DevOps-Containerization

Class Practical — End-to-End CI/CD Pipeline for FastAPI using Docker and GitHub Actions

1. Introduction

This practical demonstrates the implementation of a complete Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline by integrating application development, containerization, and automated deployment workflows. The project focuses on building a FastAPI-based application, containerizing it using Docker, and automating the build and push process using GitHub Actions.

The pipeline ensures that every change pushed to the repository triggers an automated workflow that builds a Docker image and publishes it to Docker Hub securely.

2. Objectives

To develop a FastAPI-based backend application
To containerize the application using Docker
To implement a CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions
To automate Docker image build and push operations
To secure credentials using GitHub Secrets
To validate deployment through container execution

3. Technology Stack

Programming Language: Python
Framework: FastAPI
Containerization: Docker Engine
Container Registry: Docker Hub
CI/CD Tool: GitHub Actions
Version Control: Git and GitHub
Environment: Windows with WSL integration

4. System Architecture

Developer → Git Push → GitHub Repository → GitHub Actions Workflow → Docker Build → Docker Push → Container Deployment

5. Project Structure

DevOps-Containerization/ │ ├── .github/ │ └── workflows/ │ └── april10-docker.yml │ └── April_10/ ├── main.py ├── Dockerfile ├── requirements.txt └── README.md

6. Application Development

A FastAPI application was developed to provide REST endpoints. The application returns structured JSON responses containing user information including name, SAP ID, and location.

The application supports:

Root endpoint for static data
Dynamic endpoint for parameter-based responses

7. Dependency Management

Dependencies were managed using a requirements.txt file, ensuring consistent and reproducible environments across builds.

Dependencies include:

fastapi
uvicorn

8. Dockerization Process

The application was containerized using Docker. A lightweight base image (python:3.10-slim) was used to optimize performance and reduce image size.

Dockerfile Configuration

Base Image: Python 3.10 slim
Working Directory: /app
Copy Application Files
Install Dependencies
Expose Port 80
Run application using Uvicorn server

Build Command

docker build -t fastapi-app .

Run Command

docker run -p 8081:80 fastapi-app

9. Docker Hub Integration

A repository was created on Docker Hub to store container images.

Tagging Image

docker tag fastapi-app nitanshutak/fastapi-app:v0.1

Pushing Image

docker push nitanshutak/fastapi-app:v0.1

10. CI/CD Pipeline using GitHub Actions

A GitHub Actions workflow was created to automate the process of building and pushing Docker images.

Workflow Features

Triggered on push events
Builds Docker image from April_10 directory
Logs into Docker Hub using secure token
Pushes image to Docker Hub

Workflow Location

.github/workflows/april10-docker.yml

11. Secure Authentication

Authentication with Docker Hub was implemented using GitHub Secrets.

Secret Used:

Name: DOCKER_TOKEN
Purpose: Secure login to Docker Hub

This ensures that sensitive credentials are not exposed in code.

12. Automated Pipeline Execution

Upon pushing code:

GitHub Actions workflow is triggered
Docker image is built automatically
Image is pushed to Docker Hub
Logs are generated for monitoring

13. Deployment Verification

The deployed image was tested locally by pulling from Docker Hub and running the container.

Command

docker run -p 8082:80 nitanshutak/fastapi-app:v0.1

Verification

Application output was successfully accessed through the browser.

14. Results

FastAPI application successfully containerized
Docker image built and stored in Docker Hub
CI/CD pipeline executed successfully
Secure authentication implemented using secrets
Deployment validated through container execution

15. Learning Outcomes

Understanding of containerization using Docker
Practical implementation of CI/CD pipelines
Experience with GitHub Actions workflows
Secure credential management using secrets
Real-world DevOps workflow implementation

16. Conclusion

This practical demonstrates a complete DevOps lifecycle starting from application development to automated deployment. The integration of Docker and GitHub Actions provides a scalable and efficient workflow for modern software development.

The implementation reflects industry-standard practices for building automated, reliable, and production-ready systems.

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