How do you optimize the performance and speed of your CI builds?

1 Choose the right CI tool

The first step to optimize your CI builds is to choose the right tool for your project. There are many CI tools available, such as Jenkins, Travis CI, CircleCI, GitHub Actions, and more. Each tool has its own features, advantages, and disadvantages. You should consider factors such as the size and complexity of your project, the programming languages and frameworks you use, the integration with other tools and services, the scalability and reliability, and the cost and support. You should also compare the performance and speed of different tools and see which one suits your needs best.

2 Use caching and parallelization

Another way to optimize your CI builds is to use caching and parallelization techniques. Caching means storing some data or files that are frequently used or accessed in a faster location, such as memory or disk. This can reduce the time and resources needed to fetch them every time. For example, you can cache your dependencies, libraries, packages, or artifacts that you install or download during your build process. Parallelization means splitting your tasks or tests into smaller units that can run simultaneously on multiple machines or cores. This can increase the throughput and efficiency of your build process. For example, you can parallelize your unit tests, integration tests, or code analysis tools.

3 Optimize your code and tests

A third way to optimize your CI builds is to optimize your code and tests. This means writing clean, readable, and maintainable code that follows the best practices and standards of your programming language and framework. This can help you avoid bugs, errors, and technical debt that can slow down your build process. You should also write effective and relevant tests that cover the most important and critical aspects of your code functionality and quality. You should avoid writing redundant, flaky, or slow tests that can waste time and resources. You should also use code quality tools, such as linters, formatters, or static analyzers, to check and improve your code style, syntax, and structure.

4 Use incremental and selective builds

A fourth way to optimize your CI builds is to use incremental and selective builds. Incremental builds mean only building or testing the parts of your code that have changed since the last build, rather than rebuilding or testing everything from scratch. This can save time and resources by avoiding unnecessary work. Selective builds mean only building or testing the parts of your code that are relevant or affected by a specific change, such as a feature branch, a pull request, or a commit. This can also save time and resources by focusing on the most important work. You can use tools or plugins that can help you implement incremental and selective builds, such as git diff, git hooks, or branch filters.

6 Automate and simplify your build process

A sixth way to optimize your CI builds is to automate and simplify your build process. Automation means using scripts, tools, or services that can perform some tasks or steps for you without manual intervention. This can reduce human errors, increase consistency, and save time and resources. For example, you can automate your code formatting, code review, code deployment, or code documentation tasks. Simplification means removing or minimizing some tasks or steps that are not essential or valuable for your build process. This can also reduce complexity, increase clarity, and save time and resources. For example, you can simplify your build configuration, build environment, or build dependencies.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?