modern applications like a DevOps pro!

Top comments (2)

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ibrahimbioabu profile image
Ibrahim Bio Abubakar •

Good read Kosi. Well done :)

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kosisochukwu_ugochukwu_a2 profile image
Kosisochukwu Ugochukwu •

Thank you Ibrahim.