How To Run Jenkins Slaves in as Kubernetes Pods

To connect Kubernetes pods as slaves in Jenkins, you need to follow these steps:

1. Set up a Kubernetes cluster: 

Install Kubernetes on your infrastructure, either using a cloud provider or your own servers.

2. Set up Jenkins: 

Install Jenkins on a master machine. You can either use an existing Jenkins installation or create a new one specifically for Kubernetes.

3. Install the Kubernetes plugin: 

In the Jenkins master, install the Kubernetes plugin. This plugin allows Jenkins to create and manage pods as slaves on the Kubernetes cluster.

4. Configure the Kubernetes Cloud in Jenkins: 

Configure the Kubernetes Cloud in Jenkins by going to "Manage Jenkins" -> "Configure System" -> "Cloud" section. Provide your Kubernetes cluster details including the API server URL, credentials, and other configuration parameters.

5. Create a Jenkins agent pod template: 

In the Jenkins configuration, go to "Manage Jenkins" -> "Configure System" -> "Cloud" section. Under the "Kubernetes Pod Template" section, define the pod template with an appropriate label. You can specify the base Docker image, resource limits, and other configuration settings for the slave pod.

6. Define Jenkins agents using Kubernetes pods: 

In your Jenkinsfile or job configuration, add a declaration to define the agents using Kubernetes pods. Specify the label and other requirements for the agent pod. This will tell Jenkins to create and manage pods dynamically as needed for your builds.

7. Run your Jenkins job: 

Run your Jenkins job, and Jenkins will automatically provision the required number of slave pods to execute the job. Each pod will be assigned to a build based on the label and any other requirements you specified.

8. Monitor and manage the slave pods: 

Jenkins will automatically manage the lifecycle of the slave pods. You can monitor the pods' status, logs, and resource utilization through the Jenkins UI or CLI. When the job completes or is aborted, Jenkins will clean up the slave pods and release the resources.

By following these steps, you can connect Kubernetes pods as slaves in Jenkins and leverage the power of Kubernetes for scalable and dynamic build execution.