Working with pipelines

6 minute read

CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS enables you to create CI/CD pipelines in the UI after configuring your tools in Admin  Settings. In the Orchestration  Pipeline composer UI, use these tools to build pipelines. You may also choose to use a template to build your pipeline. After you have completed your pipeline draft, you can save and enable it to execute. You can also disable a pipeline to keep it from running, without deleting the pipeline.

You can create pipelines in code, instead of using the UI. Refer to Pipeline-as-code for more information.

A pipeline can be in one of four possible states:

  • New: A pipeline draft that is created, but is not yet saved. It may have defined steps.

  • Draft: A saved pipeline with defined steps, but is not yet enabled.

  • Enabled: A saved pipeline with defined steps that is executing, or scheduled to execute, in response to commits.

  • Disabled: A saved pipeline with defined steps that is available to be enabled, but is not executing, or scheduled to execute, in response to commits.

Creating a new pipeline in the UI

You can create a new pipeline in CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS with the Pipeline composer UI.

To create a new pipeline in the UI:

  1. From the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS Home page, select Orchestration  Pipeline composer, and then select Visual at the top of the Pipeline composer screen.

  2. Select New pipeline on the left pane.

  3. On the right pane:

    1. Enter a New pipeline title.

    2. (Optional) Enter a description.

    3. (Optional) Select Developer pipeline, and then select any user emails you want, if you want to share your pipeline.

    4. Select a Group name from the options (if you have not selected Developer pipeline).

    5. (Optional) Select Bug management from the options.

    6. (Optional) Select Project management from the options.

    New pipeline
    Figure 1. Pipeline composer screen with New pipeline highlighted

You have created a new pipeline in the UI, but it is not yet saved. The new pipeline is displayed on the left pane, with a status of New. To save the pipeline, you must first add a step from the tool options.

Adding steps to your pipeline

Select a step from the tool options in the Pipeline composer UI, and configure it.

You cannot save a pipeline that contains only a Trigger step.

To add a step to a pipeline:

  1. From the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS Home page, select Orchestration  Pipeline composer, and then select Visual at the top of the Pipeline composer screen.

  2. Select a pipeline on the left pane. If necessary, select the pipeline group first to display pipelines, and then select the pipeline.

  3. If a pipeline is enabled or disabled, you must first select the lock icon next to the pipeline name.

  4. Select a step from the tool options.

    Tool icon options
    Figure 2. Tool options highlighted
  5. On the right pane, configure the step. Refer to the linked information in the Pipeline composer introduction to learn how to configure a given step.

  6. Select SAVE if the pipeline is new, or select Update if the pipeline has already been saved.

You have added a step to your pipeline.

Creating a new pipeline with a template

You can use a template to create a new pipeline in the UI, and modify it accordingly.

You can download a template in YAML format and use it to define a pipeline in source code. Refer to Pipeline-as-code for more information.

To create a new pipeline in the UI with a template:

  1. From the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS Home page, select Orchestration  Pipeline composer.

  2. Select Templates on the left pane.

  3. Select a template, and then select Start With template on the upper right of the template.

  4. Enter a New pipeline title.

  5. (Optional) Enter a description.

  6. Select a Group name from the options.

  7. Select Create Pipeline.

    New pipeline from template
    Figure 3. Creating a new pipeline with a template

You have created a new pipeline with a template, but it is not yet saved. The new pipeline is displayed on the left pane, with a status of New. To save the pipeline, you must first select each step in the pipeline and configure its settings. You can delete steps, if necessary.

Enabling or disabling a pipeline

When a pipeline is enabled, it is executed in response to commits, or when scheduled. When a pipeline is disabled, it is still available in CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS, but new commits do not cause pipeline execution.

To enable or disable a pipeline:

  1. From the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS Home page, select Orchestration  Pipeline composer.

  2. Select a saved pipeline on the left pane. If necessary, select the pipeline group first to display pipelines, and then select the pipeline.

  3. If a pipeline is enabled or disabled already, you must first select the lock icon next to the pipeline name.

  4. Select ENABLE to enable a draft or disabled pipeline, or select DISABLE to disable an enabled pipeline.

    Disable pipeline
    Figure 4. Disabling a pipeline by selecting the lock icon, and then DISABLE
If another pipeline state change operation is in progress, an error message is displayed, and you must wait two minutes before enabling or disabling your pipeline.

CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS is enabling or disabling your pipeline. As displayed on the left pane, the pipeline status is updated to ENABLED or DISABLED, respectively, when the process is complete.

Accessing or updating a pipeline

You can view existing pipeline steps, add or remove steps, or update the configuration of a step in the UI.

To view settings or modify a pipeline:

  1. From the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS Home page, select Orchestration  Pipeline composer.

  2. Select a pipeline on the left pane. If necessary, select the pipeline group first to display pipelines, and then select the pipeline.

  3. If a pipeline is enabled or disabled, you must first select the lock icon next to the pipeline name.

    Lock icon
    Figure 5. An enabled pipeline with the lock icon highlighted
  4. Select a step in the pipeline to view its configuration, which is displayed on the right pane.

  5. Make any desired updates to the configuration on the right pane, or select the red "X" on the upper-right corner of the step to delete it.

  6. If desired, add a new step from the icon options.

  7. Select Update.

Your pipeline step settings are displayed and your pipeline steps are modified accordingly.

Cloning a pipeline

You can clone an enabled pipeline and then modify it accordingly. You cannot clone a disabled or draft pipeline. The cloned pipeline name is the pipeline name with a suffix of "-copy".

To clone an enabled pipeline:

  1. From the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS Home page, select Orchestration  Pipeline composer.

  2. Select a pipeline on the left pane. If necessary, select the pipeline group first to display pipelines, and then select the pipeline.

  3. If a pipeline is enabled or disabled, you must first select the lock icon next to the pipeline name.

  4. Select Clone.

CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS is cloning your enabled pipeline. When the process is complete, the pipeline list on the left pane updates to include the cloned pipeline in a Cloned Pipeline(s) group.

A cloned pipeline has draft status, and you must select Developer pipeline or a Group name to enable the pipeline.

Deleting a pipeline

When a pipeline is disabled, it is still available in CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS, but new commits do not cause pipeline execution. You can delete a disabled pipeline and remove it from CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS. You can also delete a pipeline draft that you have not yet saved.

You must first add a step to a pipeline definition in order to delete an unsaved pipeline.

To delete an unsaved pipeline:

  1. From the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS Home page, select Orchestration  Pipeline composer.

  2. Select a pipeline on the left pane with status New. If necessary, select the pipeline group first to display pipelines, and then select the pipeline.

  3. Select Cancel.

  4. Select Yes.

Your unsaved pipeline is deleted.

Cancel draft pipeline
Figure 6. To delete a pipeline draft, add a step to expose CANCEL.

To delete a saved pipeline:

  1. From the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS Home page, select Orchestration  Pipeline composer.

  2. Select a saved pipeline on the left pane. If necessary, select the pipeline group first to display pipelines, and then select the pipeline.

  3. If a pipeline is enabled, you must first select the lock icon next to the pipeline name, and then select Disable.

  4. Select DELETE.

  5. Select Yes.

Your pipeline is deleted.