Setting Up a Production-Ready CI/CD Pipeline with Jenkins & Docker

Introduction: Why CI/CD Matters in DevOps Imagine you're working on a critical software project, and every time a developer pushes new code, it has to be manually tested and deployed. This process is slow, error-prone, and hinders rapid releases. Now, imagine automating this with a Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline using Jenkins and Docker—ensuring that every code change is automatically tested, built, and deployed. This blog will walk you through setting up a production-ready CI/CD pipeline using Jenkins & Docker, helping you streamline your DevOps workflow. By the end, you'll have a fully functional pipeline that automates the process from code commit to deployment. (Image source: Official Jenkins Website) Step-by-Step Guide: Building the CI/CD Pipeline Prerequisites Before we start, ensure you have: A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04 recommended) Docker and Docker Compose installed Jenkins installed and running A GitHub repository with sample code (Node.js application for this tutorial) Step 1: Install and Configure Jenkins 1. Install Jenkins sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y openjdk-11-jdk wget -q -O - https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable/jenkins.io.key | sudo apt-key add - echo "deb http://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable binary/" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y jenkins 2. Start and Enable Jenkins sudo systemctl start jenkins sudo systemctl enable jenkins 3. Access Jenkins Dashboard Open your browser and go to http://your-server-ip:8080 to complete the setup. Step 2: Install Required Plugins Navigate to Manage Jenkins > Manage Plugins and install: Pipeline Docker Pipeline Git Plugin Blue Ocean (for visualization) Step 3: Configure Docker in Jenkins 1. Install Docker sudo apt install -y docker.io sudo systemctl start docker sudo systemctl enable docker 2. Add Jenkins to Docker Group sudo usermod -aG docker jenkins sudo systemctl restart jenkins Step 4: Create a Jenkins Pipeline 1. Create a Jenkinsfile in Your Project Repository pipeline { agent any stages { stage('Checkout') { steps { git 'https://github.com/your-repo/sample-app.git' } } stage('Build Docker Image') { steps { sh 'docker build -t myapp:latest .' } } stage('Run Tests') { steps { sh 'docker run myapp:latest npm test' } } stage('Deploy') { steps { sh 'docker-compose up -d' } } } } 2. Create a New Pipeline in Jenkins Go to Jenkins Dashboard > New Item Select Pipeline, name it, and click OK Under Pipeline Definition, choose Pipeline script from SCM Enter your GitHub repository URL Save and Build Now Troubleshooting Common Issues Jenkins can't access Docker? Run sudo chmod 666 /var/run/docker.sock Pipeline fails at docker build? Ensure the Dockerfile is present in the repo. Permission denied errors? Run sudo chown -R jenkins:jenkins /var/lib/jenkins Real-World Use Cases & Comparisons How Companies Use Jenkins & Docker Company Use Case Netflix Automates deployments to Kubernetes clusters Spotify Manages microservices with Docker and Jenkins Airbnb Uses CI/CD for seamless feature rollouts Docker vs. Virtual Machines Feature Docker Containers Virtual Machines Performance Lightweight, fast Heavy, slower Isolation Process-level Full OS emulation Resource Usage Minimal High Interactive Learning & Resources Watch this tutorial: CI/CD with Jenkins & Docker Take this quiz: Jenkins & Docker Quiz Read more: Jenkins Official Docs Engaging Conclusion & Call-to-Action Setting up a Jenkins & Docker CI/CD pipeline is a game-changer for any DevOps engineer. It improves efficiency, reliability, and scalability, ensuring your deployments are smooth and automated. What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts or challenges! Don’t forget to subscribe for more DevOps content and follow us on LinkedIn & Twitter.

Mar 11, 2025 - 20:07

Setting Up a Production-Ready CI/CD Pipeline with Jenkins & Docker

Introduction: Why CI/CD Matters in DevOps

Imagine you're working on a critical software project, and every time a developer pushes new code, it has to be manually tested and deployed. This process is slow, error-prone, and hinders rapid releases. Now, imagine automating this with a Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline using Jenkins and Docker—ensuring that every code change is automatically tested, built, and deployed.

This blog will walk you through setting up a production-ready CI/CD pipeline using Jenkins & Docker, helping you streamline your DevOps workflow. By the end, you'll have a fully functional pipeline that automates the process from code commit to deployment.

(Image source: Official Jenkins Website)

Step-by-Step Guide: Building the CI/CD Pipeline

Prerequisites

Before we start, ensure you have:

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04 recommended)
Docker and Docker Compose installed
Jenkins installed and running
A GitHub repository with sample code (Node.js application for this tutorial)

Step 1: Install and Configure Jenkins

1. Install Jenkins

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y openjdk-11-jdk
wget -q -O - https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable/jenkins.io.key | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb http://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable binary/" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y jenkins

2. Start and Enable Jenkins

sudo systemctl start jenkins
sudo systemctl enable jenkins

3. Access Jenkins Dashboard

Open your browser and go to http://your-server-ip:8080 to complete the setup.

Step 2: Install Required Plugins

Navigate to Manage Jenkins > Manage Plugins and install:

Pipeline
Docker Pipeline
Git Plugin
Blue Ocean (for visualization)

Step 3: Configure Docker in Jenkins

1. Install Docker

sudo apt install -y docker.io
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

2. Add Jenkins to Docker Group

sudo usermod -aG docker jenkins
sudo systemctl restart jenkins

Step 4: Create a Jenkins Pipeline

1. Create a `Jenkinsfile` in Your Project Repository

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Checkout') {
            steps {
                git 'https://github.com/your-repo/sample-app.git'
            }
        }
        stage('Build Docker Image') {
            steps {
                sh 'docker build -t myapp:latest .'
            }
        }
        stage('Run Tests') {
            steps {
                sh 'docker run myapp:latest npm test'
            }
        }
        stage('Deploy') {
            steps {
                sh 'docker-compose up -d'
            }
        }
    }
}

2. Create a New Pipeline in Jenkins

Go to Jenkins Dashboard > New Item
Select Pipeline, name it, and click OK
Under Pipeline Definition, choose Pipeline script from SCM
Enter your GitHub repository URL
Save and Build Now

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Jenkins can't access Docker? Run sudo chmod 666 /var/run/docker.sock
Pipeline fails at docker build? Ensure the Dockerfile is present in the repo.
Permission denied errors? Run sudo chown -R jenkins:jenkins /var/lib/jenkins

Real-World Use Cases & Comparisons

How Companies Use Jenkins & Docker

Company	Use Case
Netflix	Automates deployments to Kubernetes clusters
Spotify	Manages microservices with Docker and Jenkins
Airbnb	Uses CI/CD for seamless feature rollouts

Docker vs. Virtual Machines

Feature	Docker Containers	Virtual Machines
Performance	Lightweight, fast	Heavy, slower
Isolation	Process-level	Full OS emulation
Resource Usage	Minimal	High

Interactive Learning & Resources

Watch this tutorial: CI/CD with Jenkins & Docker
Take this quiz: Jenkins & Docker Quiz
Read more: Jenkins Official Docs

Engaging Conclusion & Call-to-Action

Setting up a Jenkins & Docker CI/CD pipeline is a game-changer for any DevOps engineer. It improves efficiency, reliability, and scalability, ensuring your deployments are smooth and automated.

What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts or challenges! Don’t forget to subscribe for more DevOps content and follow us on LinkedIn & Twitter.