Input step for manual approval in Jenkins - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Jenkins Pipeline Manual Approval with Input Step

📖 Scenario: You are automating a software deployment process using Jenkins. Before deploying to production, you want a human to review and approve the deployment manually.

🎯 Goal: Create a Jenkins pipeline script that pauses for manual approval using the input step before continuing to the deployment stage.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a Jenkins pipeline script with a stage named Approval

Use the input step to pause the pipeline and ask for manual approval

After approval, print a message indicating deployment will proceed

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Manual approval steps are common in deployment pipelines to ensure safety before releasing to production.

💼 Career

DevOps engineers often implement manual gates in CI/CD pipelines to balance automation with human oversight.

1

Create a basic Jenkins pipeline skeleton

Write a Jenkins pipeline script with a pipeline block and an empty stages section.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        // Your code here
    }
}

Hint

Start with the basic Jenkins pipeline structure including pipeline, agent any, and stages blocks.

2

Add an Approval stage with an input step

Inside the stages block, add a stage named Approval that uses the input step with the message 'Approve deployment?'.

Jenkins

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

Hint

Use stage('Approval') and inside steps, add input message: 'Approve deployment?'.

3

Add a deployment stage that runs after approval

Add another stage named Deploy after the Approval stage. Inside steps, add a echo statement that prints 'Deployment started'.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Approval') {
            steps {
                input message: 'Approve deployment?'
            }
        }
        stage('Deploy') {
            steps {
                // Your code here
            }
        }
    }
}

Hint

Add a new stage Deploy with a step that echoes 'Deployment started'.

4

Print confirmation after manual approval

Add a script block inside the Deploy stage's steps to print 'Deployment approved and started' using echo.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Approval') {
            steps {
                input message: 'Approve deployment?'
            }
        }
        stage('Deploy') {
            steps {
                // Your code here
            }
        }
    }
}

Hint

Wrap the echo command inside a script block to print the confirmation message.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of the input step in a Jenkins pipeline?

easy

A. To send email notifications

B. To automatically deploy the application

C. To run tests in parallel

D. To pause the pipeline and wait for manual approval

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of the input step

   The input step is designed to pause the pipeline execution and wait for a user to approve or reject the continuation.

2. Step 2: Compare with other pipeline actions

   Other options like deployment, testing, or notifications are handled by different steps, not input.

3. Final Answer:

   To pause the pipeline and wait for manual approval -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Input step = manual pause [OK]

Hint: Input step always waits for user action [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing input with automated steps
• Thinking input triggers deployment
• Assuming input sends notifications

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to add a manual approval input step in a Jenkins declarative pipeline?

easy

A. input message: 'Approve deployment?'

B. input('Approve deployment?')

C. input { message: 'Approve deployment?' }

D. input message = 'Approve deployment?'

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall Jenkins input step syntax

   The correct syntax uses the input step with named parameters like message: 'text'.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   input message: 'Approve deployment?' matches the correct syntax. Options A, B, and D use incorrect formats or braces.

3. Final Answer:

   input message: 'Approve deployment?' -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Correct input syntax uses named parameters [OK]

Hint: Use named parameters with colon for input step [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using parentheses instead of named parameters
• Using braces instead of parentheses
• Assigning message with equals sign

3. Given the following Jenkins scripted pipeline snippet, what will happen when it reaches the input step?

node {
  stage('Build') {
    echo 'Building...'
  }
  stage('Approval') {
    input message: 'Proceed with deployment?'
  }
  stage('Deploy') {
    echo 'Deploying...'
  }
}

medium

A. Pipeline pauses and waits for user approval before deploying

B. Pipeline skips the approval and deploys immediately

C. Pipeline fails with a syntax error

D. Pipeline runs all stages without pause

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the input step behavior

   The input step pauses the pipeline and waits for a user to approve before continuing.

2. Step 2: Understand pipeline flow

   After approval, the pipeline proceeds to the Deploy stage. Without approval, it stays paused.

3. Final Answer:

   Pipeline pauses and waits for user approval before deploying -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Input step pauses pipeline = Pipeline pauses and waits for user approval before deploying [OK]

Hint: Input step always pauses pipeline until user approves [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming input step is skipped automatically
• Thinking input causes syntax error
• Believing pipeline runs all stages without pause

4. Identify the error in this Jenkins pipeline snippet that uses an input step:

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Test') {
      steps {
        input message: 'Approve test run?'
        echo 'Running tests...'
      }
    }
  }
}

medium

A. The message parameter is missing quotes

B. The input step cannot be used in the Test stage

C. The input step must be inside a script block in declarative pipeline

D. The echo step must come before the input step

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand declarative pipeline input usage

   In declarative pipelines, the input step must be wrapped inside a script block to run scripted steps.

2. Step 2: Check the snippet

   The input step is directly inside steps without script, causing a syntax error.

3. Final Answer:

   The input step must be inside a script block in declarative pipeline -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Input in declarative needs script block [OK]

Hint: Wrap input step in script block in declarative pipelines [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Placing input step directly in steps without script
• Missing quotes around message
• Thinking input can't be used in certain stages

5. You want to add a manual approval step in a Jenkins declarative pipeline that asks the user to confirm deployment with a custom message and a timeout of 1 hour. Which snippet correctly implements this?

hard

A. input message: 'Deploy now?', timeout: 3600

B. script { input message: 'Deploy now?', timeout: 3600 }

C. script { input message: 'Deploy now?', timeout: 60, submitter: 'admin' }

D. script { input message: 'Deploy now?', timeout: 60 }

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand timeout parameter unit

   The timeout parameter for input is in seconds, so 1 hour = 3600 seconds.

2. Step 2: Check declarative pipeline syntax

   Input must be inside a script block in declarative pipelines.

3. Step 3: Evaluate options

   script { input message: 'Deploy now?', timeout: 3600 } correctly uses script block and timeout 3600 seconds. script { input message: 'Deploy now?', timeout: 60 } uses 60 (1 minute), B lacks script block, C adds submitter but timeout is 60 seconds.

4. Final Answer:

   script { input message: 'Deploy now?', timeout: 3600 } -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Timeout in seconds + script block = script { input message: 'Deploy now?', timeout: 3600 } [OK]

Hint: Timeout is seconds; use script block in declarative [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using timeout in minutes instead of seconds
• Omitting script block in declarative pipeline
• Adding unnecessary parameters