CI/CD Pipelines with GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps for Full-Stack Applications

Release Pipeline for Azure DevOps (YAML)

GitHub Actions Release Workflow 

Key parts and steps of the Azure CI/CD process

A good way to automate the making, testing, and sending out of apps is to use an Azure CI/CD pipeline. Continuous deployment (CD) mixed with continuous integration (CI) helps you build nice software faster. Below is a list of the main parts and actions needed to set up and run an Azure CI/CD pipeline: Main parts of Azure Repos A place for source code to control versions.

Supported versions are Git and Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC).

Azure Pipelines

simplifies the steps of CI/CD for you.

allows YAML pipelines or traditional editors.

Create an agent

Run functions of the pipeline.

Azure gives you a hosted agent where the SDK and tools are pre-installed.

Self-Hosted Agents: Personalized agents that you control and are best suited for particular settings.
Artifacts from the Pipeline

files or packages (such as.zip,.jar, and container images) created during the build process for deployment.
Triggers

CI Triggers: initiate the process automatically the pipeline whenever a pull request is made or code is pushed.
CD Triggers: After a successful build, automatically add artifacts to environments.
The surroundings

Target deployment locations, such as development, staging, and production.
comprises rollback configurations and approval gates.
Library of Tasks

standardized tasks for routine operations (e.g., deploying apps, building code, and running scripts).
Gates of Release

Quality assurance is done in both automated and manual checks before proceeding to the next phase.

Important Stages of Azure CI/CD Pipeline

1. Continuous Integration (CI)

Purpose: Validate and package changes made to the code.

Steps:

Code Checkout: Fetching the source code from external repositories (such as GitHub or Azure Repos).

Project dependencies (like npm install and dotnet restore) are called restoring dependencies.

Build: Use a tool to build the application, for example mvn compile or dotnet build. Unit Tests: Run tests to verify that the changes made to the code work. Creation of Artifacts: Package the output of the build into a deployable format, such as.zip or.dll files. Artifact Publish: Upload the artifacts to Azure Pipelines so that they can be used in the CD process. YAML example for the CI stage:

2. CD, or continuous deployment

Deploy verified artifacts to the intended environments.
Actions to take:

Release Triggers: Start deployment automatically when an artifact becomes available.
Environment-Related Activities:
For testing, deploy to development.
For user acceptance testing (UAT), deploy to staging.
After receiving approvals, deploy to production.
Tests and Validation:
testing for integration.
testing for smoke.
Approval Gates: Before deploying to sensitive environments (like production), manual approval is required.
Use tools such as Azure Functions, Kubernetes, or Azure App Services for deployment.
An example of CD Stage YAML

yaml Copy Edit :

GitHub Actions for Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment

Step 1: Establish a GitHub Actions Workflow 

Inside your repository, head over to .github/workflows/.

Generate a fresh file titled ci-cd-pipeline.yml.

Step 2: Outline the Workflow

Connecting GitHub Actions to Azure DevOps 

Advantages

unified cross-platform workflows.

improved deployment traceability.

freedom in selecting CI/CD tools.

How to Include

GitHub Actions to Start Azure DevOps Pipelines:

Using Databricks for CI/CD 

Databricks workflow integration into CI/CD pipelines is supported by both GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps:

Steps in Databricks CI/CD:

The Databricks CLI can be used to automate deployment.

Add scripts for deployment to your pipelines:

Example of Azure DevOps:

GitHub Actions Example:

Top techniques

Split and organize your pipeline into deploy, test, and build phases. Use approval gates: Set up Azure DevOps approval gates for key environments. Track pipeline metrics: Monitor performance using GitHub Insights and Azure DevOps. Secure secrets: Store credentials securely using GitHub Secrets or Azure Key Vault.

