Design and implement checks and approvals by using YAML environments

To design and implement checks and approvals in your YAML environments for the exam “Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions,” follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1: Understand YAML Environments

YAML (Yet Another Markup Language) is a human-readable data serialization format used extensively in DevOps workflows. With YAML environments, you define and manage your CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) pipelines. These pipelines consist of a series of steps and jobs that facilitate the software development lifecycle.

Step 2: Setting up YAML Environments

To get started, create a new YAML file or modify an existing one in your code repository. This file will define the structure and behavior of your CI/CD pipeline.

Step 3: Defining Checks

Checks enable you to validate whether certain conditions are met before proceeding to the next step or action in your pipeline. Here’s an example of how to define a simple check in your YAML file:

name: Check my condition
on: [push]
jobs:
build:
steps:
- name: Run checks
id: checks
uses: actions/github-script@v4
with:
script: |
// Perform your desired condition checking here
if(condition){
console.log("Condition is met!");
core.setOutput("conditionMet", "true");
} else {
console.log("Condition is not met!");
core.setOutput("conditionMet", "false");
}

You can replace condition with your own specific logic based on the requirements. The script uses the GitHub Actions github-script action to execute the check. Depending on the results, the check will set an output variable (conditionMet) to true or false, which can be used later in the pipeline.

Step 4: Implementing Approvals

Approvals are an essential aspect of the release process, ensuring that the right people review and authorize changes. To incorporate approvals into your YAML pipeline, you can utilize GitHub’s Pull Request review feature. Here’s an example snippet:

name: Implementing Approvals
on: [pull_request]
jobs:
build:
steps:
- name: Request review
uses: actions/github-script@v4
with:
script: |
// Request a review from a designated reviewer
const review = require("review");
review.requestReview({
owner: "your_organization",
repo: "your_repository",
pull_number: context.payload.pull_request.number,
reviewers: ["reviewer1", "reviewer2"],
});

Replace your_organization and your_repository with your actual organization and repository names. Modify reviewers with the appropriate usernames of your designated reviewers.

Step 5: Integrating Checks and Approvals

To ensure checks are completed successfully before triggering approvals, modify your YAML file to create a workflow that incorporates both. Here’s an example:

name: CI/CD Workflow
on:
pull_request:
types:
- opened
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Run checks
id: checks
uses: actions/github-script@v4
with:
script: |
// Perform condition checking here
if(condition){
console.log("Condition is met!");
core.setOutput("conditionMet", "true");
} else {
core.setOutput("conditionMet", "false");
}
- name: Request review
if: steps.checks.outputs.conditionMet == 'true'
uses: actions/github-script@v4
with:
script: |
// Request a review from reviewers
const review = require("review");
review.requestReview({
owner: "your_organization",
repo: "your_repository",
pull_number: context.payload.pull_request.number,
reviewers: ["reviewer1", "reviewer2"],
});

In this example, the if condition ensures that the review is requested only if the previous check is successful. Modify the check logic and approval process based on your specific requirements.

Step 6: Further Customization

These examples illustrate the basic implementation of checks and approvals in YAML environments. However, you can customize them further by integrating with other tools, services, or frameworks. For instance, you might incorporate integration tests, security checks, or code quality assessments into your pipeline.

Remember, YAML pipelines provide flexibility, allowing you to design and implement checks and approvals tailored to your organization’s needs. The above examples based on Microsoft’s documentation should serve as a starting point for building an efficient and secure CI/CD workflow.