Familiarize yourself with the delivery schedule and distinct types of triggers available in Azure DevOps

Familiarize yourself with the delivery schedule and distinct types of triggers available in Azure DevOps

Delivery cadence and triggers in Azure DevOps help teams automate and control their pipelines, ensuring efficient and consistent software delivery. Here's an overview focusing on the Continuous Deployment Trigger, Scheduled Trigger, and Manual Trigger.

1. Delivery Cadence

Definition

Delivery cadence refers to the rhythm or frequency at which software is built, tested, and deployed. It determines how often new features, updates, and fixes reach the target environment.

Types of Delivery Cadence

1. Continuous Integration (CI): Automatically integrates and tests code changes to catch errors early.

2. Continuous Delivery (CD): Automates the deployment of validated builds to staging or other environments, ensuring the software is always ready for release.

3. Continuous Deployment: Extends Continuous Delivery by automating the deployment of changes directly to production without manual approval.

Why Delivery Cadence Matters

1. Accelerates feedback loops.

2. Reduces the risk of deployment errors.

3. Increases team alignment and delivery predictability.

2. Triggers in Azure DevOps

Triggers in Azure DevOps are mechanisms to initiate pipeline execution based on specific conditions. Let’s focus on the Continuous Deployment Trigger, Scheduled Trigger, and Manual Trigger.

1. Continuous Deployment Trigger

Definition:

Automatically deploys artifacts from a build pipeline to the specified environment when a new version is available.

Use Case:

Automate production or staging deployments after a successful build.

Configuration:

• Enable in the release pipeline settings under the Artifact tab.

• Example for YAML pipelines:

xxxxxxxxxx
5
1
resources:
2
  pipelines:
3
   - pipeline: myBuildPipeline
4
      source: myBuildDefinition
5
      trigger: true

Best Practices:

• Use deployment gates or approvals for sensitive environments like production.

• Combine with tests to validate the deployment before it goes live.

2. Scheduled Trigger

Definition:

Runs pipelines at predefined times or intervals, such as daily or weekly.

Use Case:

Regular maintenance tasks, nightly builds, or comprehensive tests.

Configuration:

• Define schedules in YAML or pipeline settings.

• Example in YAML:

xxxxxxxxxx
6
1
schedules:
2
  - cron: "0 3   "  # Runs daily at 3 AM
3
    displayName: "Nightly Build"
4
    branches:
5
      include:
6
        - main

Best Practices:

• Use off-peak hours for resource-intensive tasks to minimize impact.

• Monitor and adjust schedules based on team and business needs.

3. Manual Trigger

Definition:

Executes the pipeline only when triggered manually by a user.

Use Case:

One-off tasks, ad-hoc testing, or when changes need review before deployment.

Configuration:

• No specific YAML configuration is required for manual triggers.

• Pipelines without other triggers automatically default to manual execution.

Best Practices:

• Use for pipelines requiring approvals or inspections before execution.

• Combine with detailed documentation or templates to ensure consistency.

3. Comparison of Triggers

4. Combining Triggers for Effective Delivery Cadence

• Use Continuous Deployment Triggers for real-time artifact updates.

• Schedule nightly builds or tests with Scheduled Triggers for comprehensive validation.

• Employ Manual Triggers for pipelines that require human oversight or approvals.

5. Practical Example

Scenario:

A team needs to automate artifact deployment while ensuring nightly testing and manual control for production releases.

1. Continuous Deployment: Automatically deploy builds to a development environment.

2. Scheduled Trigger: Run nightly tests and security scans at 2 AM.

3. Manual Trigger: Allow production deployment only after manual approval.

Configuration in YAML:

xxxxxxxxxx
18
1
trigger: none  # Manual trigger by default
2
schedules:
3
  - cron: "0 2   "  # Nightly trigger
4
    displayName: "Nightly Test"
5
    branches:
6
      include:
7
        - main
8
resources:
9
  pipelines:
10
   - pipeline: myBuildPipeline
11
      source: myBuildDefinition
12
      trigger: true  # Continuous Deployment trigger
13
stages:
14
  - stage: Deploy
15
    jobs:
16
      - job: DeployJob
17
        steps:
18
          - script: echo "Deploying to environment"

Summary

By understanding and strategically configuring Continuous Deployment, Scheduled, and Manual Triggers, teams can align their delivery cadence with business needs. This approach ensures automation where possible, regular maintenance, and human oversight when necessary for optimal software delivery.