I often find myself needing to run the same actions on a bunch of different configurations.
Up to now, that meant I had to make multiple copies of the same stages in my pipelines.
When I needed to make changes, I had to make the same changes in multiple places throughout my pipeline.
Maintaining even a small number of configuration was difficult for larger pipelines.
Declarative Pipeline 1.5.0-beta1 (now available from the
Jenkins Experimental Update site) adds a new matrix section that lets me specify a list stages once and then run that same list in parallel on multiple configurations.
Let’s take a look!
Single configuration pipeline
I’ll start with a simple pipeline with build and test stages.
I’m using echo steps as placeholders for my build and test actions.
Jenkinsfile
pipeline {
agent none
stages {
stage('BuildAndTest') {
agent any
stages {
stage('Build') {
steps {
echo 'Do Build'
}
}
stage('Test') {
steps {
echo 'Do Test'
}
}
}
}
}
}
Pipeline for multiple platforms and browsers
I’d like to run my build and tests on a combination of platforms and browsers.
The new matrix directive lets me specify a set of axes.
Each axis has a name and a list of one or more values.
When the pipeline is run, Jenkins will take those and run my stages on all possible combinations of values from each axis.
All cells in a matrix run in parallel (limited only by the number of available agents).
Stages within each cell are run sequentially.
My matrix has two axes: PLATFORM and BROWSER.
I have three values for PLATFORM and four values for BROWSER resulting in my stages being run with twelve different combinations.
I’ve changed my echo steps to use the axis values for each cell.
Jenkinsfile
pipeline {
agent none
stages {
stage('BuildAndTest') {
matrix {
agent any
axes {
axis {
name 'PLATFORM'
values 'linux', 'windows', 'mac'
}
axis {
name 'BROWSER'
values 'firefox', 'chrome', 'safari', 'edge'
}
}
stages {
stage('Build') {
steps {
echo "Do Build for ${PLATFORM} - ${BROWSER}"
}
}
stage('Test') {
steps {
echo "Do Test for ${PLATFORM} - ${BROWSER}"
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
Log output (truncated)
...
[Pipeline] stage
[Pipeline] { (BuildAndTest)
[Pipeline] parallel
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'firefox')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'firefox')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'firefox')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'chrome')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'chrome')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'chrome')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'safari')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'safari')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'safari')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'edge') (hide)
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'edge')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'edge')
...
Do Build for linux - safari
Do Build for linux - firefox
Do Build for windows - firefox
Do Test for linux - firefox
Do Build for mac - firefox
Do Build for linux - chrome
Do Test for windows - firefox
...
Excluding invalid combinations
Now that I have my basic matrix created, I’ve noticed that I have some invalid combinations.
Microsoft Edge only runs on Windows and there isn’t a Linux version of Safari.
I can remove invalid cells from my matrix using exclude directives. Each exclude has one or more axis directives with name and values.
The axis directives inside an exclude generate a set of combinations (similar to generating the matrix cells).
The matrix cells that match all the values from an exclude combination are removed from the matrix.
If I have more than one exclude directive, each are evaluated separately to remove cells.
When dealing with a long lists of values to exclude, I can use notValues instead of values to specify axis values we don’t want excluded.
Yes, that’s a double negative, so it can get a little confusing.
I try to use it only when I really need it.
In my sample pipeline below, I specifically exclude the linux, safari combination and I also exclude any platform that is not windows with the edge browser.
This pipeline uses two axes but there is no limit on the number of axis directives.
Also, in this pipeline each exclude specifies values for both axes, but that is not required.
If we wanted to run only "linux" cells, we could use the following exclude :
exclude {
axis {
name 'PLATFORM'
notValues 'linux'
}
}
pipeline {
agent none
stages {
stage('BuildAndTest') {
matrix {
agent any
axes {
axis {
name 'PLATFORM'
values 'linux', 'windows', 'mac'
}
axis {
name 'BROWSER'
values 'firefox', 'chrome', 'safari', 'edge'
}
}
excludes {
exclude {
axis {
name 'PLATFORM'
values 'linux'
}
axis {
name 'BROWSER'
values 'safari'
}
}
exclude {
axis {
name 'PLATFORM'
notValues 'windows'
}
axis {
name 'BROWSER'
values 'edge'
}
}
}
stages {
stage('Build') {
steps {
echo "Do Build for ${PLATFORM} - ${BROWSER}"
}
}
stage('Test') {
steps {
echo "Do Test for ${PLATFORM} - ${BROWSER}"
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
Log output (truncated)
...
