# Configuring GitLab CI-CD with AWS EC2 > Improving the ultimate inefficiency through deployment automation!! > > [Previously](https://github.com/chloe-codes1/TIL/blob/master/Server/Deployment/Deploying_a_SpringBoot-React_project_on_AWS_EC2.md), in the approach of deploying both backend and frontend servers on a single EC2 instance provided by SSAFY, redeployment required pulling the git repo and running a series of deployment commands sequentially, which was extremely inefficient and I wanted to fix it quickly. > > So while looking into CI/CD, since SSAFY uses GitLab instead of Github, I decided to use GitLab's own GitLab CI/CD for deployment automation! > > References: [namioto.ip.or.kr](https://namioto.ip.or.kr/2018/07/16/gitlab-ci%EB%A1%9C-%EC%9E%90%EB%8F%99%EB%B0%B0%ED%8F%AC%ED%95%98%EA%B8%B0/)
## 0. Getting started with GitLab CI/CD
### What is GitLab CI/CD? * GitLab CI/CD runs on Docker containers and deploys to connected Kubernetes * When a push is made with a `gitlab-ci.yml` file present in the project root, the **Pipeline** (a bundle of tasks) specified in that file is executed
### Pipeline Components * `Test` * Unit Test * Integration Test * E2E Test * Test Coverage measurement * `Lint` * Code quality measurement * Code convention checking * `Build` * Build * Bundling * Dockerfile build * Container registry push * `Deploy` * Helm Chart * **What is Helm Chart?** * `helm` is a Kubernetes package manager * `helm chart` is a package format consisting of files needed to install an application! * KNative Functions * **What is KNative?** * An open source community project that adds components to Kubernetes for deploying, running, and managing serverless cloud native applications * KNative App (container) deployment \
## 1. GitLab Runner * GitLab Runner executes tasks on configured Stages when a push is made to the remote branch! * For this to work, `GitLab Runner` must be installed on the remote repository
### 1-1. Add GitLab Official Repository ```bash curl -L https://packages.gitlab.com/install/repositories/runner/gitlab-runner/script.deb.sh | sudo bash ```
### 1-2. Install Latest Version of GitLab Runner ```bash sudo apt-get install gitlab-runner ```
### 1-3. Registering Runners > To run directly from the root account, skip steps 1 and 2! #### 1. Create Account ```bash sudo useradd --comment 'GitLab Runner' --create-home gitlab-runner --shell /bin/bash ``` * Creates an account named `gitlab-runner` #### 2. Install ```bash sudo gitlab-runner install --user=gitlab-runner --working-directory=/home/gitlab-runner ``` #### 3. Run ```bash sudo gitlab-runner start ``` #### 4. Register GitLab Runner ```bash sudo gitlab-runner register ``` * After entering the command above, you need to interactively enter 5 items ```bash # 1. Enter GitLab server URL Please enter the gitlab-ci coordinator URL (e.g. https://gitlab.com ) # 2. Enter GitLab CI Token # -> Can be found at Settings > CI/CD > Runners settings > Specific Runners! Please enter the gitlab-ci token for this runner: # 3. Enter Runner description Please enter the gitlab-ci description for this runner: # 4. Set Runner Tag # -> Remember this as you need to write it in the gitlab-ci.yml file!!!! Important!!!! Please enter the gitlab-ci tags for this runner (comma separated): # 5. Set how the Runner will operate # -> I chose Shell since I was going to use Shell Script Please enter the executor: docker-ssh, ssh, virtualbox, docker, parallels, shell, docker+machine, docker-ssh+machine, kubernetes: ```
### 1-4. Verify Registered Runner * You can verify the registered Runner at **Settings > CI/CD > Runners settings > Specific Runners** as shown below \
## 2. Writing the `.gitlab-ci.yml` File > Write the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file in the project root
#### Note * This is a script I wrote for deployment automation of a SpringBoot - React project!! * This yml file is the result of an enormous amount of trial and error, but since it is my first GitLab CI/CD file and there may be better approaches, please use it as reference only! (There probably are! I'm still looking into it!) * I will update when I find a more efficient method!! ex) ```yaml deploy-to-server: stage: deploy only: - master before_script: - echo 'start deployment' - whoami script: - cd /home/ubuntu/s03p12a112/ - git pull origin master - cd backend - kill $(lsof -t -i:8000) - sudo mvn package - cd /home/ubuntu/s03p12a112/backend/target/ - setsid nohup java -jar backend-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar > /dev/null 2>&1 & - cd /home/ubuntu/s03p12a112/frontend/ - sudo npm install - sudo npm run build - sudo service nginx restart after_script: - echo 'deployment is done' tags: - deploy ```
### YAML File Explanation * `deploy-to-server` * The JOB name given when registering the GitLab Runner * `stage` * As explained above, GitLab has groups that can perform specific tasks by Stage, and this indicates it is a **deploy** stage * `only` * Configured so the **pipeline** is activated only when an event occurs on the **master** branch * `before_script` * Literally the script to be executed before the shell script run by the runner * `whoami` command * Added to check if the configuration is correct since the GitLab Runner was registered with a separately created account (`gitlab-runner`) instead of the root account! * `script` * Shell script to be executed by the GitLab Runner * Executed in the order of backend build then redeploy, frontend build then redeploy! * `kill $(lsof -t -i:8000)` * Terminates port 8000, which is the port used by the backend server * `setsid nohup java -jar backend-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar > /dev/null 2>&1 &` * This was the part with the most trial and error * Initially, I activated the pipeline with `nohup -jar backend-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar &` to run the existing jar file in the background, but the Job kept running without terminating * Changed to `nohup -jar backend-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar > nohup.out &` but got a permission denied error * After many more modifications, I eventually changed it to write the .out file to `/dev`, a virtual filesystem in the Linux directory structure where device files are stored (it is not actually written! It is a directory that does not occupy physical space!) * As a result, the Runner's Job terminated successfully, and I confirmed the Jar file was running in the background! * `after_script` * Literally the script to be executed after the script completes * `tags` * Allows commands to be sent to Runners with a specific Tag * Remember the Tag set when registering the GitLab Runner and write it here! \
## 3. Running the Pipeline > As specified in the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file, the pipeline runs when an event occurs on the master branch
### Checking Job Execution Results * You can check the executed pipelines at **CI/CD > Pipelines**
* Click on a **Pipeline** to see the executed **Job** * When the Job executes successfully, you will see the following screen
*Job succeeded!* \ \
`+` ## Granting Sudo Privileges to the gitlab-runner Account
Initially, when running the Job, the newly created `gitlab-runner` account did not have sudo privileges, so I granted them ```bash sudo visudo ``` * After entering the command above, I added the following content ``` gitlab-runner ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL ``` \
`+` ### Todos * I am thinking about writing a `Dockerfile` and configuring a GitLab CI/CD Job that runs a docker image instead of this approach! * Also looking into methods using Kubernetes! It's fun! --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://chloe-codes1.gitbook.io/til/infra/ci-cd/configuring_gitlab_ci-cd_with_aws_ec2.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.