April 2020 Summaries

CircleCI is a continuous integration platform that enables defining pipelines as code using YAML configurations, facilitating the execution of jobs on Docker containers or virtual machines. Among its features, CircleCI supports workflows that execute jobs upon committing code to source control and introduces the concept of orbs, which are reusable chunks of YAML code that help maintain the DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) principle across multiple projects. Orbs can define reusable executors, commands, and jobs for use in workflows, and can be published to share across projects or organizations. The article illustrates the use and creation of orbs, including an inline example for building projects with Cake, and details how to publish these orbs for wider use. Additionally, it introduces the experimental Octopus CLI orb, which integrates CircleCI with Octopus for managing packages, releases, and deployments, showcasing how orbs can reduce duplication and streamline pipeline configurations.

Automated deployment processes in software development are advocated for their numerous benefits, yet only a minority of teams, as indicated by Redgate's 2020 State of Database DevOps Report, have implemented a fully automated system. The reluctance to adopt such systems often stems from the perceived complexity and time investment required to set them up. However, automated deployments reduce errors, enable any team member to initiate releases, free engineers to focus on development, simplify deploying to new environments, and allow for more frequent releases, fostering agile development. Tools like Octopus Deploy can streamline the setup process, integrating easily with existing systems and diminishing the setup time significantly. Chris Smith from Redgate emphasizes these advantages, suggesting that the initial setup effort is outweighed by the long-term operational efficiencies gained.

Ryan Rousseau's blog post details his experience of creating a GitHub Action for his personal blog, which is built with Wyam and hosted on Firebase, as part of the Octopus 2021 Q2 release that introduced native support for GitHub Actions. The workflow he developed reacts to pushes on the master branch and involves several steps, such as checking out the code, generating and packaging the site, and pushing it to an Octopus instance. Key tasks include installing .NET Core, Wyam, and the Octopus CLI, while employing environment files for setting package versions. The post highlights the intuitive process of creating workflows in GitHub and the advantages of using GitHub Actions combined with Octopus CLI for seamless continuous integration and deployment, ensuring repeatable and reliable deployments.

Atlassian's Bitbucket Pipelines, a cloud-based continuous integration service, utilizes Docker containers to manage infrastructure as code, offering a streamlined way to configure pipelines, especially when integrating third-party tools through Bitbucket Pipes. These Pipes encapsulate reusable code that simplifies pipeline configurations and supports dependencies not required by the main pipeline. The article details the creation and integration of a Pipe for the Octopus CLI command, aimed at packaging applications within a Bitbucket Pipeline and subsequently integrating with Octopus Deploy. It guides users through setting up a Pipe repository, generating a Pipe skeleton using Yeoman, writing Pipe scripts, testing with BATS, and deploying the Pipe using Bitbucket Pipelines and Docker Hub. Additionally, it describes how to automate versioning and release processes while integrating package and build information into Octopus, illustrating the seamless interaction between Bitbucket Pipelines and Octopus Deploy for efficient DevOps workflows.

The blog post by Shawn Sesna provides a comprehensive guide on integrating Jenkins, Octopus Deploy, and Jira to enhance the continuous feedback loop essential in DevOps. It details the process of installing the Octopus Deploy plugin in Jenkins, configuring the Octopus Server connection, and utilizing the Octopus Deploy CLI for build tasks. The article explores setting up a Jenkins build for a Java application, PetClinic, using Maven, and outlines the steps to incorporate source control, package applications, and push build information to Octopus Deploy. It further explains integrating Octopus Deploy with Jira, including setting up the Jira app, configuring the connection, mapping environments, and automating release note creation. The integration allows for seamless tracking of issues from Jira through the CI/CD pipeline, enhancing transparency and communication among developers, operations, and business teams. The post concludes by highlighting the benefits of this integration in providing continuous feedback and encourages readers to watch a webinar for further insights on integrating Atlassian Cloud Pipeline with Octopus Deploy.

Alex Yates discusses the complexities and challenges of managing database security, particularly in the context of SQL Server deployments. He emphasizes the importance of scripting and source-controlling database security elements to improve visibility and facilitate troubleshooting and rollbacks. Yates highlights the difficulty in maintaining consistent security practices across different environments, advocating for Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) as a partial solution. He introduces PowerShell scripts, available on GitHub, designed to automate the deployment of environment-specific security configurations, leveraging tools like Octopus Deploy and dbatools for streamlined automation. These scripts aim to simplify the post-deployment process by exporting user and role data to JSON files, which can then be edited and deployed to the appropriate environments. Yates encourages community collaboration to further enhance these tools, acknowledging similar efforts by others like Stuart Moore. He also reflects on his experience applying DevOps principles to data management and his contributions to the data community, including his role as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and founder of DLM Consultants.

