# CDK Pipelines, original API This document describes the API the CDK Pipelines library originally went into Developer Preview with. The API has since been reworked, but the original one left in place because of popular adoption. The original API still works and is still supported, but the revised one is preferred for future projects as it is more flexible and abstracts more unnecessary details from the user. ## Migrating from the original to the modern API It's possible to migrate a pipeline in-place from the original to the modern API. The changes necessary are the following: ### The Pipeline Replace `new CdkPipeline` with `new CodePipeline`. Some configuration properties have been changed: | Old API | New API | |--------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | `cloudAssemblyArtifact` | removed | | `sourceAction` | removed | | `synthAction` | `synth` | | `crossAccountKeys` | new default is `false`; specify `crossAccountKeys: true` if you need cross-account deployments | | `cdkCliVersion` | `cliVersion` | | `selfMutating` | `selfMutation` | | `vpc`, `subnetSelection` | `codeBuildDefaults.vpc`, `codeBuildDefaults.subnetSelection` | | `selfMutationBuildSpec` | `selfMutationCodeBuildDefaults.partialBuildSpec` | | `assetBuildSpec` | `assetPublishingCodeBuildDefaults.partialBuildSpec` | | `assetPreinstallCommands` | use `assetPublishingCodeBuildDefaults.partialBuildSpec` instead | | `singlePublisherPerType: true` | `publishAssetsInParallel: false` | | `supportDockerAssets` | `dockerEnabledForSelfMutation` | ### The synth As the argument to `synth`, use `new ShellStep` or `new CodeBuildStep`, depending on whether or not you want to customize the AWS CodeBuild Project that gets generated. Contrary to `SimpleSynthAction.standardNpmSynth`, you need to specify all commands necessary to do a full CDK build and synth, so do include installing dependencies and running the CDK CLI. For example, the old API: ```ts const sourceArtifact = new codepipeline.Artifact(); const cloudAssemblyArtifact = new codepipeline.Artifact(); pipelines.SimpleSynthAction.standardNpmSynth({ sourceArtifact, cloudAssemblyArtifact, // Use this if you need a build step (if you're not using ts-node // or if you have TypeScript Lambdas that need to be compiled). buildCommand: 'npm run build', }), ``` Becomes: ```ts new pipelines.ShellStep('Synth', { input: pipelines.CodePipelineSource.connection('my-org/my-app', 'main', { connectionArn: 'arn:aws:codestar-connections:us-east-1:222222222222:connection/7d2469ff-514a-4e4f-9003-5ca4a43cdc41', // Created using the AWS console * });', }), commands: [ 'npm ci', 'npm run build', 'npx cdk synth', ], }); ``` Instead of specifying the pipeline source with the `sourceAction` property to the pipeline, specify it as the `input` property to the `ShellStep` instead. You can use any of the factory functions on `CodePipelineSource`. For example, for a GitHub source, the following old API: ```ts sourceAction: new cpactions.GitHubSourceAction({ actionName: 'GitHub', output: sourceArtifact, // Replace these with your actual GitHub project name owner: 'OWNER', repo: 'REPO', branch: 'main', // default: 'master' }), ``` Translates into: ```ts input: pipelines.CodePipelineSource.gitHub('OWNER/REPO', 'main', { authentication: cdk.SecretValue.secretsManager('GITHUB_TOKEN_NAME'), }), ``` ### Deployments Adding CDK Stages to deploy is done by calling `addStage()`, or potentially `addWave().addStage()`. All stages inside a wave are deployed in parallel, which was not a capability of the original API. | Old API | New API | |-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | `addApplicationStage()` | `addStage()` | | `addStage().addApplication()` | `addStage()`. Adding multiple CDK Stages into a single Pipeline stage is not supported, add multiple Pipeline stages instead. | ### Approvals Approvals are added by adding `pre` and `post` options to `addStage()`, with steps to execute before and after the deployments, respectively. We recommend putting manual approvals in `pre` steps, and automated approvals in `post` steps. #### Manual approvals For example, specifying a manual approval on a stage deployment in old API: ```ts declare const pipeline: pipelines.CdkPipeline; const stage = pipeline.addApplicationStage(...); stage.addAction(new pipelines.ManualApprovalAction({ actionName: 'ManualApproval', runOrder: testingStage.nextSequentialRunOrder(), })); ``` Becomes: ```ts const stage = new MyApplicationStage(this, 'MyApplication'); pipeline.addStage(stage, { pre: [ new pipelines.ManualApprovalStep('ManualApproval'), ], }); ``` Note that this we've used `pre` to put the manual approval *before* a