What is Jenkins: Purpose, Advantages and Disadvantages

What is Jenkins?

Jenkins is a Java-based continuous integration technology that enables continuous development, testing, and deployment of new code.

Jenkins was created as a build and release tool by the community. It’s a server-based application that necessitates the use of a web server such as Apache Tomcat. Jenkins enables users to create and test projects on a regular basis, making it easier for developers to make changes to the project and for users to get a new build.

This article will cover the basic aspects of what is Jenkins, the purpose of using it, and the advantages and the disadvantages.

What is continuous integration?

Continuous integration is a process for integrating all of a project’s code changes made by several developers. After a commit, the code is thoroughly tested to ensure that it is error- and bug-free.

Because the development team is made up of different people, there is a potential that multiple commits will contain bugs. It’s easier to catch these bugs early with CI than it is with manual testing tools. A build is a process of combining all of the code into a single executable form. If this build is green, the code that has been performed is ready to be deployed. Otherwise, the team will have to fix the bug and start over from the beginning.

Because this is a continuous process, the moniker “continuous integration” or “continuous deployment” was chosen.

Furthermore, the Jenkins community is the tool’s backbone. This amazing community backs the project and contributes significantly to its success. Jenkins has developed in leaps and bounds since its inception. Jenkins has millions of downloads and active users at the moment.

What is the purpose of Jenkins?

Jenkins, a continuous integration platform, aids development teams in identifying issues early in a project’s lifecycle and automating the integration of new code. CI/CD is a key aspect of the DevOps process, and it’s used by everyone from startups to the world’s largest software businesses.

Jenkins’ actual contribution to the development process is as follows:

Developers start contributing work to Jenkins’ repository, which is checked on a regular basis.
Jenkins compiles the code if there is a change in it.
If a build fails, the developer will be contacted.
The code is deployed to production if the build is successful.
The enormous number of plugins is also beneficial because it allows for a great deal of customization. Overall, it’s highly adaptable and may be used in a variety of settings. You can also plan tests based on specific events and determine the frequency of these tests with Jenkins. The test does not have to be conducted manually.

Advantages:

With Jenkins, you’ll get a lot of help. As you can see, it is the most widely used open-source server, therefore you will receive agile teams from all over the world to help you with your problems.
The users encounter a variety of problems along the way. Such issues are quickly resolved, allowing the software to remain in a state where it may be released at any moment with complete confidence.
The majority of the integration work is automated. As a result, there are fewer integration issues. This also helps to save money and time during the project’s path.
The coding problems can be detected as soon as feasible by the engineers. This prevents them from having to deal with large-scale, error-prone integrations.

Disadvantages:

Jenkins’ management is a tough nut to crack. It runs on a server and requires server administrator abilities to keep track of all of its actions.
When compared to contemporary UI trends, it lacks user-friendliness in some areas.
Jenkins installation and configuration is a time-consuming operation.
When the settings are changed, the continuous integration pipeline breaks. The integration comes to a halt, and the developer must intervene.