Continuous Integration (CI) is the foundational practice where developers frequently merge code changes into a central repository, after which automated builds and tests are run. This process ensures the main branch is always stable and contains validated code. Continuous Delivery (CD) is the logical extension of CI. It automates the release of the successfully integrated and tested code to a production-like environment. Therefore, a functioning CI pipeline is a mandatory prerequisite for implementing CD, as CD depends on the verified artifacts produced by CI to automate the subsequent delivery stages.

B. CI and CD are tightly coupled, sequential practices, not separate. CD automates the release pipeline, which is distinct from general infrastructure management.

C. This reverses the correct relationship. You cannot automate the delivery of code (CD) without first having an integrated and tested artifact, which is the output of CI.

D. They are distinct but related concepts. CI focuses on the "build and test" phase, while CD focuses on the "release and deliver" phase.

1. Google Cloud Documentation

"DevOps capabilities: CI/CD": "Continuous delivery (CD) is an extension of continuous integration to make sure that you can release new changes to your customers quickly in a sustainable way... With continuous delivery

every code change is built

tested

and then pushed to a non-production testing or staging environment." This source establishes CD as an extension that follows the build and test phases of CI.

2. Red Hat

"What is CI/CD?": "Continuous integration is the first step of the CI/CD pipeline... Continuous delivery is the next logical step after continuous integration. It automates the release of the validated code to a repository." This official vendor documentation explicitly states the prerequisite relationship and sequence.

3. University of Virginia

Department of Computer Science

CS 4753 Courseware

"Lecture 10: DevOps": The lecture notes define Continuous Delivery as an "Extension of continuous integration" where the goal is to "keep the application in a state where it is always ready for deployment to production." This confirms the academic understanding of the sequential and dependent relationship.

4. Atlassian

"What is CI/CD?": "Continuous delivery is an extension of continuous integration since it automatically deploys all code changes to a testing and/or production environment after the build stage. This means that on top of automated testing

you have an automated release process..." This source directly supports that CD builds upon CI.