Stage deployment (this was not possible in the old API). Be sure to put the manual approval in the `pre` steps list of the *next* Stage to keep it in the same location in the pipeline. #### Automated approvals For example, specifying an automated approval after a stage is deployed in the following old API: ```ts const stage = pipeline.addApplicationStage(...); stage.addActions(new pipelines.ShellScriptAction({ actionName: 'MyValidation', commands: ['curl -Ssf $VAR'], useOutputs: { VAR: pipeline.stackOutput(stage.cfnOutput), }, // Optionally specify a BuildEnvironment environment: { ... }, })); ``` Becomes: ```ts const stage = new MyApplicationStage(this, 'MyApplication'); pipeline.addStage(stage, { post: [ new pipelines.CodeBuildStep('MyValidation', { commands: ['curl -Ssf $VAR'], envFromCfnOutput: { VAR: stage.cfnOutput, }, // Optionally specify a BuildEnvironment buildEnvironment: { ... }, }), ], }); ``` You can also use `ShellStep` if you don't need any of the CodeBuild Project customizations (like `buildEnvironment`). #### Change set approvals In the old API, there were two properties that were used to add actions to the pipeline in between the `CreateChangeSet` and `ExecuteChangeSet` actions: `manualApprovals` and `extraRunOrderSpace`. This can be achieved in the modern API via the `stackSteps` property, which allows steps to be added at the stack level: ```ts const stage = new MyApplicationStage(this, 'MyApplication'); pipeline.addStage(stage, { stackSteps: [{ stack: stage.stack1, changeSet: [new pipelines.ManualApprovalStep('ChangeSet Approval')], }], }); ``` ### Custom CodePipeline Actions See the section [**Arbitrary CodePipeline actions** in the main `README`](https://github.com/aws/aws-cdk/blob/main/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/README.md#arbitrary-codepipeline-actions) for an example of how to inject arbitrary CodeBuild Actions. ## Defining the pipeline In the original API, you have to import the `aws-codepipeline` construct library and create `Artifact` objects for the source and Cloud Assembly artifacts: ```ts import { Construct, Stage, Stack, StackProps, StageProps } from 'aws-cdk-lib'; import * as codepipeline from 'aws-cdk-lib/aws-codepipeline'; /** * Stack to hold the pipeline */ class MyPipelineStack extends Stack { constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, props?: StackProps) { super(scope, id, props); const sourceArtifact = new codepipeline.Artifact(); const cloudAssemblyArtifact = new codepipeline.Artifact(); const pipeline = new pipelines.CdkPipeline(this, 'Pipeline', { cloudAssemblyArtifact, sourceAction: new cpactions.GitHubSourceAction({ actionName: 'GitHub', output: sourceArtifact, oauthToken: cdk.SecretValue.secretsManager('GITHUB_TOKEN_NAME'), // Replace these with your actual GitHub project name owner: 'OWNER', repo: 'REPO', branch: 'main', // default: 'master' }), synthAction: pipelines.SimpleSynthAction.standardNpmSynth({ sourceArtifact, cloudAssemblyArtifact, // Use this if you need a build step (if you're not using ts-node // or if you have TypeScript Lambdas that need to be compiled). buildCommand: 'npm run build', }), }); // Do this as many times as necessary with any account and region // Account and region may different from the pipeline's. pipeline.addApplicationStage(new MyApplication(this, 'Prod', { env: { account: '123456789012', region: 'eu-west-1', } })); } } ``` ### A note on cost By default, the `CdkPipeline` construct creates an AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS) Customer Master Key (CMK) for you to encrypt the artifacts in the artifact bucket, which incurs a cost of **$1/month**. This default configuration is necessary to allow cross-account deployments. If you do not intend to perform cross-account deployments, you can disable the creation of the Customer Master Keys by passing `crossAccountKeys: false` when defining the Pipeline: ```ts const pipeline = new pipelines.CdkPipeline(this, 'Pipeline', { crossAccountKeys: false, // ... }); ``` ### Defining the Pipeline (Source and Synth) The pipeline is defined by instantiating `CdkPipeline` in a Stack. This defines the source location for the pipeline as well as the build commands. For example, the following defines a pipeline whose source is stored in a GitHub repository, and uses NPM to build. The Pipeline will be provisioned in account `111111111111` and region `eu-west-1`: ```ts class MyPipelineStack extends Stack { constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, props?: StackProps) { super(scope, id, props); const sourceArtifact = new codepipeline.Artifact(); const cloudAssemblyArtifact = new codepipeline.Artifact(); const