Creating items with CasC for the operations center

Configuration as Code allows you to create items if the items.yaml file is included in the configuration bundle.

You can export individual CasC items or export all item configurations from an existing instance. However, the exported file should only be used as a starting point, as it may require modifications and adjustments to make it production-ready. For more information, refer to Exports of individual CasC items and Exporting a CasC configuration.

Supported items using CasC

The following items are supported using CasC. You must install the prerequisite CloudBees Jenkins Platform software and plugins based on the item type you are creating.

If using RBAC to define roles and groups for items, you must also install the Configuration as Code plugin and Operations Center Server Role Based Access Control plugin.

Table 1. Supported item types and prerequisites
Item type	Prerequisites
Folders with limited fields	If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.289.3.2 - 2.303.3.3: CloudBees CasC API Plugin (Deprecated), version 1.14 - 1.41 If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.319.1.5 or later: CloudBees CasC Items Commons Plugin, version 1.0 or later
Folders with extended fields (recommended)	If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.303.1.5 - 2.303.3.3: CloudBees CasC API Plugin (Deprecated), version 1.24 - 1.41 If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.319.1.5 or later: CloudBees CasC Items Commons Plugin, version 1.0 or later
Freestyle jobs	If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.303.1.5 - 2.303.3.3: CloudBees CasC API Plugin (Deprecated), version 1.24 - 1.41 If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.319.1.5 or later: CloudBees CasC Items Commons Plugin, version 1.0 or later
Cluster operations	If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.303.3.3: CloudBees CasC API Plugin (Deprecated), version 1.41 If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.319.1.5 or later: CloudBees CasC Items Server Plugin, version 1.1 or later
Client controller	If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.303.1.5 - 2.303.3.3: CloudBees CasC API Plugin (Deprecated) version, 1.24 - 1.41 If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.319.1.5 or later: CloudBees CasC Items Server Plugin, version 1.1 or later
Shared agent	CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.319.2.5 CloudBees CasC Items Server Plugin, version 1.7 or later
Shared cloud	CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.319.2.5 CloudBees CasC Items Server Plugin, version 1.7 or later
Backup	If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.303.3.3: CloudBees CasC API Plugin (Deprecated), version 1.41 If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.319.1.5 or later: CloudBees CasC Items Commons Plugin, version 1.0 or later.

Example CasC configuration bundle with items

Example bundle.yaml file

id: "bundle-1"
version: "1"
apiVersion: "1"
description: "My CloudBees Configuration as Code (CasC) bundle"
jcasc:
  - "jenkins.yaml"
jcascMergeStrategy: "errorOnConflict"
plugins:
  - "plugins.yaml"
items:
  - "items.yaml"
rbac:
  - "rbac.yaml"
variables:
  - "variables.yaml"

Example jenkins.yaml file

jenkins:
  systemMessage: "Operations center configured using CloudBees CasC"
  numExecutors: 0
    securityRealm:
    ldap:
      configurations:
      - displayNameAttributeName: "cn"
        groupMembershipStrategy:
          fromGroupSearch:
            filter: "member={0}"
        groupSearchBase: "ou=Groups"
        inhibitInferRootDN: false
        managerDN: "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=org"
        managerPasswordSecret: ${LDAP_MANAGER_PASSWORD}
        rootDN: "dc=example,dc=org"
        server: "ldap://ldap-openldap:389"
        userSearchBase: "ou=People"
      disableMailAddressResolver: false
      groupIdStrategy: "caseInsensitive"
      userIdStrategy: "caseInsensitive"
  authorizationStrategy: "cloudBeesRoleBasedAccessControl" (1)
security:
  securitySettingsEnforcement:
    global:
      realmAndAuthorization:
        canCustomMapping: false
        canOverride: true
        defaultMappingFactory: "restrictedEquivalentRAMF"
  controllerExecutorCount:
    enforce:
      canOverride: false
      count: 0
cloudBeesCasCServer:
  visibility: true (2)
unclassified:
  location:
    url: https://operations-center:8888/ (3)
  bundleStorageService: (4)
    activated: true
    activeBundle:
      name: "local-folder"
      retriever:
        SCM:
          scmSource:
            git:
              id: "acf88621-05a0-4d50-9166-d7767868dc43"
              remote: "https://github.com/my-company/repo.git"
              traits:
              - "gitBranchDiscovery"
    pollingPeriod: 0
    purgeOnDeactivation: false

1	Required to use CloudBees RBAC configured using CasC.
2	Optional if using the `items.yaml` file to create a controller item. When `visibility` is set to `true`, all CasC bundles that do not have an availability pattern defined can be used by any controller. This option provides more flexibility, but is less secure.
3	Required to create client controller items. The `url` is the operations center URL.
4	Required if using a local folder on the operations center server or an SCM tool as the Configuration as Code bundle location.

