FAQs for Delivery Pipeline

Get answers to frequently asked questions about using Delivery Pipeline.

How do I pass artifacts between pipeline jobs?

When a stage runs, the stage's input is passed to each of the jobs in the stage. Each job is given a clean container to run in. As a result, jobs within a stage cannot pass artifacts to each other. To pass artifacts between jobs, separate the jobs into two stages, and use the output from the job in the first stage as input to the second stage.

For more information about pipeline jobs, see Jobs.

Is there a maximum time limit that my pipeline jobs can run?

The lengths of Classic pipeline jobs and Tekton pipeline runs are determined by the private worker that the pipeline run occurs on. On IBM Managed workers, this value is 6 hours. On self-managed Delivery Pipeline Private Workers, the default length of time for a pipeline run is 24 hours.

How secure are the pipeline secure properties?

Pipeline secure properties are encrypted by using AES-128, and decrypted immediately before they are passed to your pipeline script. These properties are also masked by using asterisks in the properties user interface and in your pipeline log files. Before data is written to the log file for your pipeline job, it is scanned for exact matches to all of the values in the pipeline secure properties. If a match is found, it is masked by using asterisks. Be careful when you are working with secure properties and log files since only exact matches are masked.

How do I find information about the environment variables that are used in pipeline jobs?

For information about the environment properties and resources that are available by default in pipeline environments, see Environment properties and resources.

Can I use the IBM Cloud CLI to run a pipeline stage?

You can use the IBM Cloud developer tools CLI plug-in to run a pipeline stage.

Install the IBM Cloud CLI.
From the command line, run the following command to manually start your pipeline:
```
ibmcloud dev pipeline-run pipelineID --stage-id stageID
```

For more information about the pipeline-run command, see pipeline-run.

Can I download the yaml file for a delivery pipeline?

You can export the definition for an entire pipeline by appending /yaml to the pipeline URL. For more information about exporting the definition for an entire pipeline, see Modifying, exporting, and deleting Continuous Delivery pipeline data.

Can I manage delivery pipelines by using Terraform?

You can use Terraform to provision, update, and de-provision Tekton pipelines, definitions, properties, triggers, and trigger properties. For more information about using Terraform with Tekton pipelines, see Working with Tekton pipelines, and the ibm_cd_tekton_pipeline resources documentation.

You cannot use Terraform to trigger Tekton pipeline runs, or to manage Tekton pipeline runs and logs. You can perform these tasks with the Tekton pipeline APIs, or by using the console.

You cannot use Terraform to manage Classic pipelines. You can manage Classic pipelines only by using the console.

Can I manage delivery pipelines by using an API?

You can use HTTP APIs or selected programming language SDKs to provision, update, and de-provision Tekton pipelines, definitions, properties, triggers, and trigger properties. You can also use the APIs and SDKs to trigger Tekton pipeline runs, and to manage Tekton pipeline runs and logs. For more information about using Tekton pipelines with the API, see Working with Tekton pipelines, and the CD Tekton Pipeline API docs.

You cannot use APIs to manage Classic pipelines. You can manage Classic pipelines only by using the console.

What is the difference between `ibm_cd_toolchain_tool_pipeline` and `ibm_cd_tekton_pipeline` in Terraform?

An ibm_cd_tekton_pipeline resource represents a Tekton Pipeline. An ibm_cd_toolchain_tool_pipeline resource represents the tool integration that binds a Tekton Pipeline into a toolchain. In the architecture of the Continuous Delivery toolchain platform, tool integrations are distinct entities from the tools that they represent. A tool integration is owned by a toolchain, refers to a tool, and manages how the tool contributes its capabilities to the toolchain.

To construct a toolchain that includes a Tekton pipeline, you must declare three resources:

An ibm_cd_toolchain resource that is the toolchain.
An ibm_cd_toolchain_tool_pipeline resource that is the tool integration that binds the Tekton pipeline into the toolchain.
An ibm_cd_tekton_pipeline resource that is the Tekton pipeline.

The following example shows a toolchain that is constructed by declaring these resources.

data "ibm_resource_group" "group" {
  name = "default"
}

resource "ibm_cd_toolchain" "cd_toolchain" {
  name              = "my toolchain"
  resource_group_id = data.ibm_resource_group.group.id
}

resource "ibm_cd_toolchain_tool_pipeline" "cd_pipeline_integration" {
  toolchain_id = ibm_cd_toolchain.cd_toolchain.id
  parameters {
    name = "my pipeline integration"
  }
}

resource "ibm_cd_tekton_pipeline" "cd_pipeline" {
  pipeline_id = ibm_cd_toolchain_tool_pipeline.cd_pipeline_integration.tool_id
  worker {
    id = "public"
  }
}