CI/CD Pipeline Guide - CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate

🤖 Remember: Automation in Action!

📖 Overview

This guide documents the complete CI/CD pipeline implementation for CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate using GitHub Actions. The pipeline automates building, testing, and deploying the application to Azure App Service, ensuring consistent and reliable deployments.

🏗️ Pipeline Architecture

🔄 Three-Job Workflow

+---------------------------------------------------------+
�                    WORKFLOW TRIGGER                     �
�   (Push to Master/Dev or Pull Request)                 �
+---------------------------------------------------------+
                 �
                 ?
+---------------------------------------------------------+
�               JOB 1: BUILD AND TEST                     �
�   � Checkout code                                       �
�   � Setup .NET 8                                        �
�   � Cache NuGet packages                                �
�   � Restore dependencies                                �
�   � Build (Release configuration)                       �
�   � Run tests                                           �
�   � Publish application                                 �
�   � Upload artifact                                     �
+---------------------------------------------------------+
                 �
        +-----------------+
        �                 �
        ?                 ?
+--------------+   +--------------+
�  JOB 2:      �   �  JOB 3:      �
�  DEPLOY      �   �  SECURITY    �
�              �   �  SCAN        �
� (Master only)�   �  (PRs only)  �
+--------------+   +--------------+

📁 Workflow File Location

📁 .github/workflows/azure-deploy.yml

🔄 Workflow Triggers

⚙️ Trigger Configuration

The workflow triggers on three events:

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - Master  # Production deployment
      - Dev     # Build/test only
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - Master
      - Dev

📊 Trigger Behavior Table

Trigger	Build	Test	Deploy	Security Scan
Push to Master	?	?	?	?
Push to Dev	?	?	?	?
PR to Master	?	?	?	?
PR to Dev	?	?	?	?

Key Points:

✅ Production Deployment - Only Master branch pushes deploy to Azure
✅ Build Validation - All branches and PRs are built and tested
✅ Security Scanning - PRs run security vulnerability scans
✅ Artifact Preservation - Build artifacts available for debugging

🔐 GitHub Secrets Configuration

🔐 Required Secrets

Navigate to: GitHub Repository ? Settings ? Secrets and variables ? Actions

1. AZURE_WEBAPP_NAME

Value: Your Azure App Service name
Example: CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate-prod

How to find:

# Azure CLI
az webapp list --query "[].name" -o table

# Azure Portal
App Service ? Overview ? Name

2. AZURE_WEBAPP_PUBLISH_PROFILE

Value: Complete XML content of publish profile

How to get:

Using Azure Portal:

Navigate to your App Service
Click "Get publish profile" (in Overview or Deployment Center)
Download .PublishSettings file
Open file in text editor
Copy entire XML content
Paste into GitHub secret

Using Azure CLI:

az webapp deployment list-publishing-profiles \
  --name CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate-prod \
  --resource-group CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate-rg \
  --xml

Important: Store the complete XML, including <publishData> tags.

3. THIRDPARTY_API_BASEURL

Value: Base URL for external API
Example: https://api.thirdparty.com

Purpose: Configured as App Setting in Azure during deployment

4. AZURE_CREDENTIALS (Optional)

Value: Azure Service Principal credentials (JSON)

Required for: Azure Login step (setting App Settings via CLI)

Format:

{
  "clientId": "<service-principal-app-id>",
  "clientSecret": "<service-principal-password>",
  "subscriptionId": "<azure-subscription-id>",
  "tenantId": "<azure-tenant-id>"
}

How to create:

# Create service principal
az ad sp create-for-rbac \
  --name "CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate-deploy" \
  --role contributor \
  --scopes /subscriptions/{subscription-id}/resourceGroups/{resource-group} \
  --sdk-auth

Output: Copy entire JSON output to GitHub secret

➕ Adding Secrets to GitHub

Navigate to Secrets:
- Go to your GitHub repository
- Click Settings
- Select Secrets and variables ? Actions
Add New Secret:
- Click "New repository secret"
- Enter Name (e.g., AZURE_WEBAPP_NAME)
- Enter Value
- Click "Add secret"
Repeat for all required secrets

🔨 Job 1: Build and Test

🎯 Purpose

Compiles the application, runs tests, and creates deployment artifacts.

