Azure DevOps: Complete CI/CD Platform Guide

"Azure DevOps brings together everything you need to build, test, and deploy your applications to any cloud or on-premises environment." - Microsoft Azure Team

🏗️ Azure DevOps Services Overview

1. 📁 Azure Repos (Version Control)

Git repositories with advanced features:

• Git Repositories: Unlimited private Git repos
• Pull Requests: Code review and collaboration
• Branch Policies: Enforce quality gates
• Code Search: Advanced search across repositories

# Clone Azure DevOps repository
git clone https://dev.azure.com/organization/project/_git/repository

# Add Azure DevOps remote
git remote add origin https://dev.azure.com/organization/project/_git/repository

# Push to Azure DevOps
git push -u origin main

2. 🔄 Azure Pipelines (CI/CD)

Powerful CI/CD platform supporting multiple languages and platforms:

📋 Basic YAML Pipeline Structure

# azure-pipelines.yml
trigger:
  branches:
    include:
    - main
    - develop

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

variables:
  buildConfiguration: 'Release'
  dotNetFramework: 'net6.0'
  dotNetVersion: '6.0.x'

stages:
- stage: Build
  displayName: 'Build Stage'
  jobs:
  - job: Build
    displayName: 'Build Job'
    steps:
    - task: UseDotNet@2
      displayName: 'Use .NET SDK'
      inputs:
        version: $(dotNetVersion)
        
    - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
      displayName: 'Restore packages'
      inputs:
        command: 'restore'
        projects: '**/*.csproj'
        
    - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
      displayName: 'Build application'
      inputs:
        command: 'build'
        projects: '**/*.csproj'
        arguments: '--configuration $(buildConfiguration)'

🐳 Docker Integration Pipeline

# Docker build and push pipeline
trigger:
- main

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

variables:
  dockerRegistryServiceConnection: 'myDockerRegistry'
  imageRepository: 'myapp'
  containerRegistry: 'myregistry.azurecr.io'
  dockerfilePath: '$(Build.SourcesDirectory)/Dockerfile'
  tag: '$(Build.BuildId)'

stages:
- stage: Build
  displayName: Build and push stage
  jobs:
  - job: Build
    displayName: Build
    steps:
    - task: Docker@2
      displayName: Build and push Docker image
      inputs:
        command: buildAndPush
        repository: $(imageRepository)
        dockerfile: $(dockerfilePath)
        containerRegistry: $(dockerRegistryServiceConnection)
        tags: |
          $(tag)
          latest

3. 📊 Azure Boards (Project Management)

Agile project management with work item tracking:

• Work Items: User Stories, Tasks, Bugs, Features
• Kanban Boards: Visual workflow management
• Sprint Planning: Scrum and Agile methodologies
• Dashboards: Custom reporting and analytics

4. 🧪 Azure Test Plans (Testing)

Comprehensive testing solutions:

• Manual Testing: Test case management
• Automated Testing: Integration with CI/CD
• Load Testing: Performance testing capabilities
• Test Analytics: Detailed test reporting

5. 📦 Azure Artifacts (Package Management)

Universal package management:

• NuGet Packages: .NET package management
• npm Packages: Node.js package management
• Maven Packages: Java package management
• Python Packages: PyPI package management

🔧 Setting Up Your First Pipeline

Step 1: Create Azure DevOps Organization

Step 2: Set Up Repository

# Initialize repository
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

# Add Azure DevOps remote
git remote add origin https://dev.azure.com/yourorg/yourproject/_git/yourrepo
git push -u origin main

Step 3: Create Build Pipeline

# Complete Node.js pipeline example
trigger:
- main

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

variables:
  nodeVersion: '18.x'

steps:
- task: NodeTool@0
  inputs:
    versionSpec: $(nodeVersion)
  displayName: 'Install Node.js'

- script: |
    npm install
    npm run build
    npm test
  displayName: 'npm install, build and test'

- task: PublishTestResults@2
  condition: succeededOrFailed()
  inputs:
    testRunner: JUnit
    testResultsFiles: '**/test-results.xml'

- task: PublishCodeCoverageResults@1
  inputs:
    codeCoverageTool: Cobertura
    summaryFileLocation: '$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/**/*coverage.xml'

- task: ArchiveFiles@2
  inputs:
    rootFolderOrFile: '$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)'
    includeRootFolder: false
    archiveType: zip
    archiveFile: $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/$(Build.BuildId).zip
    replaceExistingArchive: true

- task: PublishBuildArtifacts@1
  inputs:
    PathtoPublish: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)'
    ArtifactName: 'drop'
    publishLocation: 'Container'

🚀 Advanced Pipeline Patterns

Multi-Stage Pipeline with Environments

trigger:
- main

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

stages:
- stage: Build
  displayName: 'Build Stage'
  jobs:
  - job: Build
    steps:
    - script: echo "Building application"
    - task: PublishBuildArtifacts@1
      inputs:
        pathToPublish: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)'
        artifactName: 'drop'

