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February 15, 2024 • 3 min read

Setting Up CI/CD Pipelines with Azure DevOps

Learn how to build a complete CI/CD pipeline using Azure DevOps, from code commit to deployment.

#azure-devops #cicd #devops #tutorial

Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) are essential practices in modern software development. In this guide, I’ll show you how to set up a complete CI/CD pipeline using Azure DevOps.

What is Azure DevOps?

Azure DevOps is a comprehensive set of development tools from Microsoft that includes:

  • Azure Repos - Git repositories
  • Azure Pipelines - CI/CD pipelines
  • Azure Boards - Project management
  • Azure Test Plans - Testing tools
  • Azure Artifacts - Package management

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have:

  • An Azure DevOps organization
  • An Azure subscription
  • A sample application to deploy

Creating Your First Pipeline

Step 1: Create a New Pipeline

Navigate to Azure Pipelines in your Azure DevOps project and click “New Pipeline”.

Step 2: Connect Your Repository

Choose your source code repository. Azure DevOps supports:

  • Azure Repos Git
  • GitHub
  • Bitbucket
  • Other Git repositories

Step 3: Select a Template

Start from a template or create a blank pipeline. For a Node.js application, use the Node.js template:

trigger:
  - main

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

stages:
  - stage: Build
    displayName: 'Build stage'
    jobs:
      - job: Build
        displayName: 'Build job'
        steps:
          - task: NodeTool@0
            inputs:
              versionSpec: '18.x'
            displayName: 'Install Node.js'

          - script: |
              npm install
              npm run build
            displayName: 'npm install and build'

          - publish: $(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/dist
            artifact: drop

  - stage: Deploy
    displayName: 'Deploy stage'
    condition: succeeded()
    jobs:
      - job: Deploy
        displayName: 'Deploy job'
        steps:
          - download: current
            artifact: drop

          - task: AzureWebApp@1
            inputs:
              azureSubscription: 'Your-Azure-Subscription'
              appType: 'webApp'
              appName: 'your-app-name'
              package: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/*.zip'

Pipeline Concepts

Triggers

Define when your pipeline runs:

trigger:
  branches:
    include:
      - main
      - develop
  paths:
    include:
      - src/*
      - pipelines/*

Stages

Organize your pipeline into logical phases:

stages:
  - stage: Build
  - stage: Test
  - stage: Deploy

Jobs and Steps

Jobs contain steps that execute sequentially:

jobs:
  - job: Linux
    pool:
      vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'
    steps:
      - script: echo "Running on Linux"

Adding Quality Checks

Running Tests

- script: npm test
  displayName: 'Run tests'

Security Scanning

Add security scanning to catch vulnerabilities early:

- task: WhiteSource@21
  inputs:
    advancedSettings: 'scanType:dependency'

Deployment Strategies

Environment Approvals

Require approval before deployment:

- environment: 'Production'
  approvalCount: 1
  approvers:
    - user@company.com

Rolling Deployment

For zero-downtime updates:

strategy:
  rolling:
    maxParallel: 50%
    deploy:
      steps:
        - script: deploy.sh

Best Practices

  1. Use YAML pipelines - Version control your pipeline configuration
  2. Keep pipelines fast - Parallelize jobs where possible
  3. Implement security scanning - Scan early and often
  4. Use environments - Track deployments across environments
  5. Monitor pipelines - Set up alerts for failures

Conclusion

Azure DevOps provides a powerful platform for implementing CI/CD. Start simple, add complexity gradually, and always prioritize reliability and security.

For more advanced topics, explore:

Happy automating!