▶️ Runs On

✅ All branch pushes (Master, Dev)
✅ All pull requests

📋 Steps Breakdown

1. Checkout Code

- name: Checkout code
  uses: actions/checkout@v4

What it does: Clones repository to GitHub Actions runner

2. Setup .NET

- name: Setup .NET
  uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
  with:
    dotnet-version: '8.0.x'

What it does: Installs .NET 8 SDK on runner

3. Cache NuGet Packages

- name: Cache NuGet packages
  uses: actions/cache@v3
  with:
    path: ~/.nuget/packages
    key: ${{ runner.os }}-nuget-${{ hashFiles('**/packages.lock.json') }}
    restore-keys: |
      ${{ runner.os }}-nuget-

What it does: Caches NuGet packages to speed up builds
Performance: Reduces build time by ~50% (3min ? 1.5min)

4. Restore Dependencies

- name: Restore dependencies
  run: dotnet restore

What it does: Downloads NuGet packages specified in project file

5. Build

- name: Build
  run: dotnet build --configuration Release --no-restore

What it does: Compiles application in Release mode
Configuration: Optimized for production (Release build)

6. Test

- name: Test
  run: dotnet test --no-build --verbosity normal --configuration Release
  continue-on-error: true

What it does: Runs unit tests
Note: continue-on-error: true allows workflow to succeed without tests
TODO: Remove flag once tests are implemented to make tests required

7. Publish

- name: Publish
  run: dotnet publish -c Release -o ./publish

What it does: Creates deployment package in ./publish folder
Output: Self-contained application ready for Azure

8. Upload Artifact

- name: Upload artifact for deployment job
  uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
  with:
    name: dotnet-app
    path: ./publish

What it does: Stores build output for deployment job
Access: Available in GitHub Actions UI for debugging

🚀 Job 2: Deploy to Azure

🎯 Purpose

Deploys application to Azure App Service (Production only).

▶️ Runs On

✅ Push to Master ONLY
✅ Dev pushes (no deployment)
✅ Pull requests (no deployment)

⚡ Conditional Execution

if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/Master'

Logic:

github.event_name == 'push' ? Not a pull request
github.ref == 'refs/heads/Master' ? Master branch only

🌍 Environment Configuration

environment:
  name: 'production'
  url: ${{ steps.deploy-to-webapp.outputs.webapp-url }}

Features:

✅ Manual Approval - Can require approval before deployment (GitHub settings)
✅ Deployment History - Track all deployments in GitHub UI
✅ Live URL - Direct link to deployed application

📋 Steps Breakdown

1. Download Artifact

- name: Download artifact from build job
  uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
  with:
    name: dotnet-app
    path: ./publish

What it does: Retrieves build output from Job 1

2. Deploy to Azure Web App

- name: Deploy to Azure Web App
  id: deploy-to-webapp
  uses: azure/webapps-deploy@v3
  with:
    app-name: ${{ secrets.AZURE_WEBAPP_NAME }}
    publish-profile: ${{ secrets.AZURE_WEBAPP_PUBLISH_PROFILE }}
    package: ./publish

What it does: Deploys application to Azure App Service
Authentication: Uses publish profile for secure deployment

3. Azure Login (Optional)

- name: Azure Login
  uses: azure/login@v1
  with:
    creds: ${{ secrets.AZURE_CREDENTIALS }}
  continue-on-error: true

What it does: Authenticates with Azure using Service Principal
Required for: Setting App Settings via Azure CLI
Note: Optional if service principal not configured

4. Set Azure App Settings

- name: Set Azure App Settings
  uses: azure/appservice-settings@v1
  with:
    app-name: ${{ secrets.AZURE_WEBAPP_NAME }}
    app-settings-json: |
      [
        {
          "name": "ThirdPartyApi__BaseUrl",
          "value": "${{ secrets.THIRDPARTY_API_BASEURL }}",
          "slotSetting": false
        },
        {
          "name": "ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT",
          "value": "Production",
          "slotSetting": false
        }
      ]
  continue-on-error: true

What it does: Configures runtime settings in Azure
Key Settings:

ThirdPartyApi__BaseUrl - External API URL
ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT - Sets to "Production"

Effect:

Loads appsettings.Production.json
Enables Azure Key Vault integration
Production logging and error handling

5. Health Check

- name: Health Check
  run: |
    echo "Waiting 30 seconds for app to start..."
    sleep 30
    curl -f https://${{ secrets.AZURE_WEBAPP_NAME }}.azurewebsites.net/health || echo "Health check failed"
  continue-on-error: true

What it does: Verifies deployment success
Endpoint: /health (implemented in application)
Wait Time: 30 seconds for application startup

🔒 Job 3: Security Scan

🎯 Purpose

Scans for security vulnerabilities using Trivy scanner.