pipeline = new pipelines.CdkPipeline(this, 'Pipeline', { pipelineName: 'MyAppPipeline', cloudAssemblyArtifact, sourceAction: new cpactions.GitHubSourceAction({ actionName: 'GitHub', output: sourceArtifact, oauthToken: cdk.SecretValue.secretsManager('GITHUB_TOKEN_NAME'), // Replace these with your actual GitHub project name owner: 'OWNER', repo: 'REPO', branch: 'main', // default: 'master' }), synthAction: pipelines.SimpleSynthAction.standardNpmSynth({ sourceArtifact, cloudAssemblyArtifact, // Optionally specify a VPC in which the action runs vpc: new ec2.Vpc(this, 'NpmSynthVpc'), // Use this if you need a build step (if you're not using ts-node // or if you have TypeScript Lambdas that need to be compiled). buildCommand: 'npm run build', }), }); } } const app = new App(); new MyPipelineStack(app, 'PipelineStack', { env: { account: '111111111111', region: 'eu-west-1', } }); ``` If you prefer more control over the underlying CodePipeline object, you can create one yourself, including custom Source and Build stages: ```ts const codePipeline = new codepipeline.Pipeline(pipelineStack, 'CodePipeline', { stages: [ { stageName: 'CustomSource', actions: [...], }, { stageName: 'CustomBuild', actions: [...], }, ], }); const app = new App(); const cdkPipeline = new pipelines.CdkPipeline(app, 'CdkPipeline', { codePipeline, cloudAssemblyArtifact, }); ``` If you use assets for files or Docker images, every asset will get its own upload action during the asset stage. By setting the value `singlePublisherPerType` to `true`, only one action for files and one action for Docker images is created that handles all assets of the respective type. If you need to run commands to setup proxies, mirrors, etc you can supply them using the `assetPreInstallCommands`. #### Sources Any of the regular sources from the [`@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline-actions`](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cdk/api/latest/docs/aws-codepipeline-actions-readme.html#github) module can be used. #### Synths You define how to build and synth the project by specifying a `synthAction`. This can be any CodePipeline action that produces an artifact with a CDK Cloud Assembly in it (the contents of the `cdk.out` directory created when `cdk synth` is called). Pass the output artifact of the synth in the Pipeline's `cloudAssemblyArtifact` property. `SimpleSynthAction` is available for synths that can be performed by running a couple of simple shell commands (install, build, and synth) using AWS CodeBuild. When using these, the source repository does not need to have a `buildspec.yml`. An example of using `SimpleSynthAction` to run a Maven build followed by a CDK synth: ```ts const pipeline = new pipelines.CdkPipeline(this, 'Pipeline', { // ... synthAction: new pipelines.SimpleSynthAction({ sourceArtifact, cloudAssemblyArtifact, installCommands: ['npm install -g aws-cdk'], buildCommands: ['mvn package'], synthCommand: 'cdk synth', }) }); ``` Available as factory functions on `SimpleSynthAction` are some common convention-based synth: * `SimpleSynthAction.standardNpmSynth()`: build using NPM conventions. Expects a `package-lock.json`, a `cdk.json`, and expects the CLI to be a versioned dependency in `package.json`. Does not perform a build step by default. * `CdkSynth.standardYarnSynth()`: build using Yarn conventions. Expects a `yarn.lock` a `cdk.json`, and expects the CLI to be a versioned dependency in `package.json`. Does not perform a build step by default. If you need a custom build/synth step that is not covered by `SimpleSynthAction`, you can always add a custom CodeBuild project and pass a corresponding `CodeBuildAction` to the pipeline. #### Add Additional permissions to the CodeBuild Project Role for building and synthesizing You can customize the role permissions used by the CodeBuild project so it has access to the needed resources. eg: Adding CodeArtifact repo permissions so we pull npm packages from the CA repo instead of NPM. ```ts class MyPipelineStack extends Stack { constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, props?: StackProps) { ... const pipeline = new pipelines.CdkPipeline(this, 'Pipeline', { ... synthAction: pipelines.SimpleSynthAction.standardNpmSynth({ sourceArtifact, cloudAssemblyArtifact, // Use this to customize and a permissions required for the build // and synth rolePolicyStatements: [ new iam.PolicyStatement({ actions: ['codeartifact:*', 'sts:GetServiceBearerToken'], resources: ['arn:codeartifact:repo:arn'], }), ], // Then you can login to codeartifact repository // and npm will now pull packages from your repository // Note the codeartifact