Continuous Integration (CI)
CI is the practice of frequently merging developer code into a central repository. Every push triggers an automated build and testing sequence.
This ensures that integration errors are caught immediately and that the main branch remains stable.
Continuous Deployment (CD)
CD automates the release of the validated code to staging and production environments. It often involves building immutable artifacts, such as Docker containers, and deploying them to clusters like Kubernetes.
This removes human error from the deployment process and allows teams to ship features rapidly and safely.