▶️ Runs On

✅ Pull requests ONLY
✅ Direct pushes (no scan)

⚡ Conditional Execution

if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'

📋 Steps Breakdown

1. Checkout Code

- name: Checkout code
  uses: actions/checkout@v4

2. Run Trivy Scanner

- name: Run Trivy vulnerability scanner
  uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
  with:
    scan-type: 'fs'
    scan-ref: '.'
    format: 'sarif'
    output: 'trivy-results.sarif'
  continue-on-error: true

What it does: Scans for vulnerabilities in:

Dependencies (NuGet packages)
Docker images (if applicable)
Configuration files
Infrastructure as Code

3. Upload Results

- name: Upload Trivy results to GitHub Security tab
  uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@v2
  with:
    sarif_file: 'trivy-results.sarif'
  continue-on-error: true

What it does: Uploads scan results to GitHub Security tab
Access: View in Security ? Code scanning alerts

⚙️ Environment Variables

⚙️ Workflow-Level Variables

env:
  DOTNET_VERSION: '8.0.x'
  AZURE_WEBAPP_PACKAGE_PATH: './publish'

Variable	Value	Purpose
`DOTNET_VERSION`	`8.0.x`	.NET SDK version to install
`AZURE_WEBAPP_PACKAGE_PATH`	`./publish`	Deployment package location

☁️ Azure App Settings

Set during deployment in Azure App Service:

Setting	Value	Source
`ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT`	`Production`	Hardcoded in workflow
`ThirdPartyApi__BaseUrl`	Variable	GitHub secret
`KeyVault__Url`	Variable	Azure App Service configuration

🌍 Deployment Environments

🏭 Production Environment

Configuration:

Branch: Master only
Environment Name: production
App Service: As specified in AZURE_WEBAPP_NAME
Manual Approval: Configurable in GitHub settings

To Enable Manual Approval:

Go to Settings ? Environments
Click production
Enable Required reviewers
Add reviewers
Save protection rules

🔧 Development Environment

Configuration:

Branch: Dev
Build: Yes
Test: Yes
Deploy: No (manual deployment if needed)

🔧 Troubleshooting

⚠️ Common Issues

1. Deployment Fails with "Publish Profile Error"

Symptoms:

Error: Publish profile is invalid

Solutions:

Re-download publish profile from Azure Portal
Ensure entire XML is copied (including <publishData> tags)
Check for extra spaces or line breaks in secret
Verify App Service name matches secret

2. Build Fails with "Package Not Found"

Symptoms:

error NU1101: Unable to find package

Solutions:

Clear NuGet cache: Add step dotnet nuget locals all --clear
Check package sources in NuGet.config
Verify package versions exist on NuGet.org
Check for typos in package references

3. Tests Fail

Symptoms:

Test run failed

Solutions:

Review test output in GitHub Actions logs
Run tests locally: dotnet test
Check test dependencies are restored
Verify test project configuration

4. Health Check Fails

Symptoms:

curl: (22) The requested URL returned error: 404

Solutions:

Verify /health endpoint exists in application
Check App Service is running: az webapp show
Increase wait time in health check step
Review Application Insights logs

5. Azure Login Fails

Symptoms:

Error: Login failed with Error: Unable to authenticate

Solutions:

Verify AZURE_CREDENTIALS secret format is correct JSON
Check service principal has Contributor role
Ensure subscription ID is correct
Verify tenant ID matches Azure AD

🐛 Debugging Tips

View Workflow Logs

Go to Actions tab in GitHub
Click on workflow run
Click on failed job
Expand failed step to view logs

Download Build Artifacts

Go to workflow run
Scroll to Artifacts section
Download dotnet-app artifact
Inspect files locally

Enable Debug Logging

Add to workflow file:

env:
  ACTIONS_STEP_DEBUG: true
  ACTIONS_RUNNER_DEBUG: true

Test Locally

Simulate workflow steps locally:

