The cloud era has changed the way software products and services are developed, tested and released into the market. One of the most essential activities to this process is continuous integration and delivery or CiCd, which requires constant building and testing of applications from code repositories and then releasing them into production. There are many tools that can be used for this process, for example Jenkins, which is one of the most popular tools for automation in software development.

However, the developers may want a bit more, may want an alternative to Jenkins for their continuous integration and delivery, or CiCd. One of the most popular options is Jenkins-Ci, which offers a better set of features compared to the open-source Jenkins tool.

What is Jenkins-Ci?

Jenkins-Ci is a cloud-based continuous integration and delivery (CiCd) tool that provides a higher level of automation compared to Jenkins. It provides developers with a wide range of features that make it easier to automate the testing and deployment of applications to production. Jenkins-Ci is built on top of the open-source Jenkins tool, but adds additional features such as pipelines, classifiers, integrations, and notifications.

Jenkins-Ci allows developers to easily set up, configure and manage continuous builds, tests, and deployments for applications. It also provides an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) for configuring builds, pipelines, webhooks and other integration settings.

Jenkins-Ci also offers a wide range of plugins that can be used to extend the functionality of the tool. These plugins can be used to add additional features such as code coverage, performance testing, and security scanning. Additionally, Jenkins-Ci provides a comprehensive API that can be used to integrate with other tools and services.

Benefits of Using Jenkins-Ci

There are several benefits of using Jenkins-Ci over the open-source Jenkins tool. Firstly, it provides a higher level of automation with its intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). This allows developers to easily configure and manage their builds with the click of a button.

Another benefit is that Jenkins-Ci can be easily integrated with source control repositories including Git, Bitbucket, and GitHub. This allows developers to easily keep track of their code changes and quickly roll out new features.

Also, Jenkins-Ci provides a much better level of scalability than Jenkins. It can handle large volumes of automated builds and tests, as well as multiple projects. This makes it well suited for organizations with large engineering teams as well as for companies working with multiple multiple products and projects.

In addition, Jenkins-Ci offers a wide range of plugins that can be used to extend its functionality. This allows developers to customize their builds and tests to meet their specific needs. Furthermore, Jenkins-Ci also provides a secure environment for running builds and tests, ensuring that all data is kept safe and secure.

Setting up and Configuring Jenkins-Ci

Setting up and configuring Jenkins-Ci is very easy. The first step is to create a project in the Jenkins-Ci dashboard. This can be done by selecting the “Create Project” button in the dashboard. Once selected, users have the option to choose from one of the available templates or they can start from scratch.

Once the project has been created, developers can configure the settings of their application according to their requirements. This includes selection of the source control repository, build/test scripts and configuration parameters.

In addition to this setup process, it’s also possible to enable notifications for build/test results, which can be sent via email or SMS to stakeholders. This helps to keep them informed of the status of their applications.

Jenkins-Ci also provides a wide range of plugins that can be used to extend the functionality of the platform. These plugins can be used to add additional features such as integration with other tools, custom dashboards, and more. This makes it easy to customize the platform to meet the specific needs of the project.

Integrating with Source Control Repositories

Integrating with source control repositories is one of the most important steps in setting up your Jenkins-Ci environment. This allows developers to easily keep track of their code changes and quickly roll out new features or bug fixes.

Jenkins-Ci supports integration with multiple source control systems including Git, Bitbucket, GitHub, SVN and CVS. To integrate with any of these systems, simply add a new repository in the Jenkins-Ci dashboard and select the relevant repository type. After this has been done, developers can easily push their code changes to the repository without having to perform any manual tasks.

Once the repository has been integrated, developers can use the Jenkins-Ci dashboard to monitor the progress of their code changes. This includes viewing the status of each commit, as well as any errors that may have occurred during the process. Additionally, developers can also use the dashboard to review the code changes that have been made and ensure that they are in line with the project’s standards.

Automating Builds and Tests with Jenkins-Ci

Once a source control repository has been integrated with Jenkins-Ci, developers can start automating builds and tests. This can be done using pipelines or multi-configuration jobs (known as matrix builds). These jobs allow developers to specify a set of parameters that need to be tested before releasing their applications into production.

In addition to this feature, Jenkins-Ci also offers various plugins for performing various tasks such as code coverage tools for testing applications. This allows developers to easily perform automated tests for their applications to ensure that all bugs are fixed before releasing them into production.

Deployment Options for Jenkins-Ci

When it comes to deploying applications after performing builds and tests on Jenkins-Ci, there are a number of options available. Depending on your project requirements, you can choose from popular continuous deployment tools such as Octopus Deploy or Spinnaker; cloud hosting platforms such as Amazon EC2; or traditional deployment frameworks such as Puppet or Chef.

The deployment process is automated within a job in Jenkins-Ci. This process can involve pre/post deployment scripts that execute commands before and after a deployment, ensuring that only tested and verified code is deployed into production.

Advanced Jenkins-Ci features

Jenkins-Ci offers advanced features that make it easier for developers to configure their environment. This includes support for Docker containers, which provide an isolated environment for running applications on different platforms. There are also plugins available for automatically creating a base image for deploying containers in a Docker environment.

In addition, Jenkins-Ci also supports various cloud providers such as Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, Kubernetes and Azure Service Fabric. Deploying applications on these platforms is easy with the option of automatically creating persistent configurations for each platform.

Troubleshooting Jenkins-Ci Issues

If you encounter any issues while using Jenkins-Ci, you can use its built-in logging tool to troubleshoot them. This tool provides detailed reports on errors that occur while using the application. It is also possible to set up notifications so that stakeholders receive alerts when something goes wrong.

Additionally, there is an active community of developers who help each other by sharing advice on common issues; this takes place in forums and mailing lists dedicated to Jenkins-Ci.

Conclusion

Jenkins-Ci is a powerful tool for automating software development processes such as builds and deployments. It offers developers a number of advanced features compared to open-source Jenkins making it easier to automate the development process. With its easy setup process, intuitive user interface and robust logging tools, it’s no surprise that Jenkins-Ci is becoming increasingly popular among developers.