Managing Jenkins Plugins
Estimated time to read: 2 minutes
Jenkins plugins are software components that extend the functionality of Jenkins, a tool that automates the software delivery process and support various tasks in Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), automation, testing, and more.
Jenkins has over 1,500 plugins that allow seamless integration with tools, platforms, and technologies. Below are some essential plugins categorized based on their usage
Installing a plugin
Jenkins provides two methods for installing plugins on the controller:
- Using the "Plugin Manager" in the web UI.
- Using the Jenkins CLI
install-plugincommand.
From the web UI
The simplest and most common way of installing plugins is through the Manage Jenkins > Plugins view, available to administrators of a Jenkins environment.
Under the Available tab, plugins available for download from the configured Update Center can be searched and considered
Most plugins can be installed and used immediately by checking the box adjacent to the plugin and clicking Install without restart.
Best Jenkins Plugins for DevOps
| S no | Name of the plugin | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sonar Gerrit | |
| 2 | SonarQube Scanner | |
| 3 | SonarQube Generic Coverage | |
| 4 | Sonar Quality Gates | |
| 5 | Quality Gates | |
| 6 | Artifactory | |
| 7 | Jfrog |
Best Practices for Managing Jenkins Plugins
- Regular Updates: Plugins often get updates for security patches and new features, so keep them up to date.
- Minimal Plugin Use: Install only the necessary plugins to avoid performance issues and potential security vulnerabilities.
- Backup Configurations: Regularly back up Jenkins and plugin configurations to avoid data loss.
- Use Dependency Management: Be cautious of plugin dependencies to avoid version conflicts between different plugins.