Azure DevOps Overview

Introduction

• Popular DevOps platform
• Use for software development lifecycle

What is Azure DevOps?

• Software as a Service (SaaS): One-stop shop for DevOps processes
• Historical Names: Team Foundation Server, Visual Studio Team Services
• Became more mainstream as DevOps practices gained popularity

DevOps Platform

• Combination of Concepts and Tools: Makes developing and releasing applications fast and automated
• Workflow Efficiency: Automates the software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• Technological Implementation: Covers the complete software development lifecycle

Software Development Lifecycle Phases

1. Planning: Define what and why of development (Azure Boards)
   • Agile and Scrum workflows
   • Create, assign, and track tasks/features/improvements
2. Development: Coding and collaboration (Azure Repositories)
   • Host code, support for Git
   • Implement Git workflows (branches, pull requests)
3. Testing & Building: Automated Continuous Integration (CI) process (Azure Pipelines)
   • YAML-based pipeline definition
   • Example steps: Run tests, package application, build Docker image
   • Use predefined tasks for simplicity
4. Release: Continuous Deployment (CD) process
   • Test and package code into artifact deliverables (Azure Artifacts)
   • Store Maven, NuGet, and npm packages
   • Support for Docker images in Docker registries (Docker Hub, Azure Container Registry)
5. Deployment: Deploying to end environments
   • Multi-stage deployment pipeline
   • Deployment environments (Development, Testing, Production)
   • Utilize deployment jobs and environments in Azure Pipelines

Azure DevOps Features

• Azure Boards: Manage features, tasks, and Agile/Scrum processes
• Azure Repositories: Git-based code hosting and collaboration
• Azure Pipelines: CI/CD with YAML-based pipeline scripts
• Azure Artifacts: Store various artifact types including modern Docker images
• Architecture: Combination of managed Azure services and self-hosted agents

Service Connections & Security

• Service Connections Feature: Simplifies access to external platforms (e.g., Docker Hub, Azure, AWS)
• Secure and Automated: Manage short-lived credentials generated automatically

Comparison with Other Tools

• Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD: Exclusive focus on CI/CD
• Azure DevOps: Comprehensive DevOps platform integrating CI/CD, project management, code, etc.
• GitLab: Similar in features, all-in-one DevOps platform
• AWS: More encompassing cloud platform, separate accounts from Azure DevOps but integrated

Learning Recommendations

• Learn primarily popular tools: Jenkins, AWS, GitLab/GitHub
• Azure DevOps beneficial for companies using Microsoft services

Summary

• Azure DevOps: Comprehensive tool for managing the entire DevOps lifecycle
• Suitable for projects already within the Microsoft ecosystem
• Useful for understanding if applicable to future job roles

Further Learning

• Explore additional resources and videos provided