Example plugins.yaml file

plugins:
  # In CAP
  - id: "cloudbees-casc-client"
  - id: "cloudbees-casc-items-api"
  - id: "cloudbees-casc-items-commons"
  - id: "cloudbees-casc-items-server"
  - id: "configuration-as-code"
  - id: "operations-center-rbac"

Example items.yaml file

If creating a new controller item, refer to Creating a new controller item using CasC for the operations center.
By default, Shared Agent and Shared Cloud items are configured to be taken online. To configure the Shared Agent or Shared Cloud item to be taken offline, add the takeOnline property to the items.yaml and set it to false. For example: takeOnline: false.

removeStrategy:
  items: "none"
  rbac: "sync"

items:
  - kind: "folder"
    name: project-${team_group}
    displayName: "Project Alpha"
    description: "Project Alpha is going to change the world!"
    properties:
      - folderCredentialsProperty:
          folderCredentials:
            - credentials:
                - usernamePassword:
                    password: ${secret_location}
                    scope: GLOBAL
                    description: description
                    id: test-id
                    usernameSecret: false
                    username: test-user
              domain: {}
    groups:
      - name: "Project Alpha Developers"
        members:
          external_groups:
            - ldap-project-${team_group}
        roles:
          - name: "developer"
    items: (1)
      - kind: "folder"
        name: "project-alpha-tests"
        displayName: "Project Alpha Tests"
        items:
          - kind: "folder"
            name: "test-1"
          - kind: "folder"
            name: "test-2"
  - kind: "folder"
    name: "project-beta"
    displayName: "Project Beta"
    description: "Secret project! Only Admins can see this!"
    filteredRoles: (2)
      - "developer"
      - "browser"

1	Items can be nested within other items, enabling users to create a folder structure.
2	Roles can be filtered, for example to allow only administrators to view certain projects.

removeStrategy:
  items: "none"
  rbac: "sync"

items: (1)
  - kind: "folder"
    name: project-${team_group}
    displayName: "Project Alpha"
    description: "Project Alpha is going to change the world!"
    groups:
      - name: "Project Alpha Developers"
        members:
          external_groups:
            - ldap-project-${team_group}
        roles:
          - name: "developer"
    items:
      - kind: "folder"
        name: "project-alpha-tests"
        displayName: "Project Alpha Tests"
        items:
          - kind: "folder"
            name: "test-1"
          - kind: "folder"
            name: "test-2"
    properties:
      - envVars:
          vars:
            FOO: "BAR"
            BAR: "BAZ"
      - folderLibraries:
          libraries:
            - libraryConfiguration:
                implicit: false
                allowVersionOverride: true
                retriever:
                  modernSCM:
                    scm:
                      github:
                        traits:
                          - gitHubBranchDiscovery:
                              strategyId: 1
                          - gitHubPullRequestDiscovery:
                              strategyId: 1
                          - gitHubForkDiscovery:
                              trust:
                                gitHubTrustEveryone: {}
                              strategyId: 1
                        repoOwner: "company"
                        id: "library-id"
                        repository: "project-alpha"
                        configuredByUrl: true
                        repositoryUrl: "https://github.com/company/project-alpha"
                name: "my-library"
                includeInChangesets: true
      - folderCredentialsProperty:
          folderCredentials:
            - credentials:
                - usernamePassword:
                    password: ${secret_location}
                    scope: GLOBAL
                    description: description
                    id: test-id
                    usernameSecret: false
                    username: test-user
              domain: {}
      - itemRestrictions:
          allowedTypes:
            - "org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.job.WorkflowJob"
            - "hudson.matrix.MatrixProject"
            - "hudson.model.FreeStyleProject"
            - "com.cloudbees.hudson.plugins.modeling.impl.jobTemplate.JobTemplate"
            - "com.cloudbees.hudson.plugins.folder.Folder"
            - "com.cloudbees.hudson.plugins.modeling.impl.builder.BuilderTemplate"
            - "com.cloudbees.hudson.plugins.modeling.impl.auxiliary.AuxModel"
            - "org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.multibranch.WorkflowMultiBranchProject"
            - "com.cloudbees.hudson.plugins.modeling.impl.publisher.PublisherTemplate"
            - "com.cloudbees.hudson.plugins.modeling.impl.folder.FolderTemplate"
            - "com.infradna.hudson.plugins.backup.BackupProject"
          filter: true
    items:
      - kind: "freeStyle"
        name: "project-alpha-freestyle"
        displayName: "Freestyle job in the Project Alpha folder"
  - kind: "folder"
    name: "project-beta"
    displayName: "Project Beta"
    description: "Secret project! Only Admins can see this!"
    filteredRoles: (2)
      - "developer"
      - "browser"

