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The CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer Plugin is a game-changer for Jenkins users. It helps you understand how plugins are used in your Jenkins environment.
This plugin provides a detailed report on plugin usage, which can be a huge time-saver. You can identify which plugins are being used the most and which ones are redundant.
With this information, you can optimize your Jenkins setup and reduce unnecessary plugin maintenance. This can also help you make informed decisions about which plugins to upgrade or remove.
By using the CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer Plugin, you can streamline your Jenkins workflow and improve overall efficiency.
Getting a Report
You can view the most recent plugin usage report from the Plugin Usage screen.
The report is always available and can be accessed by going to Manage Jenkins, selecting Plugin Usage, and viewing the report.
To see the list of locations where a plugin is used, select the down arrow on the right side of the row for a plugin.
You can also download the plugin usage report as a JSON file.
To download the report, go to Manage Jenkins and select Plugin Usage, then select Download report.
Alternatively, you can use the command line to download the report by typing: curl --user "user:userToken" --request GET https://instanceUrl/pluginUsage/download.
Troubleshooting
If you're experiencing issues with the CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer plugin, don't worry, there are workarounds to get you back up and running.
To disable the plugin, you can simply uninstall it by restarting Jenkins after disabling the CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer plugin, which has a short name of cloudbees-plugin-usage. If Jenkins is not accessible, check out the article "How to disable a plugin when Jenkins is down?" for more information.
Another option is to remove the file $JENKINS/pup/analysis.json before restarting Jenkins, which will resolve the issue on startup.
Canceling a Report
Canceling a Report can be a lifesaver if you're dealing with a long-running analysis. It may take some time for the analysis to stop after you cancel it.
The analysis of the current element or the gathering of elements to be analyzed must complete before the analysis can stop.
To cancel a report, you'll need to head to the Manage Jenkins section. From there, navigate to the Tools and Actions section and select Plugin Usage.
Select Cancel analysis and then confirm by clicking OK.
The Solution
The CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer is a game-changer for DevOps teams struggling with plugin bloat.
It provides a bird's-eye view of plugin usage across Freestyle and Pipeline jobs, making it easier to identify and remove unused plugins.
With this tool, administrators can periodically audit and review their plugins, ensuring their systems are healthy and running smoothly.
Having an actionable view of plugin usage can help prevent plugin bloat, which can negatively impact system stability and upgrades.
Here are some benefits of using the CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer:
- Track and monitor plugin usage across Freestyle and Pipeline jobs
- Audit and review unused plugins
- Maintain and upgrade used plugins
- Ensure system health and stability
- Prevent plugin bloat
This solution is especially useful for large software organizations with hundreds of plugins to manage.
By using the CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer, administrators can ensure their systems are running smoothly and in compliance.
Explanation
The CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer Plugin is designed to help administrators gain better visibility into their plugin inventory. It's a game-changer for those who need to keep track of their plugins.
The plugin usage dashboard UI is where the magic happens. It provides a range of filters to control the data used in visualizations.
Here are the filters you can use:
The plugin usage details can be viewed in various formats, including donut graphs. Selecting a donut graph arc pops up detailed information for the particular arc.
You can also search for a subset of plugins by typing in the Find box. Results are dynamically listed, and leading spaces are trimmed. This type of search box appears in various places throughout the various dashboard tables.
Selecting a plugin name drills down to the plugins detail page, providing a more in-depth look at the plugin's usage.
Access and Data
Accessing plugin usage analytics is a straightforward process. To get started, select Analytics from the CloudBees navigation, and a dashboard list will display, showing you the various dashboards available based on your CloudBees capabilities.
The list will vary depending on your licenses, so if Analytics is not active, you can select Learn more for licensing information. You can also check if the Plugin Usage dashboard is available in the list.
To view plugin usage data, you need to have the CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer plugin installed on your controller. This plugin captures plugin usage data from each controller, providing you with valuable insights into how your plugins are being used.
CloudBees Can Help
CloudBees can help you gain valuable insights into plugin usage, which is essential for assessing their impact on your organization. This visibility is crucial for CloudBees CI administrators who need to ensure plugins comply with information security guidelines.
Having an accurate view into which plugins are used and not used can help you proactively work with App Dev teams to minimize business disruptions caused by plugins being out of compliance.
Accessing
To access plugin usage analytics, you'll need to navigate to the CloudBees dashboard. Select Analytics from the CloudBees navigation, and the dashboard list will display, showing various dashboards based on the CloudBees capabilities you have licenses for.
If Analytics is not active from the CloudBees navigation, you can select Learn more for licensing information. This will provide you with the necessary details to activate Analytics.
To view plugin usage analytics, select Plugin Usage from the list. The Plugin Usage dashboard will then display, showing you the relevant data.
Data
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Data is captured from various sources to provide a comprehensive view of your application.
The plugin usage data is captured from each controller using the CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer plugin. This allows for a detailed understanding of how plugins are being utilized within your application.
Data is also captured through the CloudBees Plugin Usage Analyzer plugin, which provides valuable insights into plugin usage.
This data can be used to identify trends and patterns in plugin usage, helping you to optimize your application's performance and efficiency.
Sources
- https://docs.cloudbees.com/docs/cloudbees-ci/latest/plugin-management/plugin-usage
- https://docs.cloudbees.com/docs/cloudbees-ci-kb/latest/client-and-managed-controllers/cloudbees-plugin-usage-plugin-2-0-slows-down-controller-start-up
- https://docs.cloudbees.com/docs/cloudbees-ci/latest/stories/jenkins-at-scale/plugin-usage-analyzer
- https://docs.cloudbees.com/docs/cloudbees-cd/latest/dashboards-built-in/plugin-usage
- https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18138361/how-can-i-know-whether-the-plugin-is-used-by-any-jobs-in-jenkins
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