Jenkins Pipelines

A Jenkinsfile is a configuration file that describes the workflow or pipeline used to build and deliver a piece of software.

By using a Jenkinsfile we have a description of each step involved, and by storing this in git, we have a historical record of the workflow.

Jenkins can run the steps described in the file.

Stages

A pipeline can have multiple stages, Jenkins will report on the duration each stage takes.

The starting template below contains three stages.

pipeline {
    agent any

    stages {

        stage('build') {
            steps {
                sh "echo building..."
                sh "echo building more..."
            }
        }

        stage('test') {
            steps {
                sh "echo testing..."
            }
        }

        stage('deploy') {
            steps {
                sh "echo deploying..."
            }
        }
   }
}

Example job configuration

To configure a pipeline job in Jenkins, login then navigate to a folder, and click on New Item.

Enter a name, then choose Pipeline as the project type, then click OK.

The next step is configuration.

Click on the Pipeline tab and paste the script above into the text area. Click on Save.

It is possible and prudent to pull the Definition from source control such as git.

Try it out by clicking on Build Now. Once it finishes it will report on how long each stage took.

You can also click on each stage of an individual build and view the logs. The logs will contain output and timings of each step.