Maven is close to ubiquitous in the world of enterprise Java, and the Maven dependency ecosystem is the de facto industry standard. However, the traditional Maven build and release strategy, based on snapshot versions and carefully planned releases, is difficult to reconcile with modern continuous delivery practices, where any commit that passes a series of quality-control gateways can qualify as a release. How can teams using the standard Maven release process still leverage the benefits of continuous delivery? This presentation discusses strategies that can be used to implement continuous delivery solutions with Maven and demonstrates one such strategy using Maven, Jenkins, and Git.

1. Real-World Strategies for Continuous Delivery
with Maven and Jenkins
John Ferguson Smart

2. Consulta
nt
Trainer
Mentor
Author
Speaker
Coder
John Fer
guson S
mar t

3. Continuous Delivery
Getting value to the business.
Fast.
3

4. But what is Continuous Delivery?
A build tool?
A CI tool?
Automated tests?
Automated quality?
Automated deployment?

5. Yes...and No

6. Continuous Delivery is an attitude

7. Deliver business value more frequently

8. Value can also come in the form of fast feedback

9. Give power back to the business

10. The ‘eternal beta’ strategy

11. Principles of Continuous
Delivery

12. Principle #1
Every build is a potential release

13. Principle #2
Eliminate manual bottlenecks

14. Principle #3
Automate wherever possible

15. Principle #4
Have automated tests you can
trust

16. Build Pipelines
The conveyer belts of Continuous Delivery

17. Compile and unit test
Package and deploy
DEV
Acceptance tests
Deploy to QA QA
Deploy to PROD
PROD

18. Compile and unit test
Each commit is a potential release
Package and deploy
DEV
Acceptance tests
Deploy to QA QA
Deploy to PROD
PROD

19. Compile and unit test
Package and deploy
DEV
Acceptance tests
We reuse the same binaries
Deploy to QA QA
Deploy to PROD
PROD

20. Compile and unit test
Package and deploy
DEV
Acceptance tests
Automated tests give us confidence in our build
Deploy to QA QA
Deploy to PROD
PROD

21. Compile and unit test
Package and deploy
DEV
Acceptance tests
Automated, repeatable
deployments QA
Deploy to QA
Deploy to PROD
PROD

22. Continuous Delivery with Maven
Why does it have to be so hard?!

23. The Maven lifecycle
compile
test-compile
test
package
integration-test
verify
install
deploy

24. The Maven lifecycle
Compile and unit test mvn test compile
test-compile
test
Integration tests mvn verify compile
test-compile
test
package
integration-test
verify

25. The Maven lifecycle
Compile and unit test mvn test compile
test-compile
test
compile
test-compile
Integration tests mvn verify test
package
integration-test
verify
Deploy to repository compile
mvn deploy
test-compile
test
package
integration-test
verify
deploy

26. The Maven Release Process
1.0.0-SNAPSHOT
1.0.0-SNAPSHOT
mvn release
1.0.0

27. The Maven Release Process
mvn release:prepare
• Check that there are no uncommitted changes in the sources
• Check that there are no SNAPSHOT dependencies
• Change the version in the POMs from x-SNAPSHOT to a new version (you
will be prompted for the versions to use)
• Transform the SCM information in the POM to include the final destination
of the tag
• Run the project tests against the modified POMs to confirm everything is in
working order
• Commit the modified POMs
• Tag the code in the SCM with a version name (this will be prompted for)
• Bump the version in the POMs to a new value y-SNAPSHOT (these values
will also be prompted for)
• Commit the modified POMs

28. The Maven Release Process
mvn release:prepare
compile
test-compile
test
package 1.0.0
integration-test
verify 1.0.1-SNAPSHOT
1.0.0-SNAPSHOT
1.0.1-SNAPSHOT

29. The Maven Release Process
mvn release:perform
compile
test-compile
test
1.0.0 package
integration-test
verify
install
deploy
1.0.0

30. The Maven Release Process
Maven: You build a new release when
a snapshot build is good enough
Continuous Delivery: Any
build is a potential release

31. Options?
Make Maven work for you

32. Beware duplication!
Build and unit test
mvn test
Integration tests
mvn verify
Code coverage...
mvn site

33. Minimize build jobs for the main build
Default build
mvn install
compile
test
integration-test
verify
install

34. Split unit and integration tests
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.11</version>
<configuration>
<skip>true</skip>
</configuration>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>unit-tests</id>
<phase>test</phase>
<goals>
<goal>test</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<skip>false</skip>
<includes>
<include>**/When*.*</include>
</includes>
<excludes>
<exclude>%regex[.*integration.*When.*]</exclude>
</excludes>
</configuration>
</execution>
<execution>
<id>integration-tests</id>
<phase>integration-test</phase>
<goals>
<goal>test</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<skip>false</skip>
<includes>
<include>%regex[.*integration.*]</include>
</includes>
</configuration>
</execution>
Using package conventions
</executions>
</plugin>

