Implement CI/CD pipeline with automated staging and production deployment

.github/workflows/01-ci.yml

@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 name: 01 - CI
 
 on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+
   # Trigger the workflow on push to main branch
   push:
     branches:
@@ -150,17 +154,10 @@ jobs:
           creds: ${{ secrets.AZURE_CREDENTIALS }}
 
       - name: Login to Azure Container Registry
-        run: |
-          az acr login --name ${{ vars.ACR_NAME }}
+        run: az acr login --name ${{ vars.ACR_NAME }}
 
       - name: Build Docker image
-        run: |
-          docker build \
-            --platform linux/amd64 \
-            -t ${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/${{ matrix.image }}:${{ github.sha }} \
-            ./${{ matrix.service }}
+        run: docker build --platform=linux/amd64 --tag="${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/${{ matrix.image }}:${{ github.sha }}" "./${{ matrix.service }}"
 
       - name: Push Docker image with commit SHA
-        run: |
-          docker push \
-            ${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/${{ matrix.image }}:${{ github.sha }}
+        run: docker push "${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/${{ matrix.image }}:${{ github.sha }}"

.github/workflows/02-deploy-staging.yml

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+
 name: 02 - Deploy to Staging
 
 on:
@@ -9,41 +10,62 @@ on:
     branches:
       - main
 
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      image_tag:
+        description: "Full commit SHA from a successful CI build"
+        required: true
+        type: string
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   deploy-staging:
     name: Deploy to Staging
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
-    if: >
-      ${{ github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success' }}
+    if: >-
+      ${{
+        github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' ||
+        (
+          github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success' &&
+          github.event.workflow_run.event == 'push'
+        )
+      }}
 
-    environment:
-      name: staging
+    env:
+      IMAGE_TAG: ${{ inputs.image_tag || github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }}
 
     steps:
+      # 1. Checkout the tested commit
       - name: Checkout tested commit
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }}
+          ref: ${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }}
 
+      # 2. Login to Azure
       - name: Login to Azure
-        uses: azure/login@v3
+        uses: azure/login@v2
         with:
           creds: ${{ secrets.AZURE_CREDENTIALS }}
 
+      # 3. Connect to AKS
       - name: Get AKS credentials
         run: |
           az aks get-credentials \
-            --resource-group ${{ vars.AKS_RESOURCE_GROUP }} \
-            --name ${{ vars.AKS_CLUSTER_NAME }} \
+            --resource-group "${{ vars.AKS_RESOURCE_GROUP }}" \
+            --name "${{ vars.AKS_CLUSTER_NAME }}" \
             --overwrite-existing
 
+      # 4. Create staging namespace
       - name: Create staging namespace
         run: |
           kubectl create namespace staging \
             --dry-run=client \
             -o yaml | kubectl apply -f -
 
+      # 5. Create PostgreSQL secret
       - name: Create PostgreSQL secret
         run: |
           kubectl create secret generic postgres-secret \
@@ -53,6 +75,7 @@ jobs:
             --dry-run=client \
             -o yaml | kubectl apply -f -
 
+      # 6. Create application secret
       - name: Create application secret
         run: |
           kubectl create secret generic application-secret \
@@ -67,85 +90,98 @@ jobs:
             --dry-run=client \
             -o yaml | kubectl apply -f -
 
+      # 7. Apply Kubernetes manifests
       - name: Apply Kubernetes manifests
         run: |
-          kubectl apply \
-            -f kubernetes/staging/
+          kubectl apply -f kubernetes/staging/
 
+      # 8. Update frontend image
       - name: Update frontend image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/frontend \
-            frontend=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-frontend:${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }} \
+            frontend="${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-frontend:${IMAGE_TAG}" \
             -n staging
 
+      # 9. Update user-service image
       - name: Update user-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/user-service \
-            user-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-user-service:${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }} \
+            user-service="${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-user-service:${IMAGE_TAG}" \
             -n staging
 
+      # 10. Update student-service image
       - name: Update student-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/student-service \
-            student-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-student-service:${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }} \
+            student-service="${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-student-service:${IMAGE_TAG}" \
             -n staging
 
+      # 11. Update lecturer-service image
       - name: Update lecturer-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/lecturer-service \
-            lecturer-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-lecturer-service:${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }} \
+            lecturer-service="${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-lecturer-service:${IMAGE_TAG}" \
             -n staging
 
