GitHub Actions Fundamentals
Introduction
GitHub Actions is GitHub's built-in CI/CD platform. It runs automated workflows in
response to events like pushes, pull requests, or schedules. For our purposes, it's
how we'll automate building, testing, and deploying.
Why This Matters
CI/CD is what turns "it works on my machine" into "it works reliably in production":
- Every push triggers tests automatically
- Docker images are built and pushed without manual steps
- Deployments happen through code changes, not SSH and manual commands
- You catch problems before they reach production
In MLOps specifically:
- Model training can be triggered by data changes
- Model validation runs automatically before deployment
- Infrastructure changes are applied through GitOps
- Everything is auditable — you can see what deployed when and why