In an era of rapidly evolving software that moves too quickly to be thoroughly tested, every startup and enterprise is at risk. That’s why businesses are building CI/CD pipelines to introduce order, pace, and automation into their development and deployment processes. One of these tools is Jenkins, which tends to be an easy pick for many as it is one of the most popular Continuous Integration (CI) tools in place today, and a must-have knowledge for anyone moving into a DevOps world.
This article explains what CI/CD pipeline is, how Jenkins plays a role in it, and how teams can enable more effective and resilient automated software delivery by using a software delivery pipeline.
What Is a CI/CD Pipeline?
A CI/CD pipeline is a collection of processes that enable development teams to build, test and deploy code faster and more reliably. It stands for:
- Continuous Integration (CI): Developers regularly combine code into a shared repository that runs builds and tests automatically.
- Continuous Delivery/Deployment (CD): After successful automated tests, you’ll deliver the code to a staging environment (CD) or you deploy it to production (Continuous Deployment).
Imagine a CI/CD pipeline like an assembly line that makes sure your product is automatically tested, verified, and deployed with little to no manual work.
What Is Jenkins Pipeline?
Jenkins is the world’s most widely used open-source automation server, and the Jenkins pipeline is its model for creating our CI / CD as code. Developers don’t define tasks; they describe a pipeline in a Jenkinsfile via a domain-specific language (DSL) implemented with Groovy.
A basic Jenkins pipeline might look like this:
pipeline {
agent any
stages {
stage(‘Build’) {
steps {
sh ‘npm install’
}
}
stage(‘Test’) {
steps {
sh ‘npm test’
}
}
stage(‘Deploy’) {
steps {
sh ‘./deploy.sh’
}
}
}
}
This file becomes part of your code repository, versioned and updated just like your source code. It offers flexibility, reusability, and a standardized approach to automation.
Benefits of Using Jenkins in a CI/CD Pipeline
Pairing Jenkins with your CI/CD pipeline brings a number of operational benefits:
| Benefit | Description |
| Declarative Pipelines | Easily readable code that defines the entire pipeline process |
| Plugin Ecosystem | Supports hundreds of integrations and tools |
| Scalable Architecture | Master-agent model supports distributed builds |
| Strong Community Support | Rich documentation and active developer base |
However, Jenkins pipelines also come with maintenance overhead, managing plugins, version conflicts, and complex scripting can slow down teams without the right tooling or automation frameworks in place.
Making the Most of Your Pipeline with Automation
Jenkins is good at orchestration but is heavily dependent on other tools for test automation and reporting. Smart test platforms help eliminate this challenge from the testing and qualification landscape. They are key to enabling the smooth inclusion of test design and execution in the pipeline without creating a bottleneck with the automation.
When the test management tool is a plugin of Jenkins and can execute cross-platform test suites and display real-time output for them, it significantly enhances the CI/CD pipeline. Teams that don’t have that type of integration end up being a drag on delivery because their unstable or difficult-to-maintain test cases cause unnecessary delays.
An example is ACCELQ, which lets teams model, automate, and execute tests inside their CI/CD pipeline. Featuring native Jenkins integration and supporting web, API, and mobile testing, it simplifies the process of validating end-to-end tests and eliminates the need for coding. Customer teams on ACCELQ are experiencing less feedback loops and stable releases.
Conclusion
A CI/CD pipeline is a set of automated practices used in the application development process, and Jenkins is one tool of that help create an effective pipeline. When integrating Jenkins pipelines with smart automation and test orchestration, teams can change the way in which they build, test, and ship software.
When establishing new, or scaling out existing practices, in your pipelines, it is critical to move beyond simple automation scripts, to ensure you’re setting your teams up for success to collaborate together, trace through changes, and thrive long-term. With the right tools and approach, the CI/CD pipeline stops being an automating layer and becomes an advantage in the market.