1	Items can be nested within other items, enabling users to create a folder structure.
2	Roles can be filtered, for example to allow only administrators to view certain projects.

removeStrategy:
  items: "none"
  rbac: "sync"

items:
  - kind: "freeStyle"
    name: "project-alpha-freestyle"
    displayName: "Project Alpha Freestyle"
    description: "This is Project Alpha's Freestyle job!"
    disabled: false
    scm:
      gitSCM:
        extensions:
          - checkoutOption:
              timeout: 4
        gitTool: git
        userRemoteConfigs:
          - userRemoteConfig:
              name: "developer-a"
              credentialsId: "credentials-id"
              url: "git@github.com:company/project-alpha.git"
        browser:
          githubWeb:
            repoUrl: "https://github.com/company/project-alpha"
        doGenerateSubmoduleConfigurations: false
        branches:
          - branchSpec:
              name: "*/main"
    buildDiscarder:
      logRotator:
        artifactDaysToKeep: 3
        daysToKeep: 1
        numToKeep: 2
        artifactNumToKeep: 4
    scmCheckoutStrategy:
      standard: { }
    builders:
      - shell:
          command: "pwd"

removeStrategy:
  items: "none"
  rbac: "sync"

items:
  - kind: clusterOpProject
    name: "project-alpha-cluster-operations"
    displayName: "Project Alpha - Cluster operations"
    description: "These are Project Alpha's cluster operations!"
	disabled: false
    concurrentBuild: true
	operations:
      - masterClusterOperation:
          failureMode: IMMEDIATELY
          clusterOpSteps:
            - backupClusterOpStep:
                subjects:
                  - buildRecordSubject: {}
                  - jobConfigurationSubject: {}
                format:
                  zipFormat: {}
                retentionPolicy:
                  exponentialDecayRetentionPolicy: {}
                safeDelaySeconds: 10
                store:
                    s3Store:
                        bucketName: ' mybucket'
                        sse: true
                        bucketFolder: somefolder
                        credentialsId: 'my-aws-credentials-id'
                        region: us-east-1
          timeoutSeconds: 0
          itemSource:
              jenkinsRootItemSource: {}
          filters:
            - isMasterOnlineFilter: {}
          inParallel: 0
          noRetries: 0

removeStrategy:
  items: "none"
  rbac: "sync"

items:
  - kind: clientController
    displayName: "client-controller-beta"
    name: "client-controller-beta"
    description: "This is Project Beta's client controller!"
    groups:
      - name: "Project Beta Developers"
        members:
          users:
            - developer-1
        roles:
          - name: developer
    properties:
    - configurationAsCode:
        bundle: bundle-2
    - healthReporting:
        enabled: false
    - owner:
        delay: 5
        owners: ''
    - envelopeExtension:
          allowExceptions: false
    - sharedConfigurationOptOut:
          optOut: false
    - licensing:
        strategy:
          perUserLicensingStrategy: {}
    - webSocket:
        enabled: true

removeStrategy:
  items: "none"
  rbac: "sync"