Implementing continuous integration and deployment for Node.js applications with Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions

Implementing continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) for Node.js applications with Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions requires the integration of: Tools to efficiently build, test, and deploy your applications. Below are the step-by-step instructions:

 1. Prepare your Node.js app.

Make sure the packages are valid in your application. JSON file with the required scripts:

{
“scripts”: {
“test”: “jest”, // Replace with your test runner
“build”: “webpack” // Replace with your build command
}

2. Add configuration files for testing or linting (e.g. .eslintrc.js, jest.config.js)

2. Set up an Azure DevOps pipeline

a. Start an Azure DevOps initiative: Create an Azure DevOps project. Link your Azure DevOps project to your GitHub repository.

Learn about Azure CI Pipelines for DevOps. Select Pipeline to create a new pipeline in Azure DevOps. Use the YAML pipeline editor to specify build and test steps. Example:

trigger:

branches:

include:

– main

pool:

vmImage: ‘ubuntu-latest’

steps:

– task: NodeTool@0

inputs:

versionSpec: ’16.x’ # Specify your Node.js version

displayName: ‘Install Node.js’

– script: npm install

displayName: ‘Install dependencies’

– script: npm test

displayName: ‘Run tests’

– script: npm run build

displayName: ‘Build application’

– task: PublishBuildArtifacts@1

inputs:

pathToPublish: ‘dist/’ # Path to build output

artifactName: ‘drop’

displayName: ‘Publish build artifacts’

3. Configure CI using GitHub Actions:

Create a directory named .github/workflows/ in your GitHub repository.

Insert a file like ci.yml:

4. Setup CD

with Azure DevOps: a. Create a release schedule:

Create a release pipeline in Azure DevOps:

Insert steps for deploying your application e.g. Kubernetes, Azure App Service, Virtual Machines, etc.

Leverage published CI pipeline artifacts:

Use tasks such as Azure CLI and Azure App Service Deploy.

b. Link Azure DevOps releases to GitHub Actions

To initiate an Azure DevOps deployment, add a workflow to your GitHub repository:

5. Investigate your CI/CD process

Create a pull request or push changes to the main branch.

Verify that:

Your application is built and tested using a CI pipeline triggered by GitHub Actions.

If CI is successful, an Azure DevOps pipeline is triggered to deploy your application.

How to trigger an Azure DevOps pipeline from GitHub Actions for a full-stack project

By using the Azure DevOps REST API together with GitHub Actions workflows, you can trigger an Azure DevOps pipeline from GitHub Actions for a full-stack project to kick off your project. Here are the detailed steps:

1. First, install Azure DevOps Pipeline. 

If you don’t already have a pipeline in Azure DevOps, create one for your project.

Enable Pipeline Trigger:

Go to Azure DevOps Pipeline Settings.

Enable CI Trigger if you want to start the pipeline when a branch is committed.

Alternatively, you can leverage the API or manual trigger.

2. Create a Personal Access Token (PAT):

In Azure DevOps, navigate to User Settings > Personal Access Tokens.

Create a new token with the scopes listed below:

Create (Read & Execute): This allows you to start a pipeline.

Optionally, you can add a project and team (read) for more complex situations. Store the generated token securely as you will need it in GitHub.

3. Set the PAT as a secret in GitHub.

Access the repository on GitHub.

Navigate to Settings > Variables and Secrets > Actions.

Create a new secret:

Name: AZURE_DEVOPS_PAT.

Value: Your Azure DevOps PAT token.

4. Configure the GitHub Actions workflow:

Create a file named trigger-pipeline.yml in your GitHub repository.

6. Tailor Workflow Initiators

To match your needs, adjust the workflow report’s on: section (e.g., branch, pull requests, guide dispatch).

7. Push

the.github/workflows/trigger-pipeline.yml report in your repository and check the Integration Commit.

You can manually begin the workflow from the GitHub Actions tab or push adjustments to the configured branch.

Make positive the Azure DevOps pipeline is running properly.

8. Track and troubleshoot

Look for errors withinside the GitHub Actions workflow logs.

Verify that the Azure DevOps pipeline runs successfully.