Using GitHub Checks in Jenkins

1. Introduction

GitHub Checks are a feature that allows Jenkins to report back the status of builds to GitHub, providing feedback on whether the code changes meet the specified quality and compliance criteria.

2. Key Concepts

• **Checks API**: Allows Jenkins to report the status of checks, including success, failure, and in-progress states.
• **Webhooks**: GitHub uses webhooks to notify Jenkins about events like pull requests and pushes.
• **Integration**: Seamless integration between Jenkins and GitHub for continuous integration and deployment workflows.

3. Setup

Setting up GitHub Checks in Jenkins involves several steps, as outlined below:

1. Create a GitHub App
   • Go to your GitHub account settings and navigate to Developer settings.
   • Create a new GitHub App, providing necessary permissions for checks.
2. Generate an Access Token
   • Generate a private key for the GitHub App.
   • Store the private key securely for use in Jenkins.
3. Configure Jenkins
   • Install the "GitHub Checks" plugin in Jenkins.
   • Navigate to Jenkins > Manage Jenkins > Configure System.
   • Add the GitHub App details, including the App ID and private key.

3.1 Code Example

Below is an example of a Jenkins pipeline code snippet that utilizes GitHub Checks:

pipeline {
    agent any

    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                script {
                    // Run your build steps here
                    githubChecks('My Build', 'Building project', 'IN_PROGRESS')
                }
            }
        }
        stage('Test') {
            steps {
                script {
                    // Run your test steps here
                    githubChecks('My Tests', 'Running tests', 'IN_PROGRESS')
                }
            }
        }
    }

    post {
        success {
            script {
                githubChecks('My Build', 'Build succeeded', 'SUCCESS')
            }
        }
        failure {
            script {
                githubChecks('My Build', 'Build failed', 'FAILURE')
            }
        }
    }
}

4. Workflow

The typical workflow for using GitHub Checks with Jenkins involves:

flowchart TD
        A[Start] --> B[Push Code to GitHub]
        B --> C[Trigger Jenkins Job]
        C --> D[Run Tests and Builds]
        D --> E{Status}
        E -->|Success| F[Notify GitHub Check - Success]
        E -->|Failure| G[Notify GitHub Check - Failure]
        F --> H[End]
        G --> H
    

5. Best Practices

• **Use Descriptive Names**: Ensure that check names clearly describe the purpose of the check.
• **Provide Detailed Messages**: When reporting status, provide informative messages for better context.
• **Monitor Performance**: Regularly monitor the performance of your Jenkins jobs to ensure they do not become bottlenecks.

6. FAQ