Shawn Sesna's article outlines the process of automating the deployment of SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports using Octopus Deploy. The author emphasizes the importance of automating not just application deployments but also supporting components like SSIS packages and SSRS reports. The process involves building the SSRS project using MSBuild, packaging the built reports into a .nupkg format, and then pushing these artifacts to an Octopus Deploy server. Once on the server, a project is created to deploy the package, followed by a series of steps, including adding a Deploy a Package step and a Community Step template for deploying SSRS reports from a package. The deployment requires specifying various parameters like the SSRS server URLs, report folders, and optionally, backup locations and dataset folders. The article concludes by affirming the simplicity of deploying SSRS reports with Octopus Deploy, aiming to streamline report deployment in a DevOps environment.

Shawn Sesna's article explores the automation of deploying SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) packages and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports using Octopus Deploy, highlighting how these supporting components can be incorporated into traditional application deployment processes. Typically managed manually by database administrators or integration specialists, particularly in production environments, Sesna demonstrates how to automate these tasks by building SSIS projects using Visual Studio and SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), followed by packaging and deploying the resulting artifacts. Despite the lack of out-of-the-box support for building SSIS projects in most build servers, Sesna provides guidance for configuring Azure DevOps, TeamCity, and Jenkins to perform these builds. The process includes packaging the .ispac files into a supported format and pushing them to a repository before configuring an Octopus Deploy project to automate the deployment. By using a worker instead of installing an agent on the SSIS server, the deployment is streamlined, allowing for the deployment of these components alongside typical application deployments, thereby simplifying and enhancing the DevOps process.

Bob Walker discusses a refined process for executing ad-hoc SQL scripts in automated database deployment pipelines using the Operations Runbooks feature in Octopus Deploy, which he finds more efficient compared to previous methods. The new approach simplifies the complexity of running SQL scripts by automating the submission and execution process while ensuring that any scripts requiring manual intervention, such as those that involve schema changes or affect a significant number of records, are flagged for DBA review. By using Octopus Deploy's runbooks, the process benefits from improved auditing and artifact management, enabling a repeatable and streamlined workflow across different environments without the need for extensive manual steps. Walker highlights the importance of transaction wrapping for script executions and outlines a security model that restricts the editing capabilities of runbooks to DBAs while allowing developers to execute them. He expresses satisfaction with the new process's simplicity and maintainability, noting its potential for further enhancements and compliance with retention policies to maintain audit trails.

Bob Walker's article discusses his experiences and insights gained from transitioning his Infrastructure as Code (IaC) processes to use Runbooks in Octopus Deploy, particularly in preparing for the Octopus 2020.1 release webinar. He highlights the challenges and quirks he faced with his initial deployment process, such as managing infrastructure setup and teardown across multiple environments and regions, and the complexity of variable scoping. By splitting his IaC process into two separate Runbooks for spinning up and tearing down infrastructure, he was able to simplify his workflow and eliminate the need for a specific "Teardown" environment, thereby reducing complexity and improving efficiency. Walker also addresses the issue of cloud provider lock-in and the benefits of using third-party tools like Hashicorp's Terraform for a more unified approach across different platforms. He emphasizes the advantages of Runbooks, such as not requiring a release for each run, which provided a cleaner and more streamlined process for managing infrastructure.

Jenkins allows developers to commit their build processes alongside the code using declarative pipelines, but syntax errors in Jenkinsfiles can be frustrating as they are only detected during execution. To address this, Jenkins offers a way to verify Jenkinsfiles before execution, which can be done via command line or IDE plugins like those available in the Atom editor. Configuring Jenkinsfile linting involves setting up a secure SSH connection to the Jenkins server, which requires enabling Jenkins's own SSH server, adding a public key for authentication, and installing necessary plugins like the Pipeline plugin. Within Atom, three packages—language-jenkinsfile, linter-jenkins, and linter-ui-default—must be installed and configured to connect to Jenkins using SSH, allowing developers to quickly detect and fix errors in Jenkinsfiles. This setup reduces feedback time and helps developers achieve successful builds more efficiently after the initial configuration is complete.