Jenkins & Ansible
Tags: jenkins, ansible, deploy, cicd
Published: 2023-03-14 04:38:02

Ansible and Jenkins are two popular tools in the world of DevOps that can be used to automate and streamline various tasks in software development and deployment.

Ansible is an open-source configuration management and automation tool that allows users to automate repetitive tasks, manage complex deployments, and perform configuration management across multiple systems. It uses a simple and powerful YAML-based language for describing automation tasks, which makes it easy to learn and use for both beginners and advanced users. Ansible can be used for tasks such as provisioning infrastructure, deploying applications, managing configurations, and automating routine IT tasks.

Jenkins, on the other hand, is a popular open-source automation server that is used to automate various stages of the software development lifecycle, including building, testing, and deploying applications. Jenkins provides an extensive range of plugins that can be used to integrate with various tools and technologies used in software development, such as Git, Maven, Docker, and many more. This makes it a highly flexible and customizable tool that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of a development team.

Both Ansible and Jenkins are powerful tools that can be used in combination to create a powerful DevOps automation pipeline. For example, Ansible can be used to automate the provisioning of infrastructure, while Jenkins can be used to build, test, and deploy applications on that infrastructure. Using these tools together can help teams to automate complex tasks, reduce errors, and improve overall efficiency in the software development process.

## Example to run Jar on Target Server

Here's an example of how to combine Ansible and Jenkins to deploy a Java jar file to a target server:

1. Set up the environment: Install Ansible on a control machine and configure the target server for SSH access. Install Jenkins on a separate machine, if not already done.
2. Configure Jenkins: Set up a Jenkins project and configure it to use Ansible as the deployment tool. This can be done by installing the Ansible plugin for Jenkins and configuring the plugin to point to the Ansible executable on the control machine.
3. Create a playbook: Write an Ansible playbook that will deploy the Java jar file to the target server. The playbook should include tasks to copy the jar file to the server, install Java if necessary, and start the jar file using the appropriate command. Save the playbook in a file named deploy.yaml.
4. Add the playbook to Jenkins: In the Jenkins project, add a build step that will run the Ansible playbook. This can be done by selecting the "Execute Ansible playbook" option in the build step and specifying the path to the deploy.yaml file.
5. Build the project: Build the Jenkins project, which will trigger the Ansible playbook to be executed. The playbook will copy the jar file to the target server, install Java if necessary, and start the jar file.

```
---
- hosts: target-server
  vars:
    jar_file: myapp.jar
    java_version: 11
  tasks:
    - name: Install Java
      apt:
        name: "openjdk-{{ java_version }}-jdk"
        state: present
    - name: Copy jar file
      copy:
        src: "{{ jar_file }}"
        dest: "/opt/{{ jar_file }}"
    - name: Start jar file
      systemd:
        name: "{{ jar_file }}"
        enabled: yes
        state: started

```
Running the Ansible playbook to deploy the Java jar file can also be automated via a Jenkins pipeline. Here's an example pipeline that includes the deployment step using Ansible:

```
pipeline {
    agent any
    
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                // Build your application here
            }
        }
        stage('Deploy') {
            steps {
                ansiblePlaybook(
                    credentialsId: 'ansible-ssh',
                    inventory: 'path/to/inventory',
                    playbook: 'path/to/deploy.yaml'
                )
            }
        }
    }
}

```
## Conclusion
In conclusion, Ansible and Jenkins are powerful tools that can be used together to automate the deployment of Java jar files to target servers. Ansible provides a simple and powerful language for describing automation tasks, while Jenkins provides a flexible and customizable automation server for building and deploying applications.

Combining Ansible and Jenkins allows teams to automate complex tasks, reduce errors, and improve overall efficiency in the software development process. The Ansible playbook can be executed directly from Jenkins, either through a Jenkins project or a Jenkins pipeline, to deploy the Java jar file to the target server. By using these tools together, teams can streamline their development and deployment process and focus on delivering high-quality software.