[Pipeline] stage
[Pipeline] { (BuildAndTest)
[Pipeline] parallel
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'firefox')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'firefox')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'firefox')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'chrome')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'chrome')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'chrome')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'safari')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'safari')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'edge')
...
Do Build for linux - firefox
...
Controlling cell behavior at runtime
Inside the matrix directive I can also add "per-cell" directives.
These are the same directives that I would add to a stage and they let me control the behavior of each cell in the matrix.
These directives can use the axis values from their cell as part of their inputs, allowing me to customize the behavior of each cell to match its axis values.
On my Jenkins server I have configured agents with labels that match the OS for each agent ("linux-agent", "windows-agent", and "mac-agent").
To run each cell in my matrix on the appropriate operating system, I configure the label for that cell using Groovy string templating.
matrix {
axes { ... }
excludes { ... }
agent {
label "${PLATFORM}-agent"
}
stages { ... }
// ...
}
Occasionally I run my pipeline manually from the Jenkins Web UI.
When I do that, I’d like to be able to select just one platform to run.
The axis and exclude directives define the static set of cells that make up the matrix.
That set of combinations is generated before the start of the run, before any parameters are processed.
What this means is that I can’t add or remove cells from a matrix after the job has started.
The "per-cell" directives, on the other hand, are evaluated at runtime.
I can use the "per-cell" when directive inside matrix to control which cells in the matrix are executed.
I’ll add a choice parameter with the list of platforms, and add conditions to the when directive, which will either let all platforms execute, or only execute cells that match my selected platform.
pipeline {
parameters {
choice(name: 'PLATFORM_FILTER', choices: ['all', 'linux', 'windows', 'mac'], description: 'Run on specific platform')
}
agent none
stages {
stage('BuildAndTest') {
matrix {
agent {
label "${PLATFORM}-agent"
}
when { anyOf {
expression { params.PLATFORM_FILTER == 'all' }
expression { params.PLATFORM_FILTER == env.PLATFORM }
} }
axes {
axis {
name 'PLATFORM'
values 'linux', 'windows', 'mac'
}
axis {
name 'BROWSER'
values 'firefox', 'chrome', 'safari', 'edge'
}
}
excludes {
exclude {
axis {
name 'PLATFORM'
values 'linux'
}
axis {
name 'BROWSER'
values 'safari'
}
}
exclude {
axis {
name 'PLATFORM'
notValues 'windows'
}
axis {
name 'BROWSER'
values 'edge'
}
}
}
stages {
stage('Build') {
steps {
echo "Do Build for ${PLATFORM} - ${BROWSER}"
}
}
stage('Test') {
steps {
echo "Do Test for ${PLATFORM} - ${BROWSER}"
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
If I run this Pipeline from the Jenkins UI and set the PLATFORM_FILTER parameter to mac, I’ll get something like the output below:
Log output (truncated - PLATFORM_FILTER = 'mac' )
...
[Pipeline] stage
[Pipeline] { (BuildAndTest)
[Pipeline] parallel
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'firefox')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'firefox')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'firefox')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'chrome')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'chrome')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'chrome')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'safari')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'mac', BROWSER = 'safari')
[Pipeline] { (Branch: Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'edge')
...
Stage "Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'chrome'" skipped due to when conditional
Stage "Matrix - OS = 'linux', BROWSER = 'firefox'" skipped due to when conditional
...
Do Build for mac - firefox
Do Build for mac - chrome
Do Build for mac - safari
...
Stage "Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'chrome'" skipped due to when conditional
Stage "Matrix - OS = 'windows', BROWSER = 'edge'" skipped due to when conditional
...
Do Test for mac - safari
Do Test for mac - firefox
Do Test for mac - chrome
Come join me at DevOps World | Jenkins World 2019 for " Declarative Pipeline 2019: Tips, Tricks and What’s Next ".
I’ll go over what’s been added to Pipeline in the last year (including matrix) and discuss ideas about where pipeline should go next.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we’ve looked at how to use the matrix directive to make concise but powerful declarative pipelines.
An equivalent pipeline created without matrix would easily be several times larger, and much harder to understand and maintain.
Matrix is now available from the experimental update center.
It will be released to the main update center as soon as we’re done putting the finishing touches on the documentation and online help.
Links
Jenkins Experimental Update Center
Using the Jenkins Experimental Update Center