items:
  - kind: "sharedAgent"
    displayName: "Shared Agent for this cluster"
    name: "shared-agent-1"
    description: "Shared Agent for this cluster"
    remoteFS: "/tmp/remote"
    properties:
      - sharedAgent:
          customizers:
            - envVars:
                value:
                  SKIP_RELEASE: "TRUE"
                  JENKINS_VERSION: "2.303"
            - toolLocation:
                value:
                  - name: "git"
                    type: "git"
                    home: "/usr/local/git"
                  - name: "maven3"
                    type: "mvn"
                    home: "/usr/local/mvn"
    labels: "ubuntu"
    launcher:
      inboundAgent:
        webSocket: true
        workDirSettings:
          remotingWorkDirSettings:
            internalDir: "/path/to/directory"
            disabled: false
            failIfWorkDirIsMissing: true
            workDirPath: "/path/to/directory"
        agentStartupOptions: "-noCertificateCheck"
        vmargs: "-Xms2G -Xmx2G"
        tunnel: "192.1.1.45:22"
    mode: EXCLUSIVE
    numExecutors: 10
    retentionStrategy:
      sharedNodeRetentionStrategy: {}

removeStrategy:
  items: "none"
  rbac: "sync"

items:
  - kind: "sharedCloud"
    displayName: "Shared Cloud for this cluster"
    name: "shared-cloud-1"
    description: "Shared Cloud for this cluster"
    properties:
      - sharedCloud:
          customizers:
            - envVars:
                value:
                  SKIP_RELEASE: "TRUE"
                  JENKINS_VERSION: "2.303"
            - toolLocation:
                value:
                  - name: "git"
                    type: "git"
                    home: "/usr/local/git"
                  - name: "maven3"
                    type: "mvn"
                    home: "/usr/local/mvn"
    cloud:
      inboundAgents:
        mode: EXCLUSIVE
        numExecutors: 10
        remoteFS: "/path/to/directory"
        labels: "ubuntu"
        launcher:
          inboundAgent:
            webSocket: true
            workDirSettings:
              remotingWorkDirSettings:
                internalDir: "/path/to/directory"
                disabled: false
                failIfWorkDirIsMissing: true
                workDirPath: "/path/to/directory"
            agentStartupOptions: "-noCertificateCheck"
            vmargs: "-Xms2G -Xmx2G"
            tunnel: "192.1.1.45:22"

removeStrategy:
  items: "none"
  rbac: "sync"

items:
  - kind: backupAndRestore
    name: project-alpha-backup
    displayName: "Project Alpha backup"
    description: "This is Project Alpha's backup job!"
    buildersList:
      - backupBuilder:
          subjects:
            - buildRecordSubject:
                excludes: foo
            - jobConfigurationSubject:
                excludes: bar
            - systemConfigurationSubject:
                excludes: baz
                omitMasterKey: true
          format:
            zipFormat: {}
          exclusive: false
          store:
            s3Store:
              bucketName: bucket
              sse: true
              bucketFolder: bucketFolder
              credentialsId: testCredential
              region: us-east-1
          retentionPolicy:
            exponentialDecayRetentionPolicy: {}
          safeDelaySeconds: 42
    label: agent-for-backup
    triggers:
      - cron:
          spec: 0 0 * * *
    buildDiscarder:
      logRotator:
        numToKeep: 5

Example rbac.yaml file

removeStrategy:
  rbac: "SYNC" (1)

roles:
  - name: administer
    permissions:
      - hudson.model.Hudson.Administer
  - name: developer
    permissions:
      - hudson.model.Hudson.Read
      - hudson.model.Item.Read
      - hudson.model.Item.Create
      - hudson.model.Item.Configure
    filterable: "true" (2)
  - name: browser
    permissions:
    - hudson.model.Hudson.Read
    - hudson.model.Item.Read
    filterable: "true"
  - name: authenticated
    filterable: "true"
    permissions:
    - hudson.model.Hudson.Read

groups:
  - name: Administrators
    roles:
      - name: administer
        grantedAt: current (3)
    members:
      users:
        - admin
      external_groups:
        - ${external_admin_group}
  - name: Developers
    roles: (4) (5)
      - name: developer
    members:
      users:
        - developer
      internal_groups:
        - "some-other-group"
      external_groups:
        - "ldap-cb-developers"
  - name: Browsers
    roles:
      - name: browser
    members:
      users:
        - read

1	For security reasons, SYNC is here to remove groups/roles from CloudBees Continuous Integration when they are removed from this file.
2	If filterable is not included, the default value is “false”.
3	Other options that could be used here include: "child" or "grandchild".
4	If propagates is not included, the default value is "true".
5	If grantedAt is not included, the default value is "current".