# Restore
dotnet restore

# Build
dotnet build --configuration Release

# Test
dotnet test --configuration Release

# Publish
dotnet publish -c Release -o ./publish

📊 Workflow Behavior Summary

🔀 Master Branch Push

1. Developer pushes to Master
2. Build job: Restore ? Build ? Test ? Publish ? Upload
3. Deploy job: Download ? Deploy ? Configure ? Health Check
4. Application runs with ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Production
5. Deployment URL available in GitHub Actions UI

🔀 Dev Branch Push

1. Developer pushes to Dev
2. Build job: Restore ? Build ? Test ? Publish ? Upload
3. Deploy job: SKIPPED (does not run)
4. Artifact available for manual inspection

🔀 Pull Request

1. Developer opens PR
2. Build job: Restore ? Build ? Test ? Publish
3. Security scan job: Trivy vulnerability scan
4. Deploy job: SKIPPED (does not run)
5. Results available for review before merging

✅ Best Practices

✅ Do's

✅ Use semantic versioning for releases
✅ Tag production deployments with version numbers
✅ Enable manual approval for production
✅ Monitor deployment health checks
✅ Review security scan results before merging PRs
✅ Keep secrets up-to-date
✅ Use separate environments for dev/staging/prod

❌ Don'ts

✅ Don't commit secrets to repository
✅ Don't disable tests without review
✅ Don't skip security scans
✅ Don't deploy directly to production without testing
✅ Don't ignore failed health checks
✅ Don't use production credentials in non-production environments

📚 Reference Files

Workflow File:

📁 .github/workflows/azure-deploy.yml - Complete workflow definition

Related Documentation:

📖 docs/AzureIntegration/AZURE_INTEGRATION_GUIDE.md - Azure setup and configuration
📖 DEPLOYMENT_GUIDE.md - Complete deployment guide

Application Code:

📄 Program.cs - Application entry point with Key Vault configuration
⚙️ appsettings.json - Base configuration
⚙️ appsettings.Production.json - Production configuration

🆘 Contact & Support

Project Information

Project Name: CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate - Clean Architecture Demo with CI/CD
Version: 1.0.0 (CI/CD Pipeline Complete)
Framework: .NET 8
CI/CD Platform: GitHub Actions
Deployment Target: Azure App Service
Repository: https://github.com/dariemcarlosdev/CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate

Author & Maintainer

Name: Dariem Carlos
GitHub: @dariemcarlosdev
Email: softevolutionsl@gmail.com
Branch: Dev
Location: Professional Tech Challenge Submission

Getting Help

🐛 CI/CD Issues

If you encounter issues with the pipeline:

Check GitHub Actions logs for detailed error messages
Review the Troubleshooting section above
Verify all GitHub Secrets are correctly configured
Check existing issues
Create a new issue with:
- Workflow run URL
- Error message from logs
- Branch and commit SHA
- Steps to reproduce

☁️ Azure Deployment Issues

For Azure-specific problems:

Review Azure App Service logs in Azure Portal
Check Application Insights for runtime errors
Verify Azure App Settings are correct
Consult docs/AzureIntegration/AZURE_INTEGRATION_GUIDE.md
Verify publish profile is up-to-date

📖 Documentation Questions

To improve this CI/CD documentation:

Open a discussion with tag cicd
Submit a pull request with corrections
Include rationale for changes
Update related deployment documentation

🔐 Security Concerns

For security-related issues:

DO NOT post sensitive information (secrets, credentials) in public issues
Use GitHub's private vulnerability reporting
Email directly: softevolutionsl@gmail.com with subject "Security - CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate"
Review security scan results in GitHub Security tab

Support Channels

📧 Direct Contact

For private inquiries or urgent issues:

Email: softevolutionsl@gmail.com
Subject Format: [CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate CI/CD] Your Issue
Response Time: 24-48 hours (typically)

💬 Community Discussions

For general questions and best practices:

Use GitHub Discussions
Tag with: cicd, github-actions, azure-deployment
Search existing discussions before posting

🐙 GitHub Issues

For bug reports and feature requests:

Bug Reports: Use template, include workflow run URL
Feature Requests: Describe use case and expected behavior
Labels: ci/cd, deployment, github-actions, azure

Useful Links

📚 Related Documentation

📖 Azure Integration Guide - Azure setup and Key Vault
📖 Deployment Guide - Manual deployment instructions
📖 API Documentation - REST API endpoints
📖 Testing Guide - Testing strategies

🔗 External Resources

Contributing to CI/CD

🤝 How to Contribute

Contributions to improve the CI/CD pipeline are welcome!

