September 2020 Summaries

Kubernetes is a powerful tool for managing distributed systems, but its initial setup can be challenging. The article explores setting up a production-ready Kubernetes cluster using Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) and Terraform, an infrastructure as code (IaC) solution that allows for defining cloud infrastructure configurations. The guide details creating a Terraform configuration to provision an Amazon EKS cluster and an AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), and explains the process of using Terraform commands to deploy and authenticate the cluster. Additionally, it introduces the CircleCI aws-eks orb, a tool that simplifies the creation and management of EKS clusters by automating the process through pre-packaged configuration code. This method is contrasted with the manual Terraform approach, highlighting the efficiency and ease of use that CircleCI offers. The article encourages hands-on experimentation with both methods to better understand Kubernetes cluster creation and management.

The text provides a comprehensive tutorial on setting up continuous integration for Next.js applications, emphasizing the ease of use and production-ready features of the Next.js framework, such as routing, code-splitting, and TypeScript support. It guides developers through creating a new Next.js project, setting up Jest for testing React components, and configuring a continuous integration pipeline using CircleCI to automate tests whenever new code is pushed to a GitHub repository. The tutorial aims to ensure that developers can confidently add new features without the risk of introducing bugs into production, and it concludes by directing readers to a companion piece on continuous deployment for further learning.

Svelte, a JavaScript framework popular among 21% of JavaScript developers, distinguishes itself by compiling JavaScript code during the build step to efficiently update the DOM without relying on a Virtual DOM. This tutorial guides users through creating a continuous integration (CI) pipeline to automate testing for Svelte applications, using CircleCI as an example platform. After setting up a new Svelte project with SvelteKit, incorporating features like TypeScript, ESLint, Prettier, and Vitest, the tutorial demonstrates how to write a simple component and its corresponding tests using the Svelte testing library and jsdom. The tutorial further explains how to automate the testing process by creating a CircleCI configuration file that caches dependencies and runs tests, and it concludes by encouraging the extension of CI practices to include continuous deployment, providing a link to a complete project on GitHub.

The CircleCI command line interface (CLI) tool allows developers to build, validate, and test their pipeline jobs locally, streamlining the development process by reducing unnecessary code commits and resource consumption on the platform. To use the CLI tool effectively, developers need to understand key CircleCI concepts such as pipelines, workflows, executors, jobs, and steps, which are fundamental in composing a CI pipeline configuration. The platform, known for automating continuous integration and delivery tasks, provides feedback on code through a configuration file that dictates how and when actions are performed. While the CLI tool offers capabilities like debugging, validating configurations, and running jobs locally, it has limitations, such as not supporting local execution of entire pipelines or workflows. The tutorial demonstrates creating and testing jobs locally, using environment variables, implementing CircleCI orbs for automation, and handling security vulnerabilities with tools like Snyk, all while emphasizing the importance of maintaining secure and efficient development practices.

CircleCI is celebrating its ninth anniversary and the addition of its one-millionth developer to the platform, marking significant progress since its inception. Over these years, CircleCI has run more than 16,795 cumulative years of builds, reflecting its evolution alongside the SaaS and CI/CD market, which has gained widespread adoption as companies increasingly prioritize automation and continuous delivery. With a focus on addressing the needs of developers, CircleCI has welcomed numerous top-tier enterprise customers and expanded its global presence. The company recently raised $100 million in a Series E funding round, doubling its total funding to $215.5 million, and was named a leader in The Forrester Wave™: Cloud-Native Continuous Integration Tools. CircleCI's innovations include expanding its orb adoption, launching insights API endpoints, and forming strategic partnerships, while also enhancing its ecosystem with a developer hub and achieving multiple AWS designations. Over the last nine years, CircleCI has experienced an 8,000%+ increase in platform usage and expanded its customer base to 128 countries, demonstrating its success as a leader in the CI/CD industry.

The text discusses the challenges and solutions associated with using Amazon's Auto Scaling Groups (ASGs) for managing the server fleet of CircleCI.com, highlighting that the default ASG termination policy is too abrupt for their needs. CircleCI requires a more nuanced approach due to the necessity of graceful shutdowns, as their servers are often running customer builds that must be completed before termination. Instead of relying solely on ASGs, CircleCI developed a custom system to accommodate their predictable usage patterns, involving a combination of AWS services like AWS Lambda, SNS, SSM, and Terraform, to facilitate a more controlled and customizable scaling process. This approach allows CircleCI to offer a pre-packaged, easy-to-configure solution for their Enterprise customers, balancing immediate value with advanced customization capabilities. The solution involves using Lifecycle Hooks for notifications and executing commands for graceful termination, demonstrating the flexibility and adaptability of ASGs when combined with other AWS tools for specific operational requirements.