Introduction
AWS CodePipeline is a continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) service for fast and reliable application and infrastructure updates. CodePipeline automates the build, test, and deploy phases of your release process every time there is a code change, based on the release model you define.
Key Concepts
- Pipeline: A workflow that defines how your code changes move through the build, test, and deployment stages.
- Stages: Each pipeline consists of stages, such as Source, Build, Test, and Deploy.
- Actions: Each stage contains actions, which are tasks performed on the code, such as building, testing, or deploying.
- Transitions: The movement of code from one stage to another.
- Artifacts: Files or data that are produced by actions and passed between stages.
Setting Up AWS CodePipeline
Prerequisites
- An AWS account.
- Basic knowledge of AWS services like S3, EC2, and IAM.
- Source code repository (e.g., GitHub, AWS CodeCommit).
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Create a Pipeline:
- Navigate to the AWS CodePipeline console.
- Click on "Create pipeline".
- Enter a name for your pipeline and select the service role (create a new role if necessary).
-
Add Source Stage:
- Select your source provider (e.g., GitHub, CodeCommit).
- Connect to your repository and select the branch to monitor for changes.
-
Add Build Stage:
- Choose a build provider (e.g., AWS CodeBuild).
- Configure the build project (you may need to create a new CodeBuild project).
-
Add Deploy Stage:
- Select your deployment provider (e.g., AWS Elastic Beanstalk, AWS ECS).
- Configure the deployment settings.
-
Review and Create:
- Review the pipeline configuration.
- Click on "Create pipeline".
Practical Example
Example Pipeline Configuration
version: 1
stages:
- name: Source
actions:
- name: SourceAction
actionTypeId:
category: Source
owner: AWS
provider: CodeCommit
version: 1
outputArtifacts:
- name: SourceOutput
configuration:
RepositoryName: MyRepository
BranchName: main
- name: Build
actions:
- name: BuildAction
actionTypeId:
category: Build
owner: AWS
provider: CodeBuild
version: 1
inputArtifacts:
- name: SourceOutput
outputArtifacts:
- name: BuildOutput
configuration:
ProjectName: MyBuildProject
- name: Deploy
actions:
- name: DeployAction
actionTypeId:
category: Deploy
owner: AWS
provider: ElasticBeanstalk
version: 1
inputArtifacts:
- name: BuildOutput
configuration:
ApplicationName: MyApp
EnvironmentName: MyApp-envExplanation
- Source Stage: Monitors the
mainbranch of theMyRepositoryrepository in CodeCommit. - Build Stage: Uses AWS CodeBuild to build the source code. The build project is named
MyBuildProject. - Deploy Stage: Deploys the built artifacts to an Elastic Beanstalk environment named
MyApp-env.
Practical Exercise
Exercise: Create a Simple Pipeline
-
Objective: Create a pipeline that pulls code from a GitHub repository, builds it using CodeBuild, and deploys it to an S3 bucket.
-
Steps:
- Create a new pipeline in AWS CodePipeline.
- Configure the source stage to pull from a GitHub repository.
- Set up a build stage using AWS CodeBuild.
- Add a deploy stage to upload the build artifacts to an S3 bucket.
Solution
-
Create Pipeline:
- Name:
MySimplePipeline - Service Role: Create a new role
- Name:
-
Source Stage:
- Provider: GitHub
- Repository:
my-github-repo - Branch:
main
-
Build Stage:
- Provider: AWS CodeBuild
- Project: Create a new project
- Name:
MyBuildProject - Environment: Managed image (e.g., Ubuntu)
- Buildspec: Use a simple
buildspec.ymlfile
- Name:
version: 0.2
phases:
install:
runtime-versions:
nodejs: 12
build:
commands:
- echo "Building the project..."
- npm install
- npm run build
artifacts:
files:
- '**/*'
discard-paths: yes- Deploy Stage:
- Provider: Amazon S3
- Bucket:
my-deploy-bucket - Extract file before deploy: Yes
Common Mistakes and Tips
- Incorrect Permissions: Ensure that the IAM roles used by CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and other services have the necessary permissions.
- Misconfigured Buildspec: Double-check the
buildspec.ymlfile for syntax errors and correct paths. - Source Provider Issues: Ensure that the source provider (e.g., GitHub) is correctly connected and authorized.
Conclusion
AWS CodePipeline is a powerful tool for automating your CI/CD workflows. By understanding its key concepts and following the step-by-step guide, you can set up and manage pipelines to streamline your development and deployment processes. Practice creating and configuring pipelines to become proficient in using AWS CodePipeline for your projects.