35. Split unit and integration tests
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.11</version>
<version>2.11</version>
<configuration>
<configuration>
<skip>true</skip>
<skip>true</skip>
</configuration>
</configuration>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>unit-tests</id>
<phase>test</phase>
<goals>
<goal>test</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<skip>false</skip>
<includes>
<include>**/When*.*</include>
</includes>
<excludes>
<exclude>%regex[.*integration.*When.*]</exclude>
</excludes>
</configuration>
</execution>
<execution>
<id>integration-tests</id>
<phase>integration-test</phase>
<goals>
<goal>test</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<skip>false</skip>
<includes>
<include>%regex[.*integration.*]</include>
</includes>
</configuration>
</execution>
Using package conventions
</executions>
</plugin>

36. Split unit and integration tests
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
<execution>
<version>2.11</version>
<configuration>
<id>unit-tests</id>
<skip>true</skip>
<phase>test</phase>
</configuration>
<goals>
<executions>
<execution>
<goal>test</goal>
<id>unit-tests</id>
</goals>
<phase>test</phase>
<goals>
<configuration>
<goal>test</goal>
<skip>false</skip>
</goals>
<includes>
<configuration>
<skip>false</skip>
<include>**/When*.*</include>
<includes>
</includes>
<include>**/When*.*</include>
<excludes>
</includes>
<excludes>
<exclude>%regex[.*integration.*When.*]</exclude>
<exclude>%regex[.*integration.*When.*]</exclude>
</excludes>
</excludes>
</configuration>
</configuration>
</execution>
</execution>
<execution>
<id>integration-tests</id>
Excluding integration tests from the test phase
<phase>integration-test</phase>
<goals>
<goal>test</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<skip>false</skip>
<includes>
<include>%regex[.*integration.*]</include>
</includes>
</configuration>
</execution>
Using package conventions
</executions>
</plugin>

37. Split unit and integration tests
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.11</version>
<configuration>
<skip>true</skip>
</configuration>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>unit-tests</id>
Run only integration tests in the integration-test phase
<phase>test</phase>
<goals>
<goal>test</goal>
</goals>
<execution>
<configuration>
<id>integration-tests</id>
<skip>false</skip>
<includes>
<phase>integration-test</phase>
<include>**/When*.*</include>
<goals>
</includes>
<goal>test</goal>
<excludes>
<exclude>%regex[.*integration.*When.*]</exclude>
</goals>
</excludes>
<configuration>
</configuration>
<skip>false</skip>
</execution>
<execution>
<includes>
<id>integration-tests</id>
<include>%regex[.*integration.*]</include>
<phase>integration-test</phase>
<goals>
</includes>
<goal>test</goal>
</configuration>
</goals>
</execution>
<configuration>
<skip>false</skip>
<includes>
<include>%regex[.*integration.*]</include>
</includes>
</configuration>
</execution>
Using package conventions
</executions>
</plugin>

38. Compile
Default build
Unit Test
mvn deploy
Package
Integration Test

39. Compile
Default build
Unit Test
mvn install
Package
Integration Test
Jenkins Artifactory Plugin

40. Compile
Default build
Unit Test
mvn install
Package
Integration Test
mvn deploy:deploy

41. Eliminate waste

42. Run code coverage with the integration tests
compile
test-compile
Integration tests mvn verify test
package
integration-test
verify
Test coverage mvn cobertura
compile
test-compile
Duplication! test
package
integration-test
cobertura
Creates its own instrumented JAR files

43. JACOCO
Java Code Coverage
Code coverage on the fly
Doesn’t mess with your JAR files

44. Run code coverage with the integration tests
<plugin>
<groupId>org.jacoco</groupId>
<artifactId>jacoco-maven-plugin</artifactId>
<version>0.5.10.201208310627</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>jacoco-initialize</id>
<goals>
<goal>prepare-agent</goal>
</goals> Measure code coverage
</execution> after the integration tests
<execution>
<id>jacoco-site</id>
<phase>post-integration-test</phase>
<goals>
<goal>report</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>

45.
<plugin>
Run code coverage with the integration tests
<groupId>org.jacoco</groupId>
<artifactId>jacoco-­‐maven-­‐plugin</artifactId>
<executions>
<execution>
<goals>
<goal>prepare-­‐agent</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
<execution>
<id>check</id>
<goals>
<goal>check</goal> Define minimum coverage
</goals>
<phase>post-­‐integration-­‐test</phase>
<configuration>
<check>
<classRate>95</classRate>
<instructionRate>95</instructionRate>
<methodRate>90</methodRate>
<branchRate>95</branchRate>
<complexityRate>95</complexityRate>
<lineRate>95</lineRate>
</check>
</configuration>
</execution>

