AWS CodeBuild is a fully managed continuous integration service that compiles source code, runs tests, and produces software packages that are ready to deploy. With CodeBuild, you don’t need to provision, manage, and scale your own build servers. CodeBuild scales continuously and processes multiple builds concurrently, so your builds are not left waiting in a queue.

• Fully Managed: No need to manage build servers.
• Scalable: Automatically scales to meet your build volume.
• Pay-as-you-go: Only pay for the build time you use.
• Customizable: Use pre-configured build environments or create custom build environments.

1. AWS Account: Ensure you have an active AWS account.
2. IAM Role: Create an IAM role with the necessary permissions for CodeBuild.

1. Create a Build Project:

   • Go to the AWS Management Console.
   • Navigate to the CodeBuild service.
   • Click on "Create build project".

2. Configure Project Details:

   • Project Name: Enter a unique name for your project.
   • Description: (Optional) Provide a description for your project.
   • Source Provider: Choose the source of your code (e.g., AWS CodeCommit, GitHub, Bitbucket, S3).
   • Source Location: Provide the repository URL or S3 bucket path.

3. Environment:

   • Environment Image: Choose a managed image or provide a custom image.
   • Compute Type: Select the compute resources required for your build.
   • Service Role: Choose an existing service role or create a new one.

4. Buildspec:

   • Buildspec File: Specify the buildspec file (buildspec.yml) in your source code repository.
   • Build Commands: Alternatively, you can define build commands directly in the console.

5. Artifacts:

   • Type: Choose the type of artifacts (e.g., S3).
   • Location: Specify the S3 bucket where the build artifacts will be stored.

6. Logs:

   • CloudWatch Logs: Enable CloudWatch Logs to monitor build logs.
   • S3 Logs: Optionally, store logs in an S3 bucket.

7. Create Project: Review the settings and click "Create build project".

A buildspec file is a collection of build commands and related settings, in YAML format, that CodeBuild uses to run a build.

• version: Specifies the buildspec version.
• phases: Defines the build phases.
  • install: Commands to run before the build starts (e.g., installing dependencies).
  • build: Commands to run during the build (e.g., compiling code).
  • post_build: Commands to run after the build completes (e.g., running tests).
• artifacts: Specifies the files to include in the build output.

1. Objective: Create a build project in AWS CodeBuild and run a build using a sample Node.js application.

2. Steps:

   • Create a new repository in AWS CodeCommit or GitHub with a sample Node.js application.
   • Add a buildspec.yml file to the root of the repository with the following content:

   version: 0.2
   
   phases:
     install:
       runtime-versions:
         nodejs: 12
       commands:
         - echo Installing dependencies...
         - npm install
     build:
       commands:
         - echo Build started on `date`
         - npm run build
     post_build:
       commands:
         - echo Build completed on `date`
   
   artifacts:
     files:
       - '**/*'
     discard-paths: yes
   

   • Follow the steps outlined in the "Setting Up AWS CodeBuild" section to create a build project.
   • Start the build and monitor the progress in the AWS Management Console.

1. Repository Setup:

   • Create a new repository and add the sample Node.js application files.
   • Add the buildspec.yml file to the root of the repository.

2. Create Build Project:

   • Follow the steps to create a build project in AWS CodeBuild.
   • Use the repository URL as the source location.

3. Run Build:

   • Start the build from the AWS Management Console.
   • Monitor the build logs in CloudWatch Logs.

• Incorrect Buildspec File: Ensure the buildspec.yml file is correctly formatted and placed in the root of the repository.
• IAM Role Permissions: Make sure the IAM role associated with CodeBuild has the necessary permissions to access the source repository and S3 bucket.
• Environment Configuration: Choose the appropriate environment image and compute type based on your build requirements.

In this section, you learned about AWS CodeBuild, a fully managed continuous integration service. You explored the key features, set up a build project, and created a buildspec file to define build commands. Additionally, you completed a practical exercise to reinforce the concepts learned. In the next module, you will dive into other AWS Developer Tools to further enhance your CI/CD pipeline.