Summary

In this chapter, we learned about many tools we can use with GitLab CI to create fast and reusable pipelines. We started with DAGs, which allow us to make pipelines execute faster. Then, we learned how to build code for multiple architectures. With the introduction of mainstream ARM platforms, this is going to gain importance over time. Later, we learned when to leverage caching or artifacts in pipelines for dependency management.

The last two topics we covered are likely the most important. We learned three different methods to build reusable pipeline definitions so that you don’t have to write the same logic in multiple places. Finally, we learned about a concept called purpose-built pipelines, which enables you to build fast, secure, and stable containers to execute your CI workloads in.

In the next chapter, you’re going to learn how to expand the reach of your CI/CD pipelines.