Jenkins

Jenkins

Jenkins is an open source automation server. It helps automate the parts of software development related to building, testing, and deploying, facilitating continuous integration and continuous delivery. It is a server-based system that runs in servlet containers such as Apache Tomcat.Jenkins is used to build and test your product continuously, so developers can continuously integrate changes into the build. Jenkins is the most popular open source CI/CD tool on the market today and is used in support of DevOps, alongside other cloud native tools.

Jenkins Architecture

Here’s how Jenkins elements are put together and interact:

  • Developers commit changes to the source code, found in the repository.
  • The Jenkins CI server checks the repository at regular intervals and pulls any newly available code.
  • The Build Server builds the code into an executable file. In case the build fails, feedback is sent to the developers.
  • Jenkins deploys the build application to the test server. If the test fails, the developers are alerted.
  • If the code is error-free, the tested application is deployed on the production server.

The files can contain different code and be very large, requiring multiple builds. However, a single Jenkins server cannot handle multiple files and builds simultaneously; for that, a distributed Jenkins architecture is necessary.

Jenkins Applications

1. Increased Code Coverage

Code coverage is determined by the number of lines of code a component has and how many of them get executed. Jenkins increases code coverage which ultimately promotes a transparent development process among the team members.

2. No Broken Code

Jenkins ensures that the code is good and tested well through continuous integration. The final code is merged only when all the tests are successful. This makes sure that no broken code is shipped into production.

Jenkins Features

Jenkins offers many attractive features for developers:

  • Easy Installation

    Jenkins is a platform-agnostic, self-contained Java-based program, ready to run with packages for Windows, Mac OS, and Unix-like operating systems.

  • Easy Configuration

    Jenkins is easily set up and configured using its web interface, featuring error checks and a built-in help function.

  • Available Plugins

    There are hundreds of plugins available in the Update Center, integrating with every tool in the CI and CD toolchain.

  • Extensible

    Jenkins can be extended by means of its plugin architecture, providing nearly endless possibilities for what it can do.

  • Easy Distribution

    Jenkins can easily distribute work across multiple machines for faster builds, tests, and deployments across multiple platforms.

  • Free Open Source

    Jenkins is an open-source resource backed by heavy community support.