CI/CD automates the path from code change to production deployment. Continuous Integration tests changes. Continuous Deployment applies them.
Pipeline stages:
Commit. Engineer pushes code to Git.
Build. Pipeline generates configurations from templates.
Test. Automated tests validate syntax and logic.
Review. Pull request requires human approval.
Stage. Deploy to lab environment.
Deploy. Apply to production with approval gate.
Frequent small changes are safer than infrequent large ones.