How can caching and artifacts speed up Topology spread constraints on GitLab CI?

In GitLab CI, using caching and artifacts can significantly speed up the process of deploying and managing Topology spread constraints. By using these features, you can reduce build times and ensure that your CI/CD pipelines execute more efficiently without starting from scratch every time.

How Caching Works

Caching allows you to store important files and dependencies between CI jobs. When you cache common dependencies, your pipeline can skip the download or compilation steps for subsequent runs. This reduces execution time and improves your workflow efficiency.

Using Artifacts

Artifacts are files generated by a job that can be passed to subsequent jobs in a pipeline. By storing build artifacts, you ensure that only the necessary outputs are shared between jobs, which can be particularly beneficial in workflows that require complex deployments.

Example of Using Caching and Artifacts

# .gitlab-ci.yml
stages:
  - build
  - deploy

cache:
  paths:
    - vendor/
    - .cache/

build_job:
  stage: build
  script:
    - composer install
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - build/
      
deploy_job:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - echo "Deploying application..."
    - cp -r build/* /var/www/html/