5 Ways to Run Faster CI/CD Builds

Continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines are crucial for enhancing the speed and productivity of software development, with a target build time of no more than 10 minutes as suggested by Kent Beck's "Extreme Programming Explained." To achieve faster CI/CD builds, several strategies can be employed, such as using more powerful machines for vertical scaling, increasing parallelization to distribute tasks across multiple machines, and utilizing storage features like cache and artifacts to streamline file management. Additionally, optimizing test suites by identifying and addressing slow or flaky tests can significantly reduce build times. If these methods do not yield the desired results, switching to a more efficient CI/CD solution like cloud-based platforms that automatically scale, such as Semaphore, can be beneficial. Investing time in optimizing CI/CD processes ultimately boosts productivity by reclaiming valuable development hours, ensuring that development teams operate at their peak efficiency.