Exploring YAML resources in Azure DevOps

Exploring YAML resources in Azure DevOps

Azure DevOps allows the definition and management of resources within YAML pipelines to streamline deployments, manage dependencies, and enable reusable configurations.

There are three main types of resources:

1. Pipeline Resource

2. Container Resource

3. Repository Resource

1. Pipeline Resource

Pipeline resources manage dependencies between different pipelines, enabling reusability and automation across projects. You can define pipeline resources to trigger or use outputs from other pipelines.

Example: Using Pipeline Resource

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resources:
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  pipelines:
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   - pipeline: MyDependencyPipeline
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      source: 'my-org/my-project'
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      trigger:
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        branches:
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          include:
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           - main
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      batch: true
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stages:
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- stage: Build
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  jobs:
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   - job: BuildJob
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    steps:
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   - script: echo "Building from MyDependencyPipeline"
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      displayName: 'Use Pipeline Resource'

Key Properties:

• pipeline: Specifies the pipeline to be referenced.

• source: Defines the repository path.

• trigger: Specifies when the resource pipeline is triggered.

2. Container Resource

Container resources provide the capability to manage Docker containers and dependencies in the pipeline, allowing the use of containerized environments for builds, testing, or deployments.

Example: Using Container Resource

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resources:
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  containers:
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   - container: MyContainer
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      image: mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:6.0
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stages:
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- stage: Build
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  jobs:
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   - job: BuildJob
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    steps:
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   - script: echo "Running inside Docker container"
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      displayName: 'Use Container Resource'

Key Properties:

• container: Defines the container to be used.

• image: Specifies the Docker image.

3. Repository Resource

Repository resources enable sharing artifacts or dependencies from other repositories in a YAML pipeline. This allows pipelines to pull or push code changes, packages, and other resources from/to repositories.

Example: Using Repository Resource

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resources:
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  repositories:
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   - repository: MyRepo
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      type: git
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      name: 'my-org/my-repo'
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stages:
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- stage: Test
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  jobs:
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   - job: TestJob
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    steps:
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   - script: echo "Using Repository Resource"
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      displayName: 'Use Repository Resource'

Key Properties:

• repository: Specifies the repository name.

• type: Defines the type of resource (e.g., git).

Combining Resources in a Pipeline

You can combine multiple resources within a single pipeline to manage dependencies and automation efficiently.

Example: Combining Pipeline, Container, and Repository Resources

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resources:
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  pipelines:
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   - pipeline: BuildPipeline
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      source: 'my-org/my-build-project'
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      trigger:
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        branches:
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          include:
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           - main
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  containers:
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   - container: BuildContainer
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      image: mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/core/sdk:3.1
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  repositories:
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   - repository: SharedRepo
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      type: git
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      name: 'my-org/shared-library'
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stages:
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- stage: Build
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  jobs:
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   - job: BuildJob
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    steps:
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   - script: echo "Using Build Pipeline, Docker Container, and Repository"
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      displayName: 'Multi-Resource Usage'

Key Benefits of Resources

1. Dependency Management: Easily manage and reuse outputs from different pipelines or repositories.

2. Containerization: Standardizes environments for builds, tests, and deployments using Docker containers.

3. Resource Reusability: Enables sharing of common artifacts and workflows across multiple pipelines.