How to Implement CI/CD with Redshift

Galaxy Glossary

How do I build a CI/CD pipeline for Amazon Redshift?

Automates testing and deployment of Redshift SQL objects through version control, build servers, and scripted releases.

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Description

Example H2

Example H3

Why set up CI/CD for Redshift?

Automated pipelines catch SQL errors early, apply schema changes safely, and keep prod and dev clusters in sync without manual clicks.

Which tools fit best with Redshift CI/CD?

Pair Git for version control, dbt or Flyway for SQL builds, AWS CodeBuild/CodePipeline for orchestration, and the Redshift Data API for deployment commands.

How do I structure my repo?

Keep DDL in /schema, views in /models, and seed data in /seed.Add a tests/ folder with CHECK constraints or dbt tests.

What does a sample pipeline look like?

1. Developer opens PR with SQL changes.
2. CI job spins up a Redshift dev cluster or uses RA3 snapshot.
3. Build step runs dbt run & dbt test.
4. If green, CodePipeline promotes artifact to prod and executes AWS CLI redshift-data commands.

How can I deploy SQL safely?

Wrap DDL in transactions, tag releases, and add IF NOT EXISTS guards.Always run ANALYZE after heavy inserts.

Example GitHub Action job

jobs:\n build:\n runs-on: ubuntu-latest\n steps:\n - uses: actions/checkout@v4\n - name: Install dbt\n run: pip install dbt-redshift\n - name: Run tests\n run: dbt run --profiles-dir .&& dbt test\n deploy:\n needs: build\n runs-on: ubuntu-latest\n steps:\n - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4\n with:\n role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.ASSUME_ROLE }}\n - name: Release to prod\n run: aws redshift-data execute-statement --cluster-identifier prod-cluster --database analytics --sql file://build/prod.sql

Best practices for Redshift pipelines?

Use parameterized COPY for bulk loads, grant least-privilege roles, include data quality tests, and monitor WLM slots after deploy.

Why How to Implement CI/CD with Redshift is important

How to Implement CI/CD with Redshift Example Usage


-- Promote a tested view to prod
aws redshift-data execute-statement \
  --cluster-identifier prod-cluster \
  --database analytics \
  --sql "CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW sales_daily AS \nSELECT o.id, c.name, o.total_amount \nFROM Orders o JOIN Customers c USING (customer_id) \nWHERE o.order_date = CURRENT_DATE;"

How to Implement CI/CD with Redshift Syntax


aws redshift-data execute-statement \
  --cluster-identifier <cluster_id> \
  --db-user <user> \
  --database <db> \
  --sql "BEGIN; \nCREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS Customers (id INT, name VARCHAR, email VARCHAR, created_at TIMESTAMP); \nCREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS Orders (id INT, customer_id INT, order_date DATE, total_amount DECIMAL); \nCOMMIT;" \
  [--statement-name <name>] \
  [--with-event]

Common Mistakes

Skipping automated tests → Causes breaking DDL to reach prod. Fix by adding dbt or custom SQL tests to the CI job.
Running scripts with superuser credentials → Violates least privilege. Create a deployer role with minimal rights and assume it in the pipeline.