Azure DevOps Release Pipelines

Step-01: Introduction

• Understand Release Pipelines concept
• Create Release Pipelines to Deploy to Kubernetes Dev, QA, Staging and Prod namespaces
• Add Pre-Deployment email approval for QA, Staging and Prod environment deployments

Azure Kubernetes Service with Azure DevOps and Terraform

Step-02: Create Namespaces

# List Namespaces
kubectl get ns

# Create Namespaces
kubectl create ns dev
kubectl create ns qa
kubectl create ns staging
kubectl create ns prod

# List Namespaces
kubectl get ns

Step-03: Create Service Connections for Dev, QA, Staging and Prod Namespaces in Kubernetes Cluster

Dev Service Connection

• Go to Project -> azure-devops-github-acr-aks-app1 -> Project Settings -> Pipelines -> Service Connections
• Click on New Service Connection
• Choose a service or connection type: kubernetes
• Authentication Method: Azure Subscription
• Username: Azure Cloud Administrator
• Password: Azure Cloud Admin Password
• Cluster: aksdemo2
• Namespace: dev
• Service connection name: dev-ns-k8s-aks-svc-conn
• Description: Dev Namespace AKS Cluster Service Connection
• Security: Grant access permission to all pipelines (default Checked)
• Click on SAVE

QA Service Connection

• Go to Project -> azure-devops-github-acr-aks-app1 -> Project Settings -> Pipelines -> Service Connections
• Click on New Service Connection
• Choose a service or connection type: kubernetes
• Authentication Method: Azure Subscription
• Username: Azure Cloud Administrator
• Password: Azure Cloud Admin Password
• Cluster: aksdemo2
• Namespace: qa
• Service connection name: qa-ns-k8s-aks-svc-conn
• Description: QA Namespace AKS Cluster Service Connection
• Security: Grant access permission to all pipelines (default Checked)
• Click on SAVE

Staging Service Connection

• Go to Project -> azure-devops-github-acr-aks-app1 -> Project Settings -> Pipelines -> Service Connections
• Click on New Service Connection
• Choose a service or connection type: kubernetes
• Authentication Method: Azure Subscription
• Username: Azure Cloud Administrator
• Password: Azure Cloud Admin Password
• Cluster: aksdemo2
• Namespace: staging
• Service connection name: staging-ns-k8s-aks-svc-conn
• Description: Staging Namespace AKS Cluster Service Connection
• Security: Grant access permission to all pipelines (default Checked)
• Click on SAVE

Production Service Connection

• Go to Project -> azure-devops-github-acr-aks-app1 -> Project Settings -> Pipelines -> Service Connections
• Click on New Service Connection
• Choose a service or connection type: kubernetes
• Authentication Method: Azure Subscription
• Username: Azure Cloud Administrator
• Password: Azure Cloud Admin Password
• Cluster: aksdemo2
• Namespace: prod
• Service connection name: prod-ns-k8s-aks-svc-conn
• Description: Production Namespace AKS Cluster Service Connection
• Security: Grant access permission to all pipelines (default Checked)
• Click on SAVE

Step-04: Create Release Pipeline - Add Artifacts

• Release Pipeline Name: 01-app1-release-pipeline

Add Artifact

• Source Type: Build
• Project: leave to default (azure-aks-app1-github-acr)
• Source (Build Pipeline): App1-Pipelines\04-custom2-BuildPushToACR-Publish-k8s-manifests-to-AzurePipelines
• Default Version: Latest (auto-populated)
• Source Alias: leave to default (auto-populated)
• Click on Add

Continuous Deployment Trigger

• Continuous deployment trigger: Enabled

Step-05: Release Pipeline - Create Dev Stage

• Go to Pipelines -> Releases
• Create new Release Pipeline

Create Dev Stage and Test

• Stage Name: Dev
• Create Task
• Agent Job: Change to Ubunut Linux (latest)

Add Task: Create Secret

• Display Name: Create Secret to allow image pull from ACR
• Action: create secret
• Kubernetes service connection: dev-ns-k8s-aks-svc-conn
• Namespace: dev
• Type of secret: dockerRegistry
• Secret name: dev-aksdevopsacr-secret
• Docker registry service connection: manual-aksdevopsacr-svc
• Rest all leave to defaults
• Click on SAVE to save release
• Comment: Dev k8s Create Secret task added

