December 2018 Summaries

CircleCI has introduced a new feature called orbs, which are reusable packages of configuration that streamline the integration of DevOps tools into CircleCI workflows. This article demonstrates how to use the AWS ECR Orb to automate the deployment of Docker images to Docker Hub and AWS ECR via CircleCI. Orbs, hosted on the CircleCI Orbs Registry, simplify configuration by encapsulating jobs, commands, and executors into a single bundle, reducing repetitive code and enabling easy sharing and reuse across projects. The AWS ECR Orb is specifically designed to work with CircleCI's configuration syntax, allowing for the specification of workflows and dependencies, such as requiring successful completion of tests before deploying images. The article also discusses setting up environment variables necessary for the pipeline to function, highlighting the benefits of orbs in facilitating efficient CI/CD processes and encouraging developers to contribute their own orbs to the community. Currently, all orbs are publicly available on the registry, but there are plans to support private orbs in the future.

The text provides a detailed tutorial on using CircleCI workflows to automate the process of building and publishing Docker images to Docker Hub. It begins by explaining how to create a basic Docker image and set up a CircleCI configuration file, which triggers the build process upon committing changes to the main branch of a GitHub repository. The tutorial highlights the use of reusable executors in CircleCI to streamline configurations and addresses challenges such as sharing Docker images across isolated jobs within a workflow using workspaces. Additionally, it explains how to automate the tagging of Docker images using Git tags and CircleCI's build number variable, providing flexibility in version control. The guide emphasizes best practices for managing Docker Hub credentials securely and outlines methods to ensure images are properly tagged and published, thereby simplifying the deployment process.

The text provides a comprehensive guide on deploying a Python web application to Google Cloud using a fully automated CI/CD pipeline with CircleCI, Docker, and Terraform. It details the process of setting up a pipeline that builds a Docker image of the application, pushes it to Docker Hub, and then provisions the necessary cloud infrastructure using Terraform, all executed from CircleCI without requiring local Terraform installation. By storing Terraform's state in Google Cloud Storage and leveraging service account authentication through CircleCI environment variables, the approach ensures secure, reliable, and reproducible deployments. The tutorial emphasizes the integration of infrastructure as code principles and highlights the benefits of using remote state management and automated workflows for cloud deployments. Additionally, it suggests exploring advanced features like gated deployments and multi-environment pipelines, pointing readers to further resources for expanding their CI/CD capabilities.

CircleCI has developed an engineering competency matrix to support the growth and development of engineers at all levels, aiming to foster an inclusive and consistent culture within the organization. The matrix serves as a framework for setting expectations, defining job descriptions, and guiding interviews while facilitating objective performance evaluations and career growth discussions. Initially created when CircleCI was a small startup, the matrix has evolved to reflect the maturation of the company's engineering practices, placing emphasis on interpersonal skills such as collaboration and communication. The updated matrix, which includes levels from Associate to Principal Engineer, is designed to be approachable, consistent, and simple, allowing engineers to focus on both technical and leadership skills. It supports diverse career paths, recognizing that not all engineers aspire to management roles, and encourages leadership development at all levels. The matrix is a guideline rather than a strict checklist, accommodating deviations to promote growth opportunities and mentoring. CircleCI plans to review and revise the matrix periodically based on feedback and alignment with organizational goals.

Percy offers a visual testing and review solution designed to help teams ensure their applications appear as expected across different browsers and screens by automating UI checks. The integration of Percy with testing frameworks allows for seamless snapshot generation every time a change is pushed, fitting smoothly into existing CI/CD workflows to prevent visual regressions. By using the Percy CircleCI Orb, tests can run in parallel, and once completed, the orb finalizes builds by consolidating all snapshots. This process involves setting environment variables such as PERCY_TOKEN and PERCY_PARALLEL_TOTAL to facilitate integration and execution. Percy’s tools are adaptable to various front-end frameworks, enhancing visual testing's efficiency and scalability. As a CircleCI Technology Partner, Percy continues to develop their Orb to support future use cases, and they provide resources such as webinars and documentation to assist users in maximizing their visual testing capabilities.