CloudBees and Jenkins are two popular Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools. CloudBees is a commercial offering that provides a comprehensive platform for automating software delivery, while Jenkins is an open-source tool that's free to use.
CloudBees is designed to handle large-scale deployments and provides advanced features like automated testing and deployment. It also offers a user-friendly interface for managing pipelines.
Jenkins, on the other hand, is highly customizable and can be extended with a wide range of plugins. This flexibility makes it a popular choice among developers who want to tailor their CI/CD pipeline to their specific needs.
Cloudbees vs Jenkins Comparison
CloudBees offers enterprise-grade support, which is a major difference from Jenkins. This support can be purchased separately, even if you're using the open-source version of Jenkins.
CloudBees also brings enterprise manageability, scalability, and security features to the table. From a manageability standpoint, CloudBees comes with CJOC, a single pane of glass management console that allows organizations to centrally manage their Jenkins environment.
CloudBees' scalability feature leverages Kubernetes to provide elastic scaling of Jenkins environments as needed. This eliminates the risk of a single point of failure and reduces upgrade and administration complexity.
Here are some key differences between CloudBees and Jenkins:
- Manageability: CJOC provides a single pane of glass management console.
- Scalability: CloudBees leverages Kubernetes for elastic scaling.
- Security: CloudBees provides Roll Based Access Control and folder segregation.
CloudBees has developed a proprietary plugin set that adds enterprise-level functionality, such as plugin compatibility verification and job copying. These plugins are targeted towards larger organizations that require more complex features.
Enterprise Management
Enterprise management is a crucial aspect of any organization, and when it comes to Jenkins, CloudBees offers a more comprehensive solution.
CloudBees provides enterprise-grade support, which is a significant difference from Jenkins Open Source. This support is available for those who want to purchase "Support Only" from CloudBees.
CloudBees brings a lot of features from an enterprise manageability, scalability, and security standpoint. Manageability is enhanced with CJOC (CloudBees Jenkins Operations Center), a single pane of glass management console that allows organizations or large teams to centrally manage the Jenkins environment.
CloudBees leverages Kubernetes to provide organizations with the ability to elastically scale Jenkins environments as needed. This greatly reduces upgrade and administration complexity.
CloudBees allows organizations to install Roll Based Access Control within Jenkins, which keeps users from accidentally or intentionally accessing repos that they shouldn't be allowed to interact with.
CloudBees provides folders to segregate specific job executions onto specific agents, and allows organizations to create pipeline templates and associated plugins for each team.
CloudBees has developed a presentation layer called DevOptics that rides on top of Jenkins for SDLC pipeline, CD monitoring, and metric tracking.
Here are some key features of CloudBees Enterprise:
- Manageability: CJOC (CloudBees Jenkins Operations Center) for centralized management
- Scaleability: Kubernetes for elastic scaling
- Security: Roll Based Access Control, folders, and pipeline templates
Revising Commercial Offerings
In June of last year, CloudBees embarked on an updated product strategy that replaced CloudBees Jenkins Platform and CloudBees Jenkins Enterprise with a single product called CloudBees Core.
The new CloudBees Core is designed to help manage Jenkins-based CI/CD controllers that customers run themselves, rather than being versions or flavors of Jenkins.
Benefits of Cloudbees
Cloudbees offers massive ROI by overcoming delivery challenges and saving time with available solutions.
With Cloudbees, you can tame the power of automation to meet the fast-paced demands of software delivery.
Cloudbees is known for its successful implementation at scale, allowing you to learn from others who have achieved similar results.
By using Cloudbees, you can discover insights that help you overcome common obstacles in software delivery.
Cloudbees provides a platform that helps you save time and resources, making it easier to achieve your goals in software delivery.
Jenkins Alternatives
If you're looking for Jenkins alternatives, you have several options. CloudBees CI is a popular choice, offering a wide range of features and integrations. Circle CI, Bamboo, and GitLab are also well-established options that can meet your CI/CD needs.
Jenkins itself has its own strengths, particularly when it comes to high-security demands. According to Maxim Milovanov, a senior software engineer, Jenkins is ideal for developing software with high-security demands. It's hosted and set up locally, with no outside connections.
For those who prefer a more user-friendly experience, CloudBees Codeship is a great option. It's easier to use than Jenkins and doesn't require setting up your own server. Claudio Fernandes Maciel, a Sr. Software Developer, chose CloudBees Codeship for its intuitive UI and ease of setup.
Platform Alternatives
If you're looking for a Jenkins alternative, consider established options like CloudBees CI, Jenkins, TeamCity, Circle CI, Bamboo, and GitLab.
These tools offer a wide range of features, integrations, and support, making them potential candidates for your migration. They can help you achieve scalability, automation capabilities, security features, ease of use, and integration with your existing toolchain.
Researching these alternatives will help you determine the most suitable replacement for Jenkins. Consider factors such as scalability, automation capabilities, security features, ease of use, and integration with your existing toolchain.
CloudBees CI, for example, is a well-established option that offers a wide range of features and integrations. It's a potential candidate for your migration, especially if you're looking for a tool that aligns with your specific requirements.
Jenkins, on the other hand, is an open-source CI/CD tool that offers a wide range of features and integrations. It's a popular choice among developers and can be a good option if you're looking for a tool that's easy to use and customize.
Ultimately, the best alternative to Jenkins will depend on your specific needs and requirements. Take the time to research and explore these options, and don't be afraid to ask for help or seek expert services if needed.
