November 2018 Summaries

Codefresh has enhanced its Continuous Integration capabilities by integrating comprehensive test reporting features into its pipeline processes. This integration supports the execution of unit and integration tests across various programming languages and frameworks using Docker images. Codefresh now offers a pipeline step that generates detailed graphical test reports, leveraging the open-source Allure project to provide historical data and actionable insights for project stakeholders. Users can connect cloud storage providers like Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services to store these reports, facilitating easy access and sharing. Furthermore, Codefresh allows the inclusion of any HTML report, such as security or code quality assessments, making it a versatile platform for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery. This flexibility is achieved by enabling the upload of reports from various tools, with customization options for report folders and index files, thus positioning Codefresh as a central hub for diverse reporting needs.

The article provides a detailed comparison between Docker Desktop and Minikube as local Kubernetes solutions for macOS, highlighting the ease of installation and integration offered by Docker Desktop, which uses the native MacOS virtualization system Hyperkit, and includes an automatic Kubernetes setup. In contrast, Minikube offers more comprehensive Kubernetes support with additional add-ons and driver compatibility, such as VirtualBox, but requires a more complex configuration process. Docker Desktop for Mac is praised for its user-friendly nature and seamless integration with the macOS UI, while Minikube is noted for its versatility and support across different operating systems, making it ideal for users familiar with Kubernetes and Docker who work across multiple OS platforms. Both solutions allow users to deploy applications and manage workloads using the kubectl command line interface, although Minikube's setup benefits from using the Homebrew package manager for easier installation.

Christian Wiens from Anchore discusses the integration of Anchore, an open container compliance platform, with Codefresh to enhance the security and compliance of Docker images through automated scanning and policy management. The article details a process where a Codefresh pipeline is configured to build a Docker image from a Dockerfile, scan it with the Anchore Engine, evaluate it against user-defined policies, and then push it to a Docker registry if it passes the evaluation. This pipeline setup allows for detailed static analysis of container images, providing insights into their contents and enabling governance through customizable policies. It emphasizes the importance of using staging and production registries to manage image deployment securely and suggests setting up environment variables like `ANCHORE_FAIL_ON_POLICY` to control the flow based on policy compliance. The integration is aimed at enhancing security by stopping non-compliant images from being pushed to production, thus ensuring that only certified images are deployed.

Codefresh and Microsoft are collaborating to enhance the integration of Helm repositories within the Azure Container Registry, allowing users to access Azure Helm Repositories directly via Codefresh. This initiative involves a series of steps, such as creating a container registry in the Azure Portal to store Helm charts, integrating it with Codefresh, and then managing these Helm charts through pipelines. Users can push Helm charts to their repositories and install them into Kubernetes clusters, with detailed instructions provided for each step. This integration facilitates seamless deployment and management of applications, demonstrated with the deployment of the HackMD chart as an example. This development aims to streamline the process of publishing and deploying Helm charts for users new to Codefresh, with opportunities to create a free account and explore the features.

The article compares two local Kubernetes development solutions for Linux: Minikube and MicroK8s. Minikube operates a single-node Kubernetes cluster inside a virtual machine, supporting multiple hypervisors and various Kubernetes features, making it suitable for developers familiar with Kubernetes and Docker across different operating systems. In contrast, MicroK8s, developed by Canonical, offers a lightweight, fast Kubernetes installation directly on Linux systems without using a virtual machine, encapsulated in a single snap package for easy management and updates. Both solutions offer similar functionalities, such as deploying services and managing Kubernetes clusters, but MicroK8s provides a more streamlined approach by avoiding the overhead of virtual machines, making it an appealing choice for those seeking a more integrated and isolated setup. The article concludes by inviting readers to share their preferred Kubernetes solutions and reasons for their choices.