Advanced automation strategy with GitHub Actions
In this advanced learning module, we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of GitHub Actions and explore advanced strategies for scalability, deployment, and workflow optimization. These guides are packed with industry insights and actionable guidance to enhance your automation capabilities.
You'll gain an understanding of how to scale workflow automation effectively, manage compute resources for performance, and bolster security measures using secrets and variables. You'll also discover advanced workflow configurations and even create your own custom Action.
Prerequisites:
A GitHub account (admin access to an organization within a GitHub Enterprise account will be beneficial)
Proficiency in GitHub's basic navigation (e.g., accessing the Actions tab, editing files)
A solid understanding of YAML files (Actions configurations are written in YAML)
General familiarity with software testing, deployment concepts, and previous experience with Actions
Advanced automation module overview:
Guide 1: Enterprise workflow automation at scale
Navigate the challenges and opportunities in scaling workflow automation. Learn the value of designing a robust migration strategy, understand how to optimize compute solutions, and investigate the importance of promoting developer happiness for seamless scaling.
Guide 2: Planning for migration to GitHub Actions
Learn the essentials of migration planning, from identifying technical requirements to integrating best practices and understanding organizational impact.
Guide 3: Securing CI/CD pipelines with secrets and variables
Secure your automated processes by managing secrets and variables. Learn the nuances of setting these at organizational, repository, and environment levels, and enhance security with OpenID Connect.
Guide 4: Advanced workflow configurations in GitHub Actions
Unlock advanced techniques to manage workflow concurrency, utilize conditional statements, and integrate scripts for optimized, flexible workflows.
Guide 5: Building your first custom GitHub action
Learn the A to Z of creating your own custom GitHub Action. From deciding when to build one to writing your action.yml file and releasing your custom Action, this guide walks you through every step.
Industry expert insight from:
HelloFresh: HelloFresh, the international meal-kit delivery service, has reaped significant benefits from adopting GitHub Actions. Their streamlined pipelines have not only reduced code complexity but also led to a 40% drop in CI-related queries, boosting developer satisfaction and freeing up engineering time. In this module, HelloFresh will discuss how GitHub Actions has fostered innersourcing and improved both developer engagement and operational efficiency.
Salesforce: Facing a tight 60-day deadline for a CI/CD pipeline migration, Salesforce turned to GitHub Actions and the GitHub Actions Importer tool for a smooth transition. The self-serve functionality streamlined their workflows and incident management, enabling them to meet their deadline without sacrificing performance. In this module, Salesforce will share how GitHub Actions Importer played a pivotal role in this successful migration.
CARIAD, a Volkswagen company: Specializing in automotive software, Cariad uses GitHub Actions to carefully manage workflow concurrency, ensuring operational consistency and integrity. By employing concurrency groups, they've successfully prevented parallel runs that could lead to conflicts or inconsistencies. In this module, Cariad will discuss how this strategy keeps their deployments streamlined and error-free.
Datadog: As a leading provider of cloud-based monitoring and analytics services, Datadog helps businesses optimize their IT operations and development workflows. Responding to customer demand, they've created a custom action in GitHub marketplace that aligns with their commitment to open-source and developer trust. In this module, Datadog will share their experience and best practices in developing and maintaining customer-driven GitHub Actions.