Jenkins is a simple butler, performing tasks as dictated by you. However, when used with Chef, Drush, and other technologies, Jenkins becomes an important component of improved processes, reduced labor, and improved troubleshooting/logging abilities. My organization (NewMedia) has realized the benefits of the methods that will be discussed in this session and hope to share those benefits with the community, sparking a conversation on how to further improve and implement similar solutions.

“It is time to improve and simplify.”

The above phrase runs through my head every time I see a developer, site builder, or content writer pull out a list of tasks required to complete the same repetitive procedure they completed last week and someone else completed a week before, or when a server configuration is needed for a web application that is hosted across numerous machines, or when deploying new application code to multiple servers.

It is imperative that we rethink time-consuming, error-prone procedures and improve our processes. In doing so, we cut down the human-error element of a process and enable concentrate on the goals, messages, and products we are delivering rather than the complex procedures required to deliver them. The efforts in the DevOps arena are impressive and we will continue to see more methods to improve and simplify everything we do.

This session will introduce Jenkins from a Drupal perspective and help us understand how Jenkins can be utilized in a variety of processes. We will discuss, on a high level, how Jenkins can work with other technologies, such as Chef and Drush, and go through the steps of setting up a simple Jenkins job. The methods discussed in this session have proven to be beneficial within my organization and and the organization has realized measurable benefits. With this knowledge we, as a community, can continue the conversation and help evolve the tools and techniques that will enable many to become more efficient in their processes as it has within NMD.