price-tracker/AZURE-DEVOPS-SETUP.md

Azure DevOps Pipeline Setup Guide

This guide will help you set up the Azure DevOps pipeline to automatically build and push your Price Tracker Docker images to your registry at dock.ptslondon.co.uk.

Prerequisites

1. Azure DevOps project with your Price Tracker repository
2. Access to your Docker registry at dock.ptslondon.co.uk
3. Admin permissions in Azure DevOps to create service connections

Step 1: Create Docker Registry Service Connection

1. In your Azure DevOps project, go to Project Settings (bottom left)
2. Under Pipelines, click Service connections
3. Click New service connection
4. Select Docker Registry and click Next
5. Choose Others for registry type
6. Fill in the details:
   • Docker Registry: https://dock.ptslondon.co.uk
   • Docker ID: Your registry username
   • Docker Password: Your registry password
   • Service connection name: dock-ptslondon-connection
7. Check Grant access permission to all pipelines
8. Click Save

Step 2: Choose Your Pipeline

You have two pipeline options:

Basic Pipeline (azure-pipelines.yml)

• Simple build and push
• Basic testing
• Good for getting started

Advanced Pipeline (azure-pipelines-advanced.yml)

• Multi-stage deployment
• Security scanning with Trivy
• Separate dev/prod environments
• More comprehensive testing

Step 3: Create the Pipeline

1. In Azure DevOps, go to Pipelines → Pipelines
2. Click New pipeline
3. Select Azure Repos Git (or your source)
4. Select your repository
5. Choose Existing Azure Pipelines YAML file
6. Select the pipeline file:
   • /azure-pipelines.yml (basic)
   • /azure-pipelines-advanced.yml (advanced)
7. Click Continue
8. Review the pipeline and click Run

Step 4: Configure Environments (Advanced Pipeline Only)

If using the advanced pipeline, create environments:

1. Go to Pipelines → Environments
2. Click New environment
3. Create two environments:
   • Name: price-tracker-dev
   • Name: price-tracker-prod
4. For each environment, you can add approval gates:
   • Go to the environment
   • Click the three dots → Approvals and checks
   • Add Approvals for production

Step 5: Pipeline Configuration

The pipeline is configured to:

Triggers

• Push to main: Builds and deploys to production
• Push to develop: Builds and deploys to development
• Pull requests: Builds and tests only

Build Process

1. Checkout source code
2. Build Docker image
3. Run container tests
4. Push to registry (if not PR)
5. Security scan (optional)
6. Deploy to appropriate environment

Variables Used

• dockerRegistryServiceConnection: Service connection name
• imageRepository: price-tracker
• containerRegistry: dock.ptslondon.co.uk
• tag: Uses build ID for versioning

Step 6: Customize for Your Needs

Registry Settings

If your registry requires different settings, update these variables in the pipeline:

variables:
  dockerRegistryServiceConnection: 'your-connection-name'
  imageRepository: 'your-repo-name'
  containerRegistry: 'dock.ptslondon.co.uk'

Branch Strategy

Current setup:

• main branch → Production deployment
• develop branch → Development deployment

To change this, modify the trigger and condition sections.

Security Scanning

The advanced pipeline includes Trivy security scanning. To disable:

• Remove the SecurityScan stage
• Remove it from the dependsOn lists

Step 7: Verify the Setup

1. Make a small change to your code
2. Push to the develop branch (for testing)
3. Watch the pipeline run in Azure DevOps
4. Verify the image appears in your registry
5. Check that the application deploys correctly

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Service Connection Failed

   • Verify registry credentials
   • Check registry URL format
   • Ensure registry is accessible from Azure

2. Docker Build Failed

   • Check Dockerfile syntax
   • Verify all required files are in repository
   • Check build logs for specific errors

3. Push to Registry Failed

   • Verify service connection permissions
   • Check registry quota/space
   • Ensure repository name is correct

4. Tests Failed

   • Check application startup logs
   • Verify port mappings
   • Ensure dependencies are available

Debug Tips

1. Enable verbose logging:

   - script: |
       set -x  # Enable debug mode
       # your commands here
   

2. Add diagnostic steps:

   - script: |
       docker images
       docker ps -a
       curl -v http://localhost:5000/
   

3. Check container logs:

   - script: |
       docker logs price-tracker-test
   

Pipeline Outputs

Successful Run Produces:

• Docker image tagged with build ID
• Docker image tagged as latest
• Images pushed to dock.ptslondon.co.uk/price-tracker:BUILD_ID
• Deployment artifacts
• Test results

Image Tags

• dock.ptslondon.co.uk/price-tracker:latest - Latest build
• dock.ptslondon.co.uk/price-tracker:12345 - Specific build ID

Production Deployment

For production deployment, the pipeline:

1. Only runs on main branch
2. Requires environment approval (if configured)
3. Runs security scans
4. Performs health checks
5. Can include notifications

Monitoring

Monitor your pipeline:

1. Pipeline runs: Azure DevOps → Pipelines → Runs
2. Environment status: Azure DevOps → Pipelines → Environments
3. Registry images: Check your registry dashboard
4. Application logs: From deployed containers

Next Steps

1. Set up monitoring and alerting for your deployed application
2. Configure backup strategies for your registry
3. Set up staging environments for testing
4. Add integration tests to the pipeline
5. Configure notification webhooks for deployment status

Security Best Practices

1. Never commit secrets - Use Azure DevOps secure variables
2. Use service connections - Don't embed credentials
3. Scan images - Enable vulnerability scanning
4. Limit permissions - Use least privilege access
5. Monitor access - Regular audit of service connections