Pipeline stages and steps in Jenkins - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Pipeline stages and steps

Start Pipeline

↓

Stage 1: Build

↓

Execute Steps in Build

↓

Stage 2: Test

↓

Execute Steps in Test

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Stage 3: Deploy

↓

Execute Steps in Deploy

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Pipeline Complete

The pipeline starts, then runs each stage in order. Each stage runs its steps. After all stages finish, the pipeline ends.

Execution Sample

Jenkins

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Build') {
      steps { echo 'Building...' }
    }
    stage('Test') {
      steps { echo 'Testing...' }
    }
    stage('Deploy') {
      steps { echo 'Deploying...' }
    }
  }
}

This Jenkins pipeline runs three stages: Build, Test, and Deploy, each printing a message.

Process Table

Step	Stage	Step Action	Output	Pipeline State
1	Build	echo 'Building...'	Building...	Build stage running
2	Build	Build stage complete		Moving to Test stage
3	Test	echo 'Testing...'	Testing...	Test stage running
4	Test	Test stage complete		Moving to Deploy stage
5	Deploy	echo 'Deploying...'	Deploying...	Deploy stage running
6	Deploy	Deploy stage complete		Pipeline complete

💡 All stages completed, pipeline ends successfully

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Build	After Test	After Deploy
Current Stage	None	Build	Test	Deploy
Pipeline Status	Not started	Running	Running	Completed

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does the pipeline wait for all steps in a stage before moving to the next stage?

Because Jenkins runs all steps inside a stage sequentially and only moves to the next stage after completing all steps, as shown in execution_table rows 1-2 and 3-4.

What happens if a step inside a stage fails?

The pipeline stops immediately and does not proceed to the next stages. This is implied by the pipeline state changes in the execution_table where each stage completes before moving on.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the pipeline state after step 3?

A Build stage running

B Test stage running

C Deploy stage running

D Pipeline complete

💡 Hint

Check the 'Pipeline State' column at step 3 in the execution_table.

At which step does the pipeline move from the Test stage to the Deploy stage?

A Step 4

B Step 2

C Step 5

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Look for the 'Moving to Deploy stage' note in the 'Pipeline State' column.

If the 'Build' stage had two steps instead of one, how would the execution table change?

A The pipeline would skip the Test stage

B The Deploy stage would run before Build

C There would be two rows for the Build stage steps before moving to Test

D The pipeline would end after the first Build step

💡 Hint

Consider how each step is represented as a row in the execution_table.

Concept Snapshot

Jenkins pipelines run in stages.
Each stage has steps executed in order.
Pipeline moves to next stage only after current stage completes.
Stages help organize and visualize pipeline progress.
Failures stop the pipeline immediately.

Full Transcript

A Jenkins pipeline runs through stages one by one. Each stage contains steps that run in order. For example, the Build stage runs its steps, then the pipeline moves to the Test stage, and finally the Deploy stage. The pipeline only moves forward after all steps in a stage finish. If any step fails, the pipeline stops. This helps organize work and track progress clearly.