Can you explain the difference between automatic delivery and automatic deployment in CI/CD practice?

In CI/CD practice, the differences between Continuous Delivery and Continuous Deployment are as follows:

• Continuous Delivery

  • After passing all build and test stages, the new version of the application is automatically prepared for release.
  • Deployment to production is performed manually, at the team's discretion.
  • Ensures the ability to quickly and reliably release a new version at any moment.

• Continuous Deployment

  • Every successful change is automatically deployed to production without manual intervention.
  • Requires a high level of automation in testing and monitoring to minimize risks.

Example:

CI: Code is automatically built and tested.
Continuous Delivery: After successful CI, the artifact is ready for deployment, but deployment is initiated by a person.
Continuous Deployment: After successful CI, the artifact is automatically deployed to production.