login command requires more params to work. buildCommands: [ 'aws codeartifact login --tool npm', 'npm run build', ], }), }); } } ``` ### Adding Application Stages To define an application that can be added to the pipeline integrally, define a subclass of `Stage`. The `Stage` can contain one or more stack which make up your application. If there are dependencies between the stacks, the stacks will automatically be added to the pipeline in the right order. Stacks that don't depend on each other will be deployed in parallel. You can add a dependency relationship between stacks by calling `stack1.addDependency(stack2)`. Stages take a default `env` argument which the Stacks inside the Stage will fall back to if no `env` is defined for them. An application is added to the pipeline by calling `addApplicationStage()` with instances of the Stage. The same class can be instantiated and added to the pipeline multiple times to define different stages of your DTAP or multi-region application pipeline: ```ts // Testing stage pipeline.addApplicationStage(new MyApplication(this, 'Testing', { env: { account: '111111111111', region: 'eu-west-1' } })); // Acceptance stage pipeline.addApplicationStage(new MyApplication(this, 'Acceptance', { env: { account: '222222222222', region: 'eu-west-1' } })); // Production stage pipeline.addApplicationStage(new MyApplication(this, 'Production', { env: { account: '333333333333', region: 'eu-west-1' } })); ``` > Be aware that adding new stages via `addApplicationStage()` will > automatically add them to the pipeline and deploy the new stacks, but > *removing* them from the pipeline or deleting the pipeline stack will not > automatically delete deployed application stacks. You must delete those > stacks by hand using the AWS CloudFormation console or the AWS CLI. ### More Control Every *Application Stage* added by `addApplicationStage()` will lead to the addition of an individual *Pipeline Stage*, which is subsequently returned. You can add more actions to the stage by calling `addAction()` on it. For example: ```ts const testingStage = pipeline.addApplicationStage(new MyApplication(this, 'Testing', { env: { account: '111111111111', region: 'eu-west-1' } })); // Add a action -- in this case, a Manual Approval action // (for illustration purposes: testingStage.addManualApprovalAction() is a // convenience shorthand that does the same) testingStage.addAction(new pipelines.ManualApprovalAction({ actionName: 'ManualApproval', runOrder: testingStage.nextSequentialRunOrder(), })); ``` You can also add more than one *Application Stage* to one *Pipeline Stage*. For example: ```ts // Create an empty pipeline stage const testingStage = pipeline.addStage('Testing'); // Add two application stages to the same pipeline stage testingStage.addApplication(new MyApplication1(this, 'MyApp1', { env: { account: '111111111111', region: 'eu-west-1' } })); testingStage.addApplication(new MyApplication2(this, 'MyApp2', { env: { account: '111111111111', region: 'eu-west-1' } })); ``` Even more, adding a manual approval action or reserving space for some extra sequential actions between 'Prepare' and 'Execute' ChangeSet actions is possible. ```ts pipeline.addApplicationStage(new MyApplication(this, 'Production'), { manualApprovals: true, extraRunOrderSpace: 1, }); ``` ### Adding validations to the pipeline You can add any type of CodePipeline Action to the pipeline in order to validate the deployments you are performing. The CDK Pipelines construct library comes with a `ShellScriptAction` which uses AWS CodeBuild to run a set of shell commands (potentially running a test set that comes with your application, using stack outputs of the deployed stacks). In its simplest form, adding validation actions looks like this: ```ts const stage = pipeline.addApplicationStage(new MyApplication(/* ... */)); stage.addActions(new pipelines.ShellScriptAction({ actionName: 'MyValidation', commands: ['curl -Ssf https://my.webservice.com/'], // Optionally specify a VPC if, for example, the service is deployed with a private load balancer vpc, // Optionally specify SecurityGroups securityGroups, // Optionally specify a BuildEnvironment environment, })); ``` #### Using CloudFormation Stack Outputs in ShellScriptAction Because many CloudFormation deployments result in the generation of resources with unpredictable names, validations have support for reading back CloudFormation Outputs after a deployment. This makes it possible to pass (for example) the generated URL of a load balancer to the test set. To use Stack Outputs, expose the `CfnOutput` object you're interested in, and call `pipeline.stackOutput()` on it: