Buildartefacten

Buildartefacten, also spoken of as build artifacts, are outputs produced by a software build process. They include compiled binaries and libraries, installers, container images, language-specific packages, source distributions, and accompanying documentation or reports. These artefacts are intended for deployment, distribution, testing, or archival, and are typically stored in artifact repositories or package registries to enable controlled access and reuse.

Each artefact carries metadata such as version, build number, timestamp, target platform and architecture, and the dependencies used to create it. Consistent naming conventions and provenance records help trace artefacts back to their source and build configuration, supporting reproducibility and compliance.

Generation and management of buildartefacten are handled by automated build pipelines in CI/CD systems using build scripts and configuration files (for example, Gradle, Maven, npm, or Make). Reproducible builds aim to produce identical artefacts from the same sources when the environment is controlled, reducing drift between development, testing, and production.

Storage and governance rely on artifact repositories such as JFrog Artifactory, Sonatype Nexus, or cloud registries. Artefacts should be signed and checksums stored for integrity verification; access controls, retention policies, and rotation help governance and security. Metadata and provenance data support auditing and compliance.

Lifecycle and quality considerations include retention, versioning, deprecation, and cleanup policies. Implementing SBOMs (software bill of materials) and performing license and security scans improve transparency and risk management, while enabling reliable delivery of complex software systems.