+      # 12. Update course-service image
       - name: Update course-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/course-service \
-            course-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-course-service:${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }} \
+            course-service="${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-course-service:${IMAGE_TAG}" \
             -n staging
 
+      # 13. Update enrollment-service image
       - name: Update enrollment-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/enrollment-service \
-            enrollment-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-enrollment-service:${{ github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }} \
+            enrollment-service="${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-enrollment-service:${IMAGE_TAG}" \
             -n staging
 
+      # 14. Verify frontend rollout
       - name: Wait for frontend rollout
         run: |
           kubectl rollout status deployment/frontend \
             -n staging \
             --timeout=300s
 
+      # 15. Verify user-service rollout
       - name: Wait for user-service rollout
         run: |
           kubectl rollout status deployment/user-service \
             -n staging \
             --timeout=300s
 
+      # 16. Verify student-service rollout
       - name: Wait for student-service rollout
         run: |
           kubectl rollout status deployment/student-service \
             -n staging \
             --timeout=300s
 
+      # 17. Verify lecturer-service rollout
       - name: Wait for lecturer-service rollout
         run: |
           kubectl rollout status deployment/lecturer-service \
             -n staging \
             --timeout=300s
 
+      # 18. Verify course-service rollout
       - name: Wait for course-service rollout
         run: |
           kubectl rollout status deployment/course-service \
             -n staging \
             --timeout=300s
 
+      # 19. Verify enrollment-service rollout
       - name: Wait for enrollment-service rollout
         run: |
           kubectl rollout status deployment/enrollment-service \
             -n staging \
             --timeout=300s
 
+      # 20. Display staging resources
       - name: Show staging resources
         run: |
           kubectl get pods -n staging
           kubectl get services -n staging
-          kubectl get pvc -n staging
+          kubectl get pvc -n staging

.github/workflows/03-staging-test.yml

@@ -14,9 +14,8 @@ jobs:
     name: Staging Smoke Test
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
-    if: >
-      ${{ github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success' }}
-
+    if: github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success'
+
     environment:
       name: staging
 

.github/workflows/04-deploy-production.yml

@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
 name: 04 - Deploy to Production
 
 on:
+  # Continuous Deployment: promote to production automatically
+  # once the staging smoke test has passed for a commit on main
+  workflow_run:
+    workflows:
+      - "03 - Test Staging"
+    types:
+      - completed
+    branches:
+      - main
+
+  # Kept for manual deployments / rollbacks to a specific image
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       image_tag:
@@ -13,12 +24,21 @@ jobs:
     name: Deploy to Production
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
+    # Only deploy if the staging tests succeeded (or when run manually)
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || github.event.workflow_run.conclusion == 'success'
+
     environment:
       name: production
 
+    env:
+      # Automatic runs use the tested commit SHA; manual runs use the input
+      IMAGE_TAG: ${{ inputs.image_tag || github.event.workflow_run.head_sha }}
+
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout repository
+      - name: Checkout tested commit
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }}
 
       - name: Login to Azure
         uses: azure/login@v3
@@ -69,37 +89,37 @@ jobs:
       - name: Update frontend image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/frontend \
-            frontend=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-frontend:${{ inputs.image_tag }} \
+            frontend=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-frontend:${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }} \
             -n production
 
       - name: Update user-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/user-service \
-            user-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-user-service:${{ inputs.image_tag }} \
+            user-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-user-service:${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }} \
             -n production
 
       - name: Update student-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/student-service \
-            student-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-student-service:${{ inputs.image_tag }} \
+            student-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-student-service:${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }} \
             -n production
 
       - name: Update lecturer-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/lecturer-service \
-            lecturer-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-lecturer-service:${{ inputs.image_tag }} \
+            lecturer-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-lecturer-service:${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }} \
             -n production
 
       - name: Update course-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/course-service \
-            course-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-course-service:${{ inputs.image_tag }} \
+            course-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-course-service:${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }} \
             -n production
 
       - name: Update enrollment-service image
         run: |
           kubectl set image deployment/enrollment-service \
-            enrollment-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-enrollment-service:${{ inputs.image_tag }} \
+            enrollment-service=${{ vars.ACR_LOGIN_SERVER }}/koalatech-enrollment-service:${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }} \
             -n production
 
       - name: Wait for frontend rollout

frontend/src/components/Header.jsx

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ const Header = () => {
             fontWeight: 600,
           }}
         >
-          KoalaTech University
+          KoalaTech University - Deployed by CD
         </Typography>
 
         <Box