How would you implement CI/CD for a .NET Core project?

Question

ICSM Computer · Answer

Implementing CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment) for a
.NET Core project involves automating the build, testing, and deployment process. Here's a step-by-step breakdown using modern tools like
GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or GitLab CI/CD.
Step-by-Step CI/CD Implementation for a .NET Core Project
1. Source Control Setup
Use Git with GitHub, GitLab, or Azure Repos.Organize branches (e.g., main, develop, feature/*).Enable pull request policies (optional).
2. CI Pipeline – Build and Test Automation
Use a CI pipeline to:
Restore NuGet packagesBuild the .NET solutionRun unit testsRun code analysis or linting (optional)
Example: GitHub Actions
.github/workflows/dotnet.yml:
name: Build and Test .NET Core
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
    - name: Setup .NET
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v3
      with:
        dotnet-version: '7.0.x'  # or 6.0.x, etc.
    - name: Restore dependencies
      run: dotnet restore
    - name: Build
      run: dotnet build --no-restore --configuration Release
    - name: Test
      run: dotnet test --no-build --verbosity normal
3. CD Pipeline – Deployment Automation
Based on environment (dev/staging/prod), deploy using:
Azure App ServiceAWS Elastic Beanstalk / EC2Kubernetes (AKS/EKS)Docker containers
Example: Deploy to Azure App Service
Add to GitHub workflow:
- name: Publish
  run: dotnet publish -c Release -o ./publish
- name: Deploy to Azure Web App
  uses: azure/webapps-deploy@v2
  with:
    app-name: 'your-app-name'
    slot-name: 'production'
    publish-profile: ${{ secrets.AZURE_WEBAPP_PUBLISH_PROFILE }}
    package: ./publish
4. Environment Management
Use Secrets or Variable Groups:
GitHub: Settings andgt; Secrets and variablesAzure DevOps: Library → Variable GroupsStore: DB strings, API keys, Azure publish profile
5. Notification and Rollback
Add Slack/Teams/email notificationsEnable automatic rollback on failureUse deployment slots (for Azure)
Tools Comparison
Tool
CI Support
CD Support
Hosting
Notes
GitHub Actions
✅
✅
GitHub
Native to GitHub, YAML-based
Azure DevOps
✅
✅
Azure
Full Azure integration
GitLab CI
✅
✅
GitLab/GCP
Full DevOps lifecycle
Jenkins
✅
✅
Self-hosted
Plugin-based, flexible
Security Tips
Use secret stores, never hardcode credentialsValidate pull requests before mergingScan builds with tools like SonarQube or CodeQL

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How would you implement CI/CD for a .NET Core project?

ICSM Computer

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1 Answers

Step-by-Step CI/CD Implementation for a .NET Core Project

1. Source Control Setup

2. CI Pipeline – Build & Test Automation

Example: GitHub Actions

3. CD Pipeline – Deployment Automation

Example: Deploy to Azure App Service

4. Environment Management

5. Notification and Rollback

Tools Comparison

Security Tips

Liked By

Tool	CI Support	CD Support	Hosting	Notes
GitHub Actions	✅	✅	GitHub	Native to GitHub, YAML-based
Azure DevOps	✅	✅	Azure	Full Azure integration
GitLab CI	✅	✅	GitLab/GCP	Full DevOps lifecycle
Jenkins	✅	✅	Self-hosted	Plugin-based, flexible