Add Task: Deploy to Kubernetes

• Display Name: Deploy to AKS
• Action: deploy
• Kubernetes Service Connection: dev-ns-k8s-aks-svc-conn
• Namespace: dev
• Strategy: None
• Manifest: Select 01-Deployment-and-LoadBalancer-Service.yml from build artifacts

  # Sample Value for Manifest after adding it
  Manifest: $(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/_04-custom2-BuildPushToACR-Publish-k8s-manifests-to-AzurePipelines/kube-manifests/01-Deployment-and-LoadBalancer-Service.yml
  

• Container: aksdevopsacr.azurecr.io/custom2aksnginxapp1:$(Build.BuildId)
• ImagePullSecrets: dev-aksdevopsacr-secret
• Rest all leave to defaults
• Click on SAVE to save release
• Comment: Dev k8s Deploy task added

Step-06: Verify k8s Deployment Manifest Image

• Review the image value and update it from Container registry if required
• File: kube-manifests/01-Deployment-and-LoadBalancer-Service.yml

      spec:
        containers:
          - name: app1-nginx
            image: aksdevopsacr.azurecr.io/custom2aksnginxapp1
            ports:
              - containerPort: 80
  

Step-07: Check-In Code and Test

• Update index.html

  # Commit and Push
  git commit -am "V11 Commit"
  git push
  

• View Build Logs
• View Dev Release logs
• Access App after successful deployment

  # Get Public IP
  kubectl get svc -n dev
  
  # Access Application
  http://<Public-IP-from-Get-Service-Output>
  

Step-08: Update Deploy to AKS Task with Build.SourceVersion in Release Pipelines

• Go to Release Pipelines -> 01-app1-release-pipeline -> Edit -> Dev Tasks
• Go to Deploy to AKS Task
• Replace

  #Before
  Containers: aksdevopsacr.azurecr.io/custom2aksnginxapp1:$(Build.BuildId)
  
  # After
  Containers: aksdevopsacr.azurecr.io/custom2aksnginxapp1:$(Build.SourceVersion)
  

• Click on SAVE to save release
• Comment: Dev Container Tag changed from Build Id to Build Source Version

Step-09: Check-In Code and Test

• Update index.html

  # Commit and Push
  git commit -am "V12 Commit"
  git push
  

• View Build Logs
• View Dev Release logs
• Access App after successful deployment

  # Get Public IP
  kubectl get svc -n dev
  
  # Access Application
  http://<Public-IP-from-Get-Service-Output>
  

• Verify Github Commit Id on Github Repository and Container Registry

Step-10: Create QA, Staging and Prod Release Stages

• Create QA, Staging and Prod Stages
• Add Email Approvals
• Click on SAVE to save release

Clone Dev Stage to Create QA Stage

• Go to Releases -> 01-app1-release-pipeline -> Edit
• Select Dev Stage -> Add -> Clone Stage
• Stage Name: QA

Task-1: Create Secret

• Kubernetes service connection: qa-ns-k8s-aks-svc-conn
• Namespace: qa
• Secret name: qa-aksdevopsacr-secret
• Click SAVE
• Commit Message: QA Create Secret task updated

Task-2: Deploy to AKS

• Kubernetes service connection: qa-ns-k8s-aks-svc-conn
• Namespace: qa
• ImagePullSecrets: qa-aksdevopsacr-secret
• Click SAVE
• Commit Message: QA Deploy to AKS task updated

Step-11: Check-In Code and Test

• Update index.html

  # Commit and Push
  git commit -am "V13 Commit"
  git push
  

• View Build Logs
• View Dev Release logs
• Access App after successful deployment
• Approve deployment at qa, staging and prod stages

  # Get Public IP
  kubectl get svc -n dev
  kubectl get svc -n qa
  kubectl get svc -n staging
  kubectl get svc -n prod
  kubect get svc --all-namespaces
  
  # Access Application
  http://<Public-IP-from-Get-Service-Output>
  

Step-12: Clean-Up Apps

# Before Clean-Up: List all Pods and Services
kubectl get pod,svc --all-namespaces

# Clean-Up all Apps in Kubernetes
kubectl delete ns dev
kubectl delete ns qa
kubectl delete ns staging
kubectl delete ns prod

# After Clean-Up: List all Pods and Services
kubectl get pod,svc --all-namespaces

References

• Release Pipelines Task - Deploy to Kubernetes

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