My First CI/CD Pipeline with JENKINS!

Project Scope and Tools Used:

This project centers around a comprehensive CI/CD pipeline, showcasing the integration of popular tools that are widely utilized in the field.

GitHub Repository Overview:

When you take a look at my GitHub repository, you'll notice several key files that play a crucial role in this pipeline's functionality.

project-root/
├── templates/
│   └── index.html
├── Dockerfile
├── app.py
├── Jenkinsfile
├── deployment-service.yml
├── script.groovy
├── .gitignore
└── requirements.txt

The repository contains files such as 'app.py,' which is a Flask web application."

Docker Image Creation:

To build the application image, I leverage a Dockerfile.

FROM python:3.7-alpine
COPY . /app
WORKDIR /app 
RUN pip install flask
CMD ["python", "app.py"]

Check my docker hub repo

In the deployment stage of our CI/CD pipeline, I've crafted a Kubernetes Deployment configuration file, deployment.yml

which defines the specifications for our application's deployment

The accompanying Service configuration file, service.yml, defines how our application can be accessed

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: myapp-deployment
  namespace: default 
spec:
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: myapp
  replicas: 2
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: myapp
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: myapp
        image: taqiyeddinedj/my-repo:webapp-2.0
        resources:
          limits:
            memory: "128Mi"
            cpu: "500m" 
        ports:
        - containerPort: 8080

---

apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: myapp-service
  namespace: default
spec:
  type: NodePort 
  selector:
    app: myapp
  ports:
    - port: 8080
      targetPort: 8080
      nodePort: 30000

Jenkins Setup and Building Triggers:

For continuous integration, I've set up Jenkins on a separate local machine using a Docker container.

Inside the Jenkins container, I've included the Docker runtime, enabling it to build Docker images directly.

Using a webhook, any push to the repository automatically triggers the build process."

Pipeline Stages**:

The pipeline consists of several distinct stages, each serving a specific purpose.

These stages include initialization, testing (which identifies the active branch), building and pushing to Docker Hub, and the final deployment to a Kubernetes cluster.

Jenkins File and Groovy Syntax:

The pipeline is orchestrated using a Jenkinsfile, written in Groovy syntax."

def buildDockerImage() {
    echo "Building the docker image...."
    withCredentials([usernamePassword(credentialsId:'dockr-hub-repo', passwordVariable: 'PASS', usernameVariable: 'USER')]){
        sh "docker build -t taqiyeddinedj/my-repo:webapp-2.0 ."
        sh " echo $PASS | docker login -u $USER --password-stdin"
        sh "docker push taqiyeddinedj/my-repo:webapp-2.0"
    }
}

def deploytok8s() {
    echo "Deploying now the apllication on the kubernetes cluster"
    kubernetesDeploy (configs: 'deployment-service.yml', kubeconfigId: 'kubernetes')
}

return this

Setting up Your Own Kubernetes Cluster:

Establishing my personal Kubernetes cluster quite challenging, but i made it work."
Troubleshooting was a significant aspect of getting the cluster operational.

Integration of Kubernetes with Jenkins:

Connecting Kubernetes with Jenkins was a critical step. I discovered a helpful plugin on Stack Overflow, conveniently provided by the Jenkins community.

An obstacle I encountered was a certificate signing issue, likely related to port forwarding. This led me to seek a cluster accessible from the public network.

Transition to Azure and Deploying a Cluster**:

To address these challenges, I migrated to Microsoft Azure and successfully deployed a Kubernetes cluster.

There's a specific command that needs to be included in the Jenkinsfile for this Azure-based cluster setup.

#!/usr/bin/env groovy
def gv

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Init') {
            steps {
                script {
                    gv = load "script.groovy"
                }
            }
        }
        stage('test') {
            steps {
                script {
                    echo "Testing the application"
                    echo "Executing pipeline for branch $BRANCH_NAME"
                }
            }
        }
        stage ('Build & pushing'){
            steps {
                script {
                    gv.buildDockerImage()

                }
            }
        }
        stage ('Deploy to K8S'){
            steps {
                script {
                    gv.deploytok8s()

                }
            }
        }
    }
}

To ensure seamless connectivity, the kubeconfig file is stored in a hidden directory (.kube) within your home directory, and its contents are uploaded to Jenkins as special credentials."

Azure Cluster Status:

Currently, the Azure-based Kubernetes cluster is up and running, serving as the backbone of our robust CI/CD pipeline.

Conclusion and Summary:

In summary, i have taken you through the intricate process of establishing a comprehensive CI/CD pipeline.
From the initial setup of Jenkins and Docker, to overcoming Kubernetes integration challenges, and finally transitioning to a reliable Azure-based cluster, we've covered a wealth of insights and practical steps.

Comments

[Benoit COUETIL 💫]

Thank you for sharing ! It reminds me when, 10 years ago, everyone was using Jenkins, myself included. A little bit of nostalgia, even if I like very much GitLab now ✌️

[taqiyeddinedj]

You're welcome!
A decade ago ! seems like a different world now, doesn't it? 😄