Glossary · Automation software engineering and architecture
Deployment pipeline
Also known as: Release pipeline
German: Bereitstellungspipeline
In software engineering, a deployment pipeline is an automated sequence of stages that takes a tested build artifact through further environments, such as test, staging and production, applying checks, approvals and deployment steps at each stage.
- Software engineering
In one sentence
A deployment pipeline moves a tested build artifact through test, staging and production with checks and approvals at each stage.
Example
The deployment pipeline installs a new gateway image on the test rack, runs integration tests, waits for approval by the plant's OT manager, then updates the production gateways.
How it applies
- Engineering: The pipeline deploys the same artifact to every environment and records what was deployed where. Environment-specific settings come from configuration, not from rebuilding.
- Industrial context: Production deployment often requires coordination with production planning, a maintenance window and approval under Management of change (MOC). The pipeline can enforce these approvals rather than bypass them.
- Documentation: Deployment records show which version runs where and who approved it, which supports audits and incident analysis. The documentation team can attach the matching release notes and manuals to the release in the pipeline, so they are published together.
Deployment pipeline vs. build pipeline
The Build pipeline produces and tests an artifact; the deployment pipeline moves it toward production. Strategies such as Blue-green deployment and Canary deployment are implemented in the deployment stages.