[DL.CD.4] Automate the entire deployment process

Category: FOUNDATIONAL

Automate as many stages of the delivery process as possible. Exceptions for continuous delivery might include optional manual approval gates. Automation reduces the risk of human error, brings consistency to deployments, and accelerates the delivery process.

Use the delivery pipeline to automate every stage of deploying changes, from copying the build artifact to setting up any required configurations. While optional manual approval gates can exist, all other stages should be automated, maintaining the integrity of the artifact and reducing the likelihood of errors. Humans should not have access to the target environments or have the ability to inject code, parameters, configuration, or interfere with the integrity of the artifact in any way.

Some organizations might still require manual oversight at certain stages as they evolve their DevOps capabilities. If the organization is early in its DevOps adoption or operates in a highly regulated environment, there might be a need for manual interventions or approvals at certain stages. These could be due to governance or regulatory requirements or simply the need for a human decision at a critical point in the deployment process. Over time, even for these organizations, the goal should be to have no manual deployment stages in the deployment of changes.

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