Jenkins Infrastructure Setup for CartForge CI/CD Pipeline

Business Scenario

At CartForge, after deciding to implement CI/CD automation, the next challenge was building the right infrastructure to support it.

The manager identified a critical requirement:
Without a dedicated Jenkins environment, automated pipelines could face performance issues, security risks, and unreliable deployment processes.

He entrusted the junior DevOps engineer with the responsibility.

After assessing the system requirements, the DevOps engineer proposed the ideal solution:
Set up a dedicated Jenkins infrastructure with secure server provisioning, proper access controls, and optimized configurations to support scalable CI/CD operations.

The DevOps engineer then presented the strategy to the team:
By establishing a strong Jenkins infrastructure, CartForge could ensure reliable automation, secure pipeline management, faster software delivery, and a solid foundation for continuous deployment success.

Pre-Lab Preparation

Before starting, you should understand:

  • Basic Jenkins setup and access

  • What is CI/CD pipeline

  • Basic Linux commands

  • SSH connectivity

  • What is a server and how services run

Task 1: Manage CartForge CI/CD via Jenkins Dashboard

Access  Jenkins

1

Open browser:https://your-public-ip:8080

Dashboard Overview

You will see:

  • Jobs (your pipelines)

  • Build history

  • Status (Success/Failure)

Open Your Project (Click:cartforge-pipeline)

2

Run Build

Click:Build Now

3

Check Logs

Click build number → Console Output

Task 2: Configure Jenkins Agent (Distributed Build)

1

Launch New EC2 Instance

Create a new instance:

  • Name: jenkins-agent

  • AMI: Ubuntu

  • Instance type: t2.micro

Allow port:

  • SSH (22)

2

Connect to Agent Server

ssh -i key.pem ubuntu@agent-ip

3

Install Java on Agent

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openjdk-21-jdk -y

In your master type 

ssh-keygen

Now Add these eky in your agent server

4

Configure Agent in Jenkins

Go to Jenkins Dashboard:

  • Manage Jenkins

  • Nodes

  • New Node

Create Node

  • Name: agent-1

  • Type: Permanent Agent

Configure Details

  • Remote root directory: /home/ubuntu

  • Labels: linux-agent

  • Usage: Use this node as much as possible

Launch Method

  • Launch agents via SSH

Add Credentials

  • Add SSH credentials

  • Username: ubuntu

  • Private key: paste key content

Save configuration

5

Connect Agent

Jenkins will automatically try to connect

If successful:

Status → Online

Task 3: Assign Job to Agent

Modify Existing Job

Go to:

  • cartforge-pipeline → Configure

1

Restrict Build

2

Enable:Restrict where this project can be run

Add label:linux-agent

3

Run Build Again

Click Build Now

4

Observe

Build runs on agent, not master.

On your agent you can see the output

And its done

Task 4: Implement Backup Strategy

1

Backup Jenkins Directory

Main directory:/var/lib/jenkins

Create Backup Folder

mkdir ~/jenkins-backup

Take Backup

sudo cp -r /var/lib/jenkins/* ~/jenkins-backup/

2

Automate Backup (Optional)

Edit crontab:

crontab -e

Add:

0 2 * * * cp -r /var/lib/jenkins/* /home/ubuntu/jenkins-backup/

Check Backup

ls ~/jenkins-backup

Files should be present

 

Great job!

Built and managed a secure, scalable Jenkins infrastructure that supports distributed builds, optimized performance, and real-world CI/CD automation.

Checkpoint

Next-Lab Preparation

Before starting, you should understand:

  • Basic Jenkins setup and access

  • What is CI/CD

  • Git and repository usage

  • Basic Linux commands

  • Jenkins job creation