Step 6 - Promotion

Instead of rebuilding for every environment, we "promote" the immutable artifact from one repository to another.

Jenkinsfile

Here is the Jenkinsfile for this step. Source code: 30-06-Jenkinsfile-docker-promotion-build-info.

import groovy.json.JsonOutput

pipeline {
  agent any
  options {
    disableConcurrentBuilds()
    disableResume()
    buildDiscarder(logRotator(numToKeepStr: '10'))
    timeout(time: 1, unit: 'HOURS')
  }
  parameters {
    choice(name: 'TARGET_REPOSITORY', choices: ['qa', 'prod'], description: 'Jfrog target repository for promotion')
    string(name: 'BUILD_NUMBER', defaultValue: '1.0', description: 'Jfrog Build Info Build Number')
  }
  environment {
    ARTIFACTORY_URL = "https://vigneshsweekaran2.jfrog.io"
    BUILD_NAME = "hello-world-java"
    ARTIFACTORY_CREDENTIAL_ID = "jfrog-credential"
  }
  stages {
    stage ("Promotion") {
      steps {
        script {
          def sourecRepository = "dev"
          if ("${params.TARGET_REPOSITORY}" == "prod") {
            sourecRepository = "qa"
          }
          def promotionConfig = JsonOutput.toJson([
            status: "promoting",
            sourceRepo: "docker-helloworld-${sourecRepository}-local",
            targetRepo: "docker-helloworld-${params.TARGET_REPOSITORY}-local",
            copy: true,
            failFast: true
          ])

          withCredentials([usernamePassword(credentialsId: "${ARTIFACTORY_CREDENTIAL_ID}", usernameVariable: 'ARTIFACTORY_USERNAME', passwordVariable: 'ARTIFACTORY_PASSWORD')]) {
            sh """
              curl -u${ARTIFACTORY_USERNAME}:${ARTIFACTORY_PASSWORD} -X POST ${ARTIFACTORY_URL}/artifactory/api/build/promote/${BUILD_NAME}/${params.BUILD_NUMBER} -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" --data '${promotionConfig}'
            """
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
  post {
    always {
      deleteDir()
    }
  }
}

Detailed Explanation

Logic for Promotion

The script dynamically calculates the sourceRepo based on the requested TARGET_REPOSITORY. - If promoting to QA, it pulls from Dev. - If promoting to Prod, it pulls from QA. This ensures a strict linear promotion path: Dev -> QA -> Prod.

JSON payload

We verify the payload structure before sending it: - copy: true: Copies the artifact (keeping the original in source). If set to false, it moves it. - status: "promoting": A status label added to the build info.

Important Tips

Important

This job uses the Build Info (Build Name and Build Number) to find the artifacts, not the Docker tag directly. This is why publishing build info in the previous step was mandatory.

Next Step: SonarQube Integration

Quick Quiz

Quick Quiz

#

What is "Artifact Promotion"?

Moving or copying an artifact from one repository (e.g., Dev) to another (e.g., Prod) to indicate it passed a quality gate

Rebuilding the artifact

Deleting old artifacts

Archiving artifacts

Promotion is the process of moving the same immutable artifact through different maturity repositories (Dev -> QA -> Prod).

#

Why is promoting an artifact better than rebuilding it?

It ensures the exact same binary that was tested is deployed, avoiding differences from rebuilding

It saves time

It saves disk space

It is required by Docker

Rebuilding introduces the risk that the new artifact might differ (e.g., newer dependencies) from what was tested. Promotion guarantees identical binaries.

#

Which HTTP method is typically used with the Artifactory Promote API?

POST

GET

PUT

DELETE

The promotion action uses a POST request to trigger the change in Artifactory.

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