What is Jenkins? Why Use Continuous Integration (CI) Tool?

What is Jenkins? Why Use Continuous Integration (CI) Tool? - Shikshaglobe

Content Creator: Vijay Kumar

What is Jenkins?

Jenkins is an open-source Continuous Integration server written in Java for coordinating a chain of activities to accomplish the Continuous Integration process in a computerized style. Jenkins upholds the total improvement life pattern of programming from building, testing, recording the product, conveying, and different phases of the product advancement life cycle.

Jenkins is a generally utilized application all over the planet that has around 300k establishments and developing step by step. By utilizing Jenkins, programming organizations can speed up their product improvement process, as Jenkins can mechanize construct and test at a fast rate.

What is Jenkins? Why Use a Continuous Integration (CI) Tool?

Jenkins is a widely used open-source automation server that facilitates the implementation of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) practices in software development. It provides a framework for automating various aspects of the software development process, from building and testing code to deploying it to production environments. Let's explore what Jenkins is and why it's essential to use a CI tool like Jenkins in modern software development.

What is Jenkins?

Jenkins is an automation server that helps automate repetitive tasks in the software development lifecycle. It is highly extensible and has a vast ecosystem of plugins that allow it to integrate with a wide range of tools and technologies. Jenkins is primarily used for:

1. Continuous Integration (CI): Jenkins automates the process of integrating code changes from multiple developers into a shared repository. It ensures that code is continuously built, tested, and validated as new changes are introduced. This early feedback helps detect and resolve issues quickly, leading to higher code quality.

2. Continuous Delivery (CD): Jenkins extends beyond CI by automating the deployment of code to various environments, including development, staging, and production. It ensures that the software is always in a deployable state, making it easier to release new features and updates with confidence.

3. Automation: Jenkins allows you to automate various tasks, such as building code, running tests, deploying applications, and sending notifications. These automation capabilities save time, reduce manual errors, and streamline the development process.

4. Plugin Ecosystem: Jenkins boasts a vast library of plugins that extend its functionality. You can find plugins for version control systems (e.g., Git), build tools (e.g., Maven, Gradle), testing frameworks (e.g., JUnit), deployment platforms (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), and more.

5. Customization: Jenkins can be customized to fit the specific needs of your development and deployment processes. You can create custom pipelines and workflows tailored to your project requirements.

Why Use a Continuous Integration (CI) Tool Like Jenkins?

Using a CI tool like Jenkins offers several advantages to software development teams and organizations:

1. Faster Development Cycles: CI tools automate the build and test phases, allowing developers to receive rapid feedback on code changes. This accelerates the development cycle and shortens the time to market for new features and updates.

2. Code Quality Improvement: Automated testing in CI helps identify and address issues early in the development process. This leads to higher code quality and reduces the likelihood of introducing bugs into the codebase.

3. Consistency: CI tools ensure that the build, test, and deployment processes are consistent across different environments. This reduces configuration errors and discrepancies between development, staging, and production environments.

4. Efficiency: Automation eliminates manual and repetitive tasks, freeing up developers to focus on more creative and critical aspects of software development. It also reduces the risk of human error.

5. Collaboration: CI tools enable collaboration among team members by automatically integrating code changes from multiple contributors. This encourages a culture of shared responsibility and teamwork.

6. Early Issue Detection: CI tools run automated tests as soon as code changes are committed. This helps detect and fix issues, such as failing tests or integration problems, at an early stage, minimizing the impact on the development process.

7. Streamlined Deployment: CI/CD tools like Jenkins automate the deployment process, making it easier to release new software versions consistently and reliably. This reduces the time and effort required for deployments.

8. Feedback Loop: CI tools provide continuous feedback to developers, allowing them to make improvements based on test results and code analysis. This iterative feedback loop fosters continuous improvement in code and processes.

It is a server-based application and requires a web server like Apache Tomcat. The explanation for Jenkins programming turned out to be so famous is that of its checking of rehashed undertakings that emerge during the improvement of a task. For instance, in the event that your group is fostering a venture, Jenkins will ceaselessly test your undertaking constructs and show you the blunders in the beginning phases of your turn of events.

What is Continuous Integration?

Persistent Integration is a course of coordinating code changes from different designers in a solitary venture commonly. The product is tried following a code commit. With each code commit, code is fabricated and tried. Assuming the test is passed, the form is tried for sending. On the off chance that the organization is effective, the code is pushed to creation.

This commit, construct, test, and convey is a persistent interaction and thus the name nonstop joining/sending.

How does Jenkins function?