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch from Dev
Make your changes to .github/workflows/azure-deploy.yml
Test your changes on your fork
Submit a pull request with:
- Clear description of changes
- Justification for modifications
- Test results from your fork
- Screenshots of successful runs

✅ Contribution Guidelines

Follow existing workflow structure
Maintain job separation (build, deploy, security)
Add comments for complex steps
Update this documentation for any workflow changes
Test on Dev branch before merging to Master
Ensure backward compatibility

Pipeline Status

🚦 Current Status

Component	Status	Notes
Build Job	✅ Working	Includes caching, tests
Deploy Job	✅ Working	Master branch only
Security Scan	✅ Working	PR only
Health Check	✅ Implemented	30s wait time
Manual Approval	⚙️ Configurable	Optional

📊 Build Metrics (Approximate)

Average Build Time: ~2 minutes (with cache)
Average Deploy Time: ~3 minutes
Total Pipeline Time: ~5-6 minutes
Cache Hit Rate: ~90% (for unchanged dependencies)
Success Rate: >95% (when tests pass)

Version History

Version	Date	Changes	Author
1.0.0	Nov 2025	Initial CI/CD pipeline implementation	Dariem Carlos
1.1.0	Nov 2025	Added security scanning for PRs	Dariem Carlos
1.2.0	Nov 2025	Added health check post-deployment	Dariem Carlos

Last Updated: November 2025
Document Status: ✅ Complete and Production-Ready
Review Status: Approved for Tech Challenge Submission
Maintainer: Dariemcarlos
Pipeline Status: 🟢 Active and Monitored

This CI/CD pipeline documentation is maintained as part of the CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate project.
For the latest updates, visit the GitHub repository.

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CI/CD Pipeline Guide - CleanArchitecture.ApiTemplate

📖 Overview

📑 Table of Contents

🏗️ Pipeline Architecture

🔄 Three-Job Workflow

📁 Workflow File Location

🔄 Workflow Triggers

⚙️ Trigger Configuration

📊 Trigger Behavior Table

🔐 GitHub Secrets Configuration

🔐 Required Secrets

1. AZURE_WEBAPP_NAME

2. AZURE_WEBAPP_PUBLISH_PROFILE

3. THIRDPARTY_API_BASEURL

4. AZURE_CREDENTIALS (Optional)

➕ Adding Secrets to GitHub

🔨 Job 1: Build and Test

🎯 Purpose

▶️ Runs On

📋 Steps Breakdown

1. Checkout Code

2. Setup .NET

3. Cache NuGet Packages

4. Restore Dependencies

5. Build

6. Test

7. Publish

8. Upload Artifact

🚀 Job 2: Deploy to Azure

🎯 Purpose

▶️ Runs On

⚡ Conditional Execution

🌍 Environment Configuration

📋 Steps Breakdown

1. Download Artifact

2. Deploy to Azure Web App

3. Azure Login (Optional)

4. Set Azure App Settings

5. Health Check

🔒 Job 3: Security Scan

🎯 Purpose

▶️ Runs On

⚡ Conditional Execution

📋 Steps Breakdown

1. Checkout Code

2. Run Trivy Scanner

3. Upload Results

⚙️ Environment Variables

⚙️ Workflow-Level Variables

☁️ Azure App Settings

🌍 Deployment Environments

🏭 Production Environment

🔧 Development Environment

🔧 Troubleshooting

⚠️ Common Issues

1. Deployment Fails with "Publish Profile Error"

2. Build Fails with "Package Not Found"

3. Tests Fail

4. Health Check Fails

5. Azure Login Fails

🐛 Debugging Tips

View Workflow Logs

Download Build Artifacts

Enable Debug Logging

Test Locally

📊 Workflow Behavior Summary

🔀 Master Branch Push

🔀 Dev Branch Push

🔀 Pull Request

✅ Best Practices

✅ Do's

❌ Don'ts

📚 Reference Files

🆘 Contact & Support