Setting Up Your First Deployment Pipeline with RazorOps

Deploying applications efficiently and reliably is a cornerstone of modern software development. RazorOps, a robust CI/CD platform, simplifies this process by automating your build, test, and deployment workflows. Here’s how you can set up your first deployment pipeline with RazorOps:

1. Sign Up and Create a Project

  • Step 1: Visit RazorOps and sign up for an account.
  • Step 2: Once logged in, create a new project by connecting RazorOps to your Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket).
  • Step 3: Choose the repository you want to integrate.

2. Create the .razorops.yaml Configuration File

The .razorops.yaml file defines the stages of your CI/CD pipeline. Here’s a simple example for a Node.js application:

# spec version (v1/v2)
version: v2
global: # defines default properties for the `tasks`
  runner:
    os_image: ubuntu # use Linux-VM build environment to run the tasks
  variables: # environment variables to be injected into each task
  - CGO_ENABLED=0
  - GOOS=linux
  - GOARCH=amd64
  - GOFLAGS=-mod=vendor
  - LD_FLAGS=-w -s

tasks:
  unit-tests: # first task
    steps:
    - checkout  # clone the git repo

    # It tries to pull cached content by calculating an unique key.
    - cache/pull: go-dep-

    # fetch code dependencies ( uses go modules )
    - name: Download dependencies
      run: go mod vendor

    - name: Execute test suite
      commands:
      - GO_PACKAGES=$(go list ./... | grep -v vendor)
      ## run tests cases and generate reports
      - go test -coverprofile=coverage.out $GO_PACKAGES
      - mkdir coverage && go tool cover -html=coverage.out -o coverage/index.html

    # publish code dependencies with an unique key to speedup the next build 
    - cache/push:
        key: go-dep-
        paths: [~/go/pkg/mod]
    # upload coverage report to view it later in Dashboard
    - reports/html:
        name: cover
        dir: coverage/index.html

  compile: # second task (compile and unit-tests will start in parallel)
    steps:
    # clone git repo
    - checkout

    # restore cache if available
    - cache/pull: go-dep-

    # download missing dependencies
    - run: go mod vendor

    # compile package
    - commands:
      - go build -ldflags "$LD_FLAGS" -o hack/dist/api ./cmd/server

    # persist files needed for deploy task
    - workspace/persist:
        paths: [hack, Dockerfile.ci]

  deploy:
    when: branch == 'develop' # only run if code is pushed to develop branch
    depends: [unit-tests, compile] # wait for compile and unit-tests to finish
    steps:
    # download the files persisted from upstream tasks (compile)
    - workspace/attach

    # build and push a Docker image. You will need to add the credentials in Dashboard
    - docker/build:
        image: us.gcr.io/demo/api
        tags: ["${CI_COMMIT_SHA:0:8}", "${CI_REPO_BRANCH}", "latest"]
        dockerfile: Dockerfile.ci
        context: hack
        push: true

    # deploy on kubernetes cluster `example`, You need to add the credentials in Dashboard
    - name: Update image using kubectl 
      commands:
      - DOCKER_IMAGE=us.gcr.io/demo/api:${CI_COMMIT_SHA:0:8}

      - kubectl config use-context example
      - kubectl set image deployment/api api=$DOCKER_IMAGE

Replace the placeholders ($SERVER_PASSWORD, $SERVER_USER, $SERVER_IP) with your actual server details.

Explore Our Docs for More details

3. Add Environment Variables

  • Navigate to the RazorOps dashboard.
  • Go to the Environment Variables section for your project.
  • Add variables like:
    • SERVER_IP
    • SERVER_USER
    • SERVER_PASSWORD

4. Commit and Push the Configuration

  • Add the .razorops.yaml file to the root of your repository.
  • Commit and push the file to trigger RazorOps.
git add .razorops.yaml
git commit -m "Add RazorOps configuration"
git push origin main

5. Monitor the Pipeline

  • Head back to the RazorOps dashboard.
  • Monitor the stages of your pipeline (build, test, deploy).
  • Fix any errors that occur during execution.

6. Validate the Deployment

  • Verify that your application is running on the target server.
  • Test the deployed application to ensure it meets expectations.

Tips for Success

  • Start small: Begin with a simple pipeline and gradually add complexity.
  • Use caching: Speed up your builds by caching dependencies.
  • Integrate tests: Ensure high-quality deployments by running automated tests.
  • Secure credentials: Use RazorOps’ secrets manager for sensitive information.

By following these steps, you can quickly set up your first deployment pipeline with RazorOps. Whether you’re deploying to a cloud provider or an on-premise server, RazorOps provides the tools you need to streamline your development workflow.