GoCD is a continuous delivery server and build automation platform designed to orchestrate software delivery pipelines. It functions as a CD pipeline orchestrator that manages the automated execution of build, test, and deployment stages to move code from commit to production.
The system utilizes an agent-based job execution model where remote agents pull work from a central server via polling. It employs a state-machine approach to pipeline orchestration, tracking the progression of software through stages and managing immutable build outputs via a central artifact repository to ensure consistency across distributed environments.
The platform covers a broad range of delivery capabilities, including distributed build execution, release process orchestration, and event-driven trigger systems. It handles task distribution using pool labels and constraints to assign jobs to specific remote agents.