Codeship
CloudBees Codeship is a popular alternative to Jenkins. It's known for its intuitive UI and easy setup.
One of the main advantages of CloudBees Codeship is that it doesn't require you to set up your own server, which can save you time and effort. This is especially true for personal use, as mentioned by a Senior Software Engineer who chose CloudBees Codeship.
CloudBees Codeship also provides a large amount of out-of-the-box integrations for version control systems and cloud environments, making it a great choice for those who need to work with multiple tools. This is a key benefit that sets it apart from Jenkins, according to a Lead Consultant - Technology.
Here are some key pros of CloudBees Codeship:
- Intuitive UI
- Easy setup
- Out-of-the-box integrations for version control systems and cloud environments
- No server setup required
Overall, CloudBees Codeship is a great choice for those who want a user-friendly and hassle-free experience.
Other Community Changes
CloudBees is shifting its approach to contributing to the Jenkins community. They're now sharing more responsibility and benefits with other community members, including tech giants and individuals.
This change is part of their new strategy with the CDF, where they're collaborating with Google to make Tekton a pipeline execution option within Jenkins X. They're also moving their commercial products to work with Jenkins rather than being a "flavor of" Jenkins.
CloudBees is initiating a more collaborative direction for Jenkins X, which has a different community dynamic than Jenkins. They're apologizing for not being responsive enough in the early days of Jenkins X and inviting the Jenkins community to contribute to the new project.
The company is adopting a "leading with code" approach, building things fast without a long proposal process and including them in their free version while waiting for community approval. This approach is similar to Chef's, according to Kohsuke.
Migration and Upgrades
The CloudBees Jenkins Platform is reaching its end-of-life, so it's essential to plan a timely migration to a new CI/CD solution to avoid disruptions.
You'll need to assess your organization's specific requirements for a CI/CD solution, considering factors such as scalability, automation capabilities, security features, ease of use, and integration with your existing toolchain.
Ease of migration is also crucial, so look for migration guides, documentation, and community support that can facilitate a smooth transition. Taking advantage of professional services and support can further simplify the migration process.
To ensure a successful migration, create a comprehensive migration plan that outlines the necessary steps, including setting up the new CI/CD tool, configuring pipelines, and transferring existing jobs and configurations.
CloudBees CI offers a smooth transition for existing users, providing a wide range of features to support efficient software delivery, including pipeline automation, plugin extensibility, and robust security measures.
Thoroughly test and validate your new CI/CD setup to ensure it meets your expectations and effectively supports your software development workflows.
The biggest change since Kohsuke's post has to do with the respective missions of Jenkins and Jenkins X, making Jenkins X a general-purpose CI/CD and DevOps automation server that can run most of the same workloads as Jenkins alone but natively on Kubernetes.
Key Features and Functionality
CloudBees CI and Jenkins both offer robust CI/CD tools that cater to various software development needs.
CloudBees CI boasts features like support for containerized applications, pipeline visualization and analytics, advanced security and compliance, role-based access control, and integration with popular development tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. This makes it an attractive option for enterprises seeking a scalable and manageable solution.
Jenkins, on the other hand, is renowned for its flexibility and customization options, with an extensive plugin ecosystem that allows users to tailor CI workflows according to their unique requirements. However, it may require more manual configuration and expertise to set up and maintain.
Here's a comparison of the key features of CloudBees CI and Jenkins:
Functionality and Scalability
Jenkins is renowned for its unparalleled flexibility, offering customization options through its extensive plugin ecosystem.
A robust CI/CD tool should streamline software development processes and provide the necessary functionality to meet your needs.
Pipeline automation is a crucial feature to consider when evaluating CI/CD tools, as it can significantly boost efficiency and productivity.
CloudBees CI, for instance, leverages the flexible and robust Jenkins engine, adding features that significantly boost scalability, manageability, and performance for enterprises utilizing Jenkins.
Features like extensibility through plugins, scalability, and support for parallel and distributed builds are essential for meeting the specific requirements of your organization.
Here's a comparison of key features of Jenkins and CloudBees CI:
By considering these features and functionality, you can make an informed decision about which CI/CD tool is best for your organization's specific needs.
Deciding Placement
To clarify their decision process, the team created a flow chart that outlines their thought process.
They'll put anything in open source that ensures Jenkins remains the best open source CI/CD and DevOps automation server for any developer on any development team.
The team weighs whether making something free justifies the hard costs it might involve or the opportunity cost of what they could make by selling it.
Ultimately, their business strategy depends on a thriving Jenkins community, and they won't make choices that threaten that for short-term returns.
They'll continually monitor the outcomes of their choices and may move things across boundaries as conditions change.
The team considers whether something links to services costing them money to operate before deciding what to make proprietary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of CloudBees?
CloudBees helps developers streamline their workflow processes with secure, self-service access to automated tasks. It enables easy creation and management of workflows, empowering teams to work more efficiently.
Sources
- https://www.cloudbees.com/products/cloudbees-ci/jenkins-comparison
- https://stackoverflow.com/questions/50336905/what-is-the-difference-between-jenkins-and-cloudbees-jenkins
- https://www.cloudbees.com/blog/cloudbees-and-jenkins-update
- https://www.trustradius.com/compare-products/cloudbees-codeship-vs-jenkins
- https://www.spkaa.com/blog/top-picks-cloudbees-jenkins-platform-cjp-alternatives
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