46. Run code coverage with the integration tests
Integration tests/test compile
test-compile
mvn install test
coverage package
integration-test
verify
Uninstrumented JAR
Coverage checks and report

47. Minimal overhead
Build Time
Normal build With JaCoCo

48. Reuse binaries wherever possible
Default build
1.0.203
Deploy to TEST
Acceptance Tests
1.0.201
1.0.202
1.0.203
Deploy to UAT

49. Have a separate acceptance test suite
Acceptance Tests
TEST
UAT
PROD

50. Take code quality seriously
Checkstyle
Findbugs

51. Take code quality seriously
Code quality metrics
mvn site

52. Take code quality seriously
Pick and choose your metrics
Code quality metrics
mvn pmd:check
mvn findbugs:check
mvn checkstye:checkstyle
Fail the build if there are violations

53. Avoid the Maven Release Plugin
Don’t sweat the version numbers

54. Developers always work on a SNAPSHOT version
1.0-SNAPSHOT
This number is pretty arbitrary

55. Jenkins sets a release candidate version at the
start of the build pipeline
1.0-SNAPSHOT
1.0.203
This number is a build counter

56. This version goes through the build pipeline
1.0.203
Unit tests
Acceptance tests
Code quality metrics
Deploy to TEST

57. This version goes through the build pipeline
1.0.203
1.0.204
1.0.205
Unit tests
Acceptance tests
Code quality metrics
Deploy to TEST
Acceptance Tests
1.0.203
1.0.204
1.0.205

58. Create a new release branch
Update the version number
Build and test release candidate
Did
it work?
No Yes
Drop release branch Push release branch
Notify everyone Deploy release candidate

59. Create a new release branch
Update the version number
Build and test release candidate 1.0.203
Did
it work?
No Yes
Drop release branch Push release branch
Notify everyone Deploy release candidate

60. Create a new release branch
Update the version number
Versions Plugin
Build and test release candidate
mvn versions:set -DnewVersion=1.0.203
Did
it work?
No Yes
Drop release branch Push release branch
Notify everyone Deploy release candidate

61. Create a new release branch
Update the version number
Build and test release candidate
Did
mvn verify ...
it work?
No Yes
Drop release branch Push release branch
Notify everyone Deploy release candidate

62. And make it visible
The Build Pipeline plugin

63. Let’s see it in action!
TEST
UAT
PROD
Jenkins

64. Let’s see it in action!

65. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

66. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

67. initial-build
Links to binary artifacts in Artifactory
Release candidate number

68. initial-build
Links to binary artifacts in Artifactory

69. initial-build
Use a parameterized build to
configure the major build version
Users can override the default
major version

70. initial-build
Create a new branch
Update the version in the pom files
Build the binaries

71. initial-build
Conditional build step plugin
If the build succeeds...
Commit the changes and push
the branch to the repository

72. initial-build
If the build fails...
Delete the branch

73. initial-build
Deploy the release candidate to Artifactory

74. initial-build
Deploy to the test environment
Target platform

75. initial-build
<plugin>
<groupId>com.jelastic</groupId>
<artifactId>jelastic-maven-plugin</artifactId>
<version>1.6</version>
<configuration>
<email>${jelastic.username}</email>
<password>${jelastic.password}</password>
<context>${jelastic.context}</context>
<environment>${jelastic.environment}</environment>
<api_hoster>app.jelastic.servint.net</api_hoster>
</configuration>
</plugin>

76. initial-build
Archive binary
Update the build description

77. initial-build
Archive binary
Pass the release branch to the next build job

78. initial-build
Don’t start a new build pipeline if
one is currently running.

79. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

80. initial-build
code-quality
Pass in the release we want to build against
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

81. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
Build from the release candidate branch
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

82. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

83. initial-build
code-quality
Copy the WAR file from the initial build
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

84. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
...deploy this WAR file
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

85. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod the acceptance tests
...and run

86. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
What platform do we run the acceptance test against
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

87. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
What platform do we run the acceptance test against
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

88. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

89. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
What platform do we run the acceptance test against
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

90. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
What platform do we run the acceptance test against
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

91. initial-build
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
Build promotion status
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

92. initial-build
Copy the WAR file from the initial build...
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
...and deploy it to UAT
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

93. A build promotioninitial-build deploy to production
process to
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

94. A build promotioninitial-build deploy to production
process to
code-quality
deploy-to-test
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-uat
acceptance-tests
deploy-to-prod

95. Build pipeline for an overview of the process

96. Thank You
John
Ferguson
Smart
Email:
john.smart@wakaleo.com
Web:
hHp://www.wakaleo.com
TwiHer:
wakaleo