Example variables.yaml file

  variables:
    - key: value
    - long_text: |-
        multiline string without
        quotes
    - another: text
    - team_name: Team Alpha
    - team_group: alpha
    - external_admin_group: ldap-cb-admins

Exports of individual CasC items

You can export an existing item as a YAML snippet and add it to the items.yaml file. However, the exported item should only be used as a starting point, as it may require modifications and adjustments to make it production-ready.

Exporting an individual CasC item is not supported for the auto-generated children of folder-type items for Multibranch Pipeline jobs, GitHub Organizations, and Bitbucket Teams/Projects.

Prerequisites

The following software and plugins must be installed to export the item:

If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.303.3.3: CloudBees CasC API Plugin (Deprecated), version 1.41 or later
If using CloudBees Jenkins Platform 2.319.1.5 or later:
- For controllers:
  - CloudBees CasC Items API Plugin, version 1.1.1 or later
  - CloudBees CasC Items Commons Plugin, version 1.0 or later
  - CloudBees CasC Items Controller Plugin, version 1.1 or later
- For operations center:
  - CloudBees CasC Items API Plugin, version 1.1.1 or later
  - CloudBees CasC Items Commons Plugin, version 1.0 or later
  - CloudBees CasC Items Server Plugin, version 1.1 or later

Exporting the CasC item

To export a CasC item:

Verify you are signed in to the operations center as a user with the Administer permission.
Create a new item in the UI and configure it. Skip this step if you have an existing item that is already configured.
From the operations center dashboard, select the item and then select Export CasC item in the left pane.
From the Export CasC item screen, select Download YAML to export the item as a YAML snippet.
Add the exported YAML snippet to your items.yaml file.
Add the removeStrategy, items, and rbac required properties to your items.yaml file, if not already present. For more information, refer to items.yaml.
If you created a new item in the UI and it is no longer needed, you can delete it.

Creating a new controller item using CasC for the operations center

You can export the current configuration for the operations center to create a new controller item using CasC. The following steps assume:

You have set up an operations center instance and configured it using CasC.
You have set up a controller.

If the controller is configured using CasC, you have also created a controller CasC bundle, added the CasC bundle to the operations center, and configured the controller bundle availability.

If the controller is configured using a CasC bundle, you can add the cloudBeesCasCServer property to the operations center jenkins.yaml file. When the visibility is set to true, all CasC bundles that do not have an availability pattern defined can be used by any controller. This option provides more flexibility, but is less secure.

The credentials from the operations center cannot be used during the initial startup of the controller. If the credentials are required during the initial startup of the controller before the connection has been created, you must define the credentials in the controller.

Adding a client controller item to the operations center CasC bundle

To add a client controller item to the operations center CasC bundle:

Ensure you are signed in to the operations center as a user with the Administer permission.
Export the current configuration from the operations center.
Open the operations center items.yaml file from the exported configuration.
Copy the clientController item from the exported configuration and paste it into the items.yaml file in the operations center CasC bundle.
Specify a unique name for the controller. For example:
```
    name: "client-controller-beta"
```
If configuring the controller to use CasC, specify the CasC bundle that should be assigned to the controller. For example:
```
      - configurationAsCode:
          bundle: bundle-2
```
You must add the operations center URL to the jenkins.yaml file to create client controllers. Open the operations center jenkins.yaml file in the operations center CasC bundle and add the location properties to it. For example:
```
unclassified:
  location:
    url: https://operations-center:8888/
```
Update the operations center CasC bundle.

Select Reload Configuration to apply the new configuration without restarting the operations center.
From the operations center dashboard, select the down arrow to the right of your controller’s name, and then select Configure.

Figure 1. Controller dropdown menu
Verify the controller settings are correct. If you assigned a CasC bundle to the controller, scroll down to Configuration as Code (CasC) and verify the controller CasC bundle that you specified in the operations center items.yaml file is assigned to the controller.
Download the casc-bundle-link.yml file.
Configure the client controller with the casc-bundle-link.yml file.