Archiving artifacts in Jenkins - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Archiving Artifacts in Jenkins Pipeline

📖 Scenario: You are working on a Jenkins pipeline that builds a simple project. After the build, you want to save the build output files so they can be accessed later. This is called archiving artifacts.Archiving artifacts helps keep important files safe and shareable after the build finishes.

🎯 Goal: Build a Jenkins pipeline script that archives the output.log file after the build step.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a Jenkins pipeline script with a pipeline block

Add a stage named Build that creates a file output.log

Add a stage named Archive that archives the output.log file using archiveArtifacts

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Archiving artifacts in Jenkins pipelines is essential for saving build outputs like logs, binaries, or reports. These files can be downloaded later or used in deployment steps.

💼 Career

Understanding artifact archiving is a key skill for DevOps engineers and CI/CD pipeline developers to ensure build results are preserved and traceable.

1

Create the Jenkins pipeline skeleton

Write a Jenkins pipeline script starting with pipeline and agent any. Add a stage named Build with a steps block that creates a file called output.log containing the text Build successful using the shell command sh.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                // Your code here
            }
        }
    }
}

Hint

Use sh 'echo Build successful > output.log' inside the steps block to create the file.

2

Add the Archive stage

Add a new stage named Archive after the Build stage. Inside its steps block, prepare to archive the file output.log using the archiveArtifacts step.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                sh 'echo Build successful > output.log'
            }
        }
        // Your code here
    }
}

Hint

Add a new stage('Archive') with a steps block inside stages.

3

Archive the output.log file

Inside the Archive stage's steps block, write the command archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'output.log' to archive the file output.log.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                sh 'echo Build successful > output.log'
            }
        }
        stage('Archive') {
            steps {
                // Your code here
            }
        }
    }
}

Hint

Use archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'output.log' to save the file as an artifact.

4

Print confirmation message

Add a stage named Confirm after Archive. Inside its steps block, write echo 'Artifacts archived successfully.' using the sh step to print a confirmation message.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                sh 'echo Build successful > output.log'
            }
        }
        stage('Archive') {
            steps {
                archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'output.log'
            }
        }
        // Your code here
    }
}

Hint

Use sh 'echo Artifacts archived successfully.' inside the Confirm stage to print the message.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of using archiveArtifacts in a Jenkins pipeline?

easy

A. To delete old build files automatically

B. To save build output files for later use or sharing

C. To trigger another build job

D. To send email notifications after a build

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of archiveArtifacts

   This command is used to save files generated by a build so they can be accessed later.

2. Step 2: Compare with other options

   Deleting files, triggering builds, or sending emails are different Jenkins features, not related to archiving artifacts.

3. Final Answer:

   To save build output files for later use or sharing -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Archiving = Saving build files [OK]

Hint: Archiving means saving build files for future use [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing archiving with deleting files
• Thinking it triggers other jobs
• Assuming it sends notifications

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to archive all .jar files in a Jenkins pipeline script?

easy

A. archiveArtifacts '*.jar'

B. archiveArtifacts '*.jar;'

C. archiveArtifacts '*.jar' {}

D. archiveArtifacts '*.jar'()

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the syntax of archiveArtifacts

   The correct syntax uses the command followed by the file pattern in quotes without extra characters.

2. Step 2: Identify incorrect syntax

   Options with semicolon, braces, or parentheses after the pattern are invalid in Jenkins pipeline syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   archiveArtifacts '*.jar' -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Correct syntax = archiveArtifacts 'pattern' [OK]

Hint: Use single quotes and no extra symbols after pattern [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding semicolons inside the pattern string
• Using braces or parentheses incorrectly
• Missing quotes around the pattern

3. Given this Jenkins pipeline snippet:

stage('Build') {
  steps {
    sh 'echo Hello > output.txt'
    archiveArtifacts 'output.txt'
  }
}

What will Jenkins do after this stage completes?

medium

A. Send output.txt as an email attachment

B. Delete the file output.txt immediately

C. Fail the build because output.txt is not found

D. Save the file output.txt as a build artifact

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the shell command

   The command creates a file named output.txt with the text 'Hello'.

2. Step 2: Analyze archiveArtifacts usage

   This command archives the specified file so it is saved with the build for later access.

3. Final Answer:

   Save the file output.txt as a build artifact -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   archiveArtifacts saves files [OK]

Hint: archiveArtifacts saves files created in the build [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming the file is deleted after archiving
• Thinking the build fails if file exists
• Confusing archiving with emailing files

4. You wrote this Jenkins pipeline snippet:

archiveArtifacts '*.log'

But no files are archived after the build. What is the most likely reason?

medium

A. No .log files were created in the workspace

B. The syntax of archiveArtifacts is incorrect

C. Jenkins does not support archiving .log files

D. The build failed before reaching the archive step

Solution

1. Step 1: Check the file pattern and workspace

   If no .log files exist in the workspace, nothing will be archived.

2. Step 2: Verify syntax and Jenkins support

   The syntax is correct and Jenkins supports archiving any file type.

3. Step 3: Consider build status

   If the build failed before this step, archiving wouldn't run, but the question implies the step ran.

4. Final Answer:

   No .log files were created in the workspace -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Files must exist to be archived [OK]

Hint: Check if files exist before archiving [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Jenkins can't archive certain file types
• Blaming syntax without checking files
• Ignoring build step execution order

5. You want to archive all .jar files in the build/libs folder and also keep the build logs named build.log. Which archiveArtifacts usage is correct?

hard

A. archiveArtifacts 'build/libs/*.jar', build.log

B. archiveArtifacts 'build/libs/*.jar build.log'

C. archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'build/libs/*.jar, build.log'

D. archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'build/libs/*.jar', 'build.log'

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand multiple file patterns in archiveArtifacts

   To archive multiple patterns, use the named parameter artifacts with a comma-separated string.

2. Step 2: Analyze each option

   archiveArtifacts 'build/libs/*.jar', build.log passes two positional arguments (invalid), archiveArtifacts 'build/libs/*.jar build.log' lacks comma separator, archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'build/libs/*.jar', 'build.log' has invalid syntax with two strings.

3. Final Answer:

   archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'build/libs/*.jar, build.log' -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Use artifacts: 'pattern1, pattern2' for multiple files [OK]

Hint: Use artifacts: 'pattern1, pattern2' to archive multiple files [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting the artifacts: parameter
• Separating patterns without commas
• Passing multiple strings instead of one