July 2018 Summaries

Codefresh has introduced Codefresh Enterprise, a hybrid solution combining the advantages of on-premise and SaaS offerings to cater to the needs of large enterprises, such as Arm, CBS, and HP, enabling them to efficiently run projects within Kubernetes clusters. This solution allows enterprises to deploy a Codefresh agent in their Kubernetes clusters, offering flexibility without the burden of maintaining a fully on-prem solution, and supports environments like bare metal data centers and cloud providers. Codefresh Enterprise introduces features such as Windows container support, Arm-based runtimes, and a role-based access control system that enhances security and flexibility, allowing users to manage resources and pipelines according to their permission levels. It also includes advanced integration capabilities like single sign-on with systems such as Okta and LDAP, and supports Git platforms like GitHub and Gitlab for authorization. Additional features include mono-repo and multi-git support, along with quick-starts for Amazon EKS and canary deployments using Istio and Helm, offering enterprises a streamlined and efficient toolset for modern software development needs.

Codefresh has launched Codefresh Enterprise, a Kubernetes-native Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) platform that offers advanced deployment options, including support for Windows, Arm builds, and enterprise-grade permissions and authorization. This platform provides a unique hybrid infrastructure that combines the benefits of SaaS with the security of maintaining software on user infrastructure, addressing the challenges enterprises face in managing software installations. Codefresh's solution is noted for significantly accelerating application deployment on Kubernetes, with reported improvements in testing cycles from three days to three hours, enhancing efficiency for development teams. Founded in 2014 and backed by investors such as M12, Microsoft's venture fund, Codefresh has garnered over 20,000 users and is designed specifically for cloud-native technologies like Kubernetes and Helm.

Codefresh has introduced a comprehensive GIT integration interface that allows users to connect multiple accounts from different GIT providers, such as GitHub, Bitbucket, and GitLab, addressing the increasing diversity in code hosting solutions. This new feature enables users, particularly consultants, to manage multiple accounts from the same GIT provider within a single Codefresh account, providing fine-grained security control through tokens with different scopes of privileges. The platform simplifies adding new projects by allowing a mix of projects from both SAAS and hosted locations, regardless of the code's origin. Future enhancements include OAuth support and the ability to create standalone Codefresh accounts without requiring a GIT provider link during signup, highlighting Codefresh's commitment to flexibility and ease of use in CI/CD processes.

This tutorial guides users through deploying an application on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) using Helm packages, Codefresh for CI/CD, and Draft for creating Helm charts. It begins by explaining how to set up a Kubernetes cluster in Azure, detailing the use of Azure's command line tools and the importance of Resource Groups. After establishing the cluster, users are instructed on configuring kubectl for cluster access and integrating the cluster with Codefresh, which provides a dashboard for managing resources and built-in deployment steps. The tutorial then covers creating a registry pull secret for Docker images, installing Helm on the Azure Kubernetes cluster, and using Draft to generate a starter Helm chart. Codefresh's integrated Helm Repository allows for cataloging Helm Charts, and users are shown how to create a Codefresh Pipeline to push Helm Charts to this repository. The tutorial concludes by demonstrating how to automate Helm Chart deployment within a CI/CD pipeline, explaining the rollback capabilities Helm offers, and highlighting the ability to manage deployments via the Codefresh GUI.

Codefresh has introduced a redesigned Git trigger dialog that allows users to control pipeline triggers based on specific file changes, enhancing the management of monorepos. This feature, available for projects using GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, and Bitbucket Server, addresses challenges associated with monorepos by enabling pipelines to trigger only when changes occur in designated folders or files, thus reducing unnecessary builds and maintaining efficiency in continuous integration processes. This approach is particularly beneficial for projects utilizing microservices or serverless architectures, as it allows for more granular control and flexibility, supporting the deployment of individual components while housed within a single repository. The new functionality promises to streamline operations by minimizing redundant builds and facilitating easier management of complex codebases, offering significant advantages over traditional CI solutions in handling monorepos.

The text discusses the development and deployment of serverless applications using AWS Lambda and the Serverless Framework, emphasizing the importance of effective CI/CD pipelines. It outlines the advantages of serverless architecture, such as reduced operational overhead and scalability, while highlighting the challenges of managing serverless code and microservices. The text contrasts two approaches to code management—mono repositories and micro repositories—and stresses the need for CI/CD tools that can support these strategies. It advocates for the use of Codefresh, a Docker-centric CI/CD platform, which supports both mono and micro repositories and facilitates integration with various serverless platforms. The document also provides detailed steps for setting up CI/CD pipelines for development and production environments, including unit and integration testing, deployment, and resource cleanup. The importance of writing testable code and maintaining effective testing practices is underscored, alongside the benefits of using the Serverless Framework for consistent multi-cloud deployments.