Jenkins is a server-based application and requires a web server like Apache Tomcat to run on different stages like Windows, Linux, macOS, Unix, and so on. To utilize Jenkins, you want to make pipelines which are a progression of steps that a Jenkins server will take. Jenkins Continuous Integration Pipeline is a strong instrument that comprises a bunch of devices intended to have, screen, gather and test code, or code changes, as:

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Nonstop Integration Server (Jenkins, Bamboo, CruiseControl, TeamCity, and others)

Source Control Tool (e.g., CVS, SVN, GIT, Mercurial, Perforce, ClearCase and others)

Assemble apparatus (Make, Ant, Maven, Ivy, Gradle, and others)

Robotization testing structure (Selenium, Appium, TestComplete, UFT, and others)

Jenkin History

Kohsuke Kawaguchi, a Java engineer, working at SUN Microsystems, was worn out on building the code and fixing mistakes tediously. In 2004, made a computerization server called Hudson that mechanizes fabrication and test tasks.

In 2011, Oracle who possessed Sun Microsystems had a debate with Hudson's open source local area, so they forked Hudson and renamed it Jenkins.

Both Hudson and Jenkins kept on working freely. Be that as it may, in a limited capacity to focus time, Jenkins obtained a ton of undertakings and patrons while Hudson stayed with just 32 tasks. With time, Jenkins turned out to be more well-known, and Hudson isn't kept up with any longer.

Why utilize Continuous Integration with Jenkins?

Certain individuals could feel that as it was done in the good 'ol days of fostering the product is the better way. How about we figure out the upsides of CI with Jenkins with the accompanying model

Allow us to envision, that there are around 10 engineers who are dealing with a common storehouse. Some designer gets done with their responsibility in 25 days while others require 30 days to finish.

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Genuine contextual investigation of Continuous Integration

I'm certain every one of you is mindful of the old telephone Nokia. Nokia used to execute a method called daily form. After different commits from assorted designers during the day, the product was fabricated consistently. Since the product was fabricated just a single time in a day, it's a tremendous aggravation to confine, distinguish, and fix the blunders in an enormous code base.

Afterward, they embraced the Continuous Integration approach. The product was constructed and tried when an engineer committed code. Assuming any blunder is recognized, the particular designer can rapidly fix the imperfection.

Jenkins Plugins

As a matter of course, Jenkins accompanies a restricted arrangement of elements. To coordinate your Jenkins establishment with form control apparatuses like Git, then you really want to introduce modules connected with Git. As a matter of fact, for mixing with devices like Maven, and Amazon EC2, you want to introduce separate modules in your Jenkins.

Benefits of utilizing Jenkins

Jenkins is being overseen by the local area which is extremely open. Consistently, they hold public gatherings and take input from the general population for the improvement of the Jenkins project.

Such long ways around 280 tickets are shut, and the task distributes stable delivery like clockwork.

As innovation develops, so does Jenkins. Up until this point, Jenkins has around 320 modules distributed in its modules data set. With modules, Jenkins turns out to be considerably more remarkable and highlight-rich.

Jenkins apparatus likewise upholds cloud-based engineering so you can send Jenkins in cloud-based stages.

The motivation behind why Jenkins became famous is that it was made by an engineer for designers.

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Inconveniences of utilizing Jenkins

However Jenkins is an exceptionally integral asset, it is imperfect.

Its connection point is outdated and not easy to understand contrasted with current UI patterns.

However Jenkins is cherished by numerous engineers, it isn't so natural to keep up with it in light of the fact that Jenkins runs on a server and requires abilities as a server executive to screen its action.

One reason why many individuals don't execute Jenkins is because of its trouble in introducing and designing Jenkins.

Nonstop mixes routinely break because of some little setting changes. Ceaseless coordination will be stopped and subsequently requires some engineer consideration.

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End:

In Continuous Integration, after a code commit, the product is fabricated and tried right away

Jenkins is utilized for organizing a chain of activities for Continuous Integration in a product project

Before Jenkins when all Developers had finished their relegated coding errands, they used to commit their code all at the same time. Afterward, Build is tried and sent.

After Jenkins, the code is constructed and tested when the Developer commits code. Jenkin will construct and test code ordinarily during the day

As a matter of course, Jenkins accompanies a restricted arrangement of elements. If you have any desire to coordinate your Jenkins establishment with form control apparatuses like Git, then, at that point, you really want to introduce modules connected with Git

The greatest star of Jenkins is that it is overseen by the local area which holds public gatherings and takes inputs from the general population for the improvement of Jenkins projects

The greatest con of Jenkin is that Its point of interaction is outdated and not easy to understand contrasted with current UI patterns.