This repository demonstrates a minimal end-to-end CI/CD pipeline using Docker, Nginx, and GitLab CI/CD.
The project intentionally uses a very simple static webpage to focus on illustrating the build, registry, and deployment workflow rather than application complexity.

Overview

The repository contains a small static website served by Nginx running in a Docker container.
A GitLab CI/CD pipeline automatically builds the Docker image, pushes it to the container registry, and deploys it to a remote server.

This setup demonstrates a complete CI/CD lifecycle:

Developer pushes code to the repository
GitLab CI pipeline triggers automatically
Docker image is built from the Dockerfile
Image is pushed to the container registry
Deployment server pulls the new image
Container is started or updated on the server

Repository Structure

.
├── index.html # Simple static webpage
├── Dockerfile # Builds the Nginx container
├── .gitlab-ci.yml # CI/CD pipeline configuration
└── README.md # Project documentation

Application

The application consists of a single static HTML page served by Nginx.

The page is packaged inside a Docker container and served via an Nginx server running on Alpine Linux, providing a lightweight and efficient runtime environment.

Docker Setup

The Dockerfile builds a container using:

Nginx
Alpine Linux base image
The static index.html copied into the default Nginx web directory

Typical responsibilities of the container:

Start an Nginx server
Serve the static HTML page
Expose the HTTP port

CI/CD Pipeline

The .gitlab-ci.yml file defines the automated pipeline used by GitLab CI/CD.

Pipeline Stages

Build
- Builds the Docker image from the repository's Dockerfile.
Push
- Tags and pushes the image to the GitLab Container Registry.
Deploy
- Connects to the deployment server using SSH
- Pulls the latest image from the registry
- Runs (or replaces) the container on the server

Deployment Flow

Developer Push
│
▼
GitLab CI Pipeline
│
├── Build Docker Image
│
├── Push to Container Registry
│
▼
Deployment Server (SSH)
│
├── Pull Latest Image
└── Run Container

Purpose of This Repository

This repository serves as a minimal working example of a CI/CD pipeline that demonstrates:

Containerizing a web application
Automating builds using GitLab CI
Publishing Docker images to a registry
Deploying containers remotely using SSH

Because the application itself is intentionally simple, the focus remains on understanding the CI/CD workflow.

Use Cases

This project can be used for:

Learning CI/CD fundamentals
Demonstrating Docker build pipelines
Testing GitLab CI deployment strategies
Teaching DevOps workflows with minimal complexity

Requirements

To run or adapt this pipeline you typically need:

GitLab repository with CI/CD enabled
GitLab Container Registry access
Docker installed on the deployment server
SSH access configured for CI/CD deployment

Summary

This project demonstrates a simple but complete DevOps workflow:

Static web page
Dockerized with Nginx (Alpine base)
Automated build and registry push
Remote deployment via GitLab CI/CD

It provides a clear and lightweight example of how CI/CD pipelines automate containerized application delivery.