GitHub Actions Roadmap

Understand YAML indentation and data types, the CI/CD feedback loop (commit triggers build triggers test triggers deploy), and the GitHub repository model of branches, forks, and pull requests.

Create your first .github/workflows/ci.yml, understand event triggers (push, pull_request, schedule, workflow_dispatch), branch filters, path filters, and manual dispatch inputs.

DevOps GitHub Actions 3h

Structure workflows with multiple jobs (needs: for ordering), define steps with run and uses, set environment variables at workflow/job/step level, and pass outputs between jobs.

DevOps GitHub Actions 4h

Leverage the GitHub Actions Marketplace: pin actions to SHA or version tags, use actions/checkout, actions/setup-node/python/java, and understand the security implications of third-party actions.

DevOps GitHub Actions 3h

Store sensitive values in repository and organisation secrets, create deployment environments with required reviewers and wait timers, use the built-in GITHUB_TOKEN, and scope secrets to environments.

DevOps GitHub Actions 4h

Speed up workflows with actions/cache: design effective cache keys using lockfile hashes, set restore-keys fallback chains, cache node_modules, pip packages, Gradle, and Maven artifacts.

DevOps GitHub Actions 4h

Upload build outputs and test reports as artifacts, download them in subsequent jobs, set retention policies, and publish test results using actions like dorny/test-reporter.

DevOps GitHub Actions 3h

Use matrix strategies to run jobs across multiple Node/Python/Java versions and operating systems, customise combinations with include/exclude, control fail-fast, and display matrix in job names.

DevOps GitHub Actions 4h

Build Docker images in Actions using docker/build-push-action, push to GitHub Container Registry (GHCR) with GITHUB_TOKEN, use Docker layer caching to speed up builds, and tag images with git SHA and semver.

DevOps Docker 5h

Deploy to cloud targets: push to ECS/Cloud Run/Azure App Service via official actions, use environment gates for staged rollouts, create GitHub Deployment events, and implement rollback steps.

DevOps GitHub Actions 5h

Create GitHub Environments (staging, production) with required reviewers, wait timers, and branch/tag protection rules. Scope secrets to specific environments so they are only available to designated deployment jobs. Use environment-level concurrency groups to prevent parallel deployments. Track deployment history and status in the Environments UI.

DevOps GitHub Actions 3h

DRY up CI/CD by creating reusable workflows (workflow_call), passing inputs and secrets into them, and building composite actions with action.yml for reusable step sequences across repositories.

DevOps GitHub Actions 5h

Eliminate long-lived cloud credentials by configuring OIDC trust between GitHub Actions and AWS/GCP/Azure: set up the identity provider, create IAM roles/service accounts with claim conditions, and authenticate with short-lived tokens.

DevOps GitHub Actions 5h

Harden GitHub Actions security: run CodeQL static analysis, enable Dependabot for automated dependency updates, use dependency-review-action on PRs, minimise permissions with least-privilege, and pin all actions to SHA.

DevOps GitHub Actions 4h

Register self-hosted runners on your own infrastructure (bare metal, VMs, containers) for private network access, custom hardware (GPU, ARM), or cost control. Configure runner groups and labels for targeted job routing. Use ephemeral runners for security. Autoscale with Actions Runner Controller (ARC) on Kubernetes. Understand security risks of self-hosted runners in public repos and mitigation strategies.

DevOps GitHub Actions 5h