[AWS] What are the Differences Between CodeCommit, Build, and Pipeline? Understanding CI/CD and Dev Tools via a 'Manga Editorial Department' Analogy

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Introduction: To those feeling overwhelmed by too many "CodeXX" services

When you open the AWS management console, doesn't your heart sink seeing names like "CodeCommit," "CodeBuild," "CodeDeploy," and "CodePipeline" lined up? You might want to scream, "They're all just 'Code'! What's the difference?"

These are all tools (CI/CD tools) that automate the process from "writing a program (manuscript)" to "displaying it in the production environment (bookstore)."

I usually prefer learning by doing with official AWS documentation or hands-on labs. However, when terminology gets confusing, I refer to systematic books like "AWS Textbook: AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional" as a dictionary to organize my thoughts.
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For those who find textbook explanations boring, I will explain these development tools intuitively by comparing them to a "weekly manga serialization system."

1. Drawing Desk and Tools (Editor/CLI)

First is the place where you write the manuscript (code).

• AWS Cloud9:
  • Role: An editor (IDE) that can be used solely within a browser.
  • Example: "A drawing studio in the cloud".
  • You can develop even on an iPad without installing anything on your computer. However, integration with the next item, "VS Code," is the mainstream approach these days.
• AWS Toolkit for VS Code:
  • Role: A plugin that adds AWS features to your own VS Code.
  • Example: "The ultimate AWS-specific art set to place on your usual desk".
  • You can modify Lambda functions directly from the editor or check the contents of S3 buckets.
• AWS CloudShell:
  • Role: A command line accessible via a browser.
  • Example: "A magic wand".
  • When you want to perform tasks like "deleting an S3 file quickly," typing a command (CLI) here is 100 times faster than clicking through the console.

2. The Manuscript Safe: "AWS CodeCommit"

You must save the written manuscript so it won't be lost.

• AWS CodeCommit: (New sign-ups unavailable)
  • Role: Source code management (Git repository).
  • Example: "The editorial department's fireproof safe".
  • The Truth: While GitHub is the global standard, this is used for strict projects with security requirements like "We don't want our data outside of AWS!"

3. Printing and Bookbinding: "AWS CodeBuild & CodeDeploy"

This is where automation (CI/CD) begins.

• AWS CodeBuild:
  • Role: Testing code and converting (building) it into executable files.
  • Example: "Proofreading and Bookbinding Specialist".
  • It checks things like "Are there typos (bugs)?" and "Is there enough ink (libraries)?" and shapes them into the form of a book (artifact).
• AWS CodeDeploy:
  • Role: Deploying the finished book to servers.
  • Example: "Delivery Truck".
  • It goes to "bookstores" such as EC2 or Lambda to display the new books.

4. Progress Management: "AWS CodePipeline"

He is the one who directs everyone.

• AWS CodePipeline: (New sign-ups unavailable)
  • Role: Managing and automating the entire flow (pipeline).
  • Example: "The Strict Editor-in-Chief".
  • He performs the entire sequence fully automatically, saying, "The manuscript is in CodeCommit? Alright, print it with CodeBuild! Once finished, deliver it with CodeDeploy!"

5. Blueprints: "CloudFormation & CDK"

Infrastructure itself is now written in code (IaC).

• AWS CloudFormation (CFn):
  • Role: Writing configurations in JSON/YAML.
  • Example: "Detailed specifications".
  • You define things precisely, such as "one EC2 instance and two S3 buckets." It is foundational, but can be tedious to write.
• AWS CDK (Cloud Development Kit):
  • Role: Writing configurations using programming languages (TypeScript, Python, etc.).
  • Example: "Design software with an AI assistant".
  • By writing just a few lines like "Give me a web server," it generates hundreds of lines of CloudFormation code behind the scenes. This is the mainstream approach today.

Summary

• Writing the manuscript → Cloud9 / VS Code
• Depositing the manuscript → CodeCommit
• Printing and delivering → CodeBuild / CodeDeploy
• Managing the whole process → CodePipeline
• Building the factory itself → CDK

While there are competitors like "GitHub Actions," the greatest strength of the Code series is that it "can be completed entirely within AWS (providing high security)."

Afterword: Let's start by building a "Pipeline"

Once you understand the concepts, the quickest way to learn is by actually doing it. Try creating a simple mechanism using CodePipeline, such as "automatically reflecting changes to a web server when a file is placed in S3," and your understanding will deepen significantly.

If you find yourself stuck on the procedures or need to know specific details for a certification exam, keeping a technical book like the one introduced earlier on hand will serve as a useful dictionary when you're in trouble.

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