- stage: DeployDev
  displayName: 'Deploy to Development'
  dependsOn: Build
  condition: succeeded()
  jobs:
  - deployment: DeployDev
    environment: 'development'
    strategy:
      runOnce:
        deploy:
          steps:
          - script: echo "Deploying to Development"
          - task: AzureWebApp@1
            inputs:
              azureSubscription: 'Azure-Connection'
              appName: 'myapp-dev'
              package: '$(Pipeline.Workspace)/drop/*.zip'

- stage: DeployProd
  displayName: 'Deploy to Production'
  dependsOn: DeployDev
  condition: and(succeeded(), eq(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/heads/main'))
  jobs:
  - deployment: DeployProd
    environment: 'production'
    strategy:
      runOnce:
        deploy:
          steps:
          - script: echo "Deploying to Production"
          - task: AzureWebApp@1
            inputs:
              azureSubscription: 'Azure-Connection'
              appName: 'myapp-prod'
              package: '$(Pipeline.Workspace)/drop/*.zip'

🔐 Security and Compliance

Service Connections

• Azure Resource Manager: Connect to Azure subscriptions
• Docker Registry: Connect to container registries
• Kubernetes: Connect to K8s clusters
• GitHub: Connect to GitHub repositories

Variable Groups and Key Vault Integration

# Pipeline with Key Vault integration
variables:
- group: 'production-variables'
- name: keyVaultName
  value: 'myprod-keyvault'

steps:
- task: AzureKeyVault@2
  inputs:
    azureSubscription: 'Azure-Connection'
    KeyVaultName: '$(keyVaultName)'
    SecretsFilter: '*'
    RunAsPreJob: true

- script: |
    echo "Database connection: $(database-connection-string)"
    echo "API Key: $(api-key)"
  displayName: 'Use secrets from Key Vault'

📊 Monitoring and Analytics

Pipeline Analytics

• Build Success Rate: Track pipeline reliability
• Duration Trends: Monitor performance over time
• Failure Analysis: Identify common failure points
• Test Results: Track test coverage and results

Custom Dashboards

# PowerBI integration for advanced analytics
- task: PowerBIActions@1
  inputs:
    PowerBIServiceEndpoint: 'PowerBI-Connection'
    Action: 'Publish'
    WorkspaceName: 'DevOps Analytics'
    DatasetName: 'Pipeline Metrics'

🔄 Migration from Jenkins to Azure DevOps

Jenkins vs Azure DevOps Comparison

# Jenkins Declarative Pipeline
pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                sh 'npm install'
                sh 'npm run build'
            }
        }
        stage('Test') {
            steps {
                sh 'npm test'
            }
        }
    }
}

# Equivalent Azure DevOps Pipeline
trigger:
- main

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

steps:
- script: |
    npm install
    npm run build
  displayName: 'Build'

- script: npm test
  displayName: 'Test'

🏢 Enterprise Features

Azure DevOps Server (On-Premises)

• Hybrid Deployments: Cloud and on-premises integration
• Enterprise Security: Active Directory integration
• Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements
• Customization: Extensions and custom processes

Parallel Jobs and Scaling

# Matrix strategy for multiple configurations
strategy:
  matrix:
    linux:
      imageName: 'ubuntu-latest'
    mac:
      imageName: 'macOS-latest'
    windows:
      imageName: 'windows-latest'
  maxParallel: 3

pool:
  vmImage: $(imageName)

steps:
- script: echo "Running on $(imageName)"

🛠️ Best Practices

Performance Optimization

# Optimized pipeline with caching
steps:
- task: Cache@2
  inputs:
    key: 'npm | "$(Agent.OS)" | package-lock.json'
    restoreKeys: |
      npm | "$(Agent.OS)"
    path: $(npm_config_cache)
  displayName: 'Cache npm'

- script: npm ci
  displayName: 'npm ci'

🔗 Integration Ecosystem

Third-Party Integrations

• SonarQube: Code quality analysis
• WhiteSource: Security vulnerability scanning
• Slack/Teams: Notification integrations
• Jira: Work item synchronization

Azure Services Integration

# Deploy to Azure Kubernetes Service
- task: KubernetesManifest@0
  inputs:
    action: 'deploy'
    kubernetesServiceConnection: 'AKS-Connection'
    namespace: 'production'
    manifests: |
      k8s/deployment.yaml
      k8s/service.yaml
    containers: 'myregistry.azurecr.io/myapp:$(Build.BuildId)'

📈 Pricing and Licensing

🎯 Conclusion

Azure DevOps provides a comprehensive, integrated platform for modern DevOps practices. From source control to deployment, it offers enterprise-grade features with excellent integration capabilities.