Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Integration Build Machine
The
integration build machine
is a separate machine whose sole respon-
sibility is to integrate software. The integration build machine hosts
the CI server, and the CI server polls the version control repository.
Now that we have an example to build from, we can delve into the fea-
tures of CI. There are only four features
required
for CI.
• A connection to a version control repository
• A build script
• Some sort of feedback mechanism (such as e-mail)
• A process for integrating the source code changes (manual or CI
server)
This “bare-bones” behavior is the key to an effective CI system.
Once an automated build is run with every change to your version con-
trol system, you can add other features to your CI system.
By performing automated and continuous database integration,
testing, inspection, deployment, and feedback, your CI system can
reduce common risks on your project, thus leading to better confidence
and improved communication. Some features depend on other features;
for instance, automated testing depends on source code compilation.
This repeatable process can help reduce risks throughout the devel-
opment lifecycle. These subprocesses are described in detail next.
Source Code Compilation
Continuous source code compilation is one of the most basic and com-
mon features of a CI system. In fact, it's so common that it has almost
become synonymous with CI. Compilation involves creating execut-
able code from your human-readable source. CI is much more than
source code compilation, though; with the proliferation in the use of
dynamic
languages—Python, PHP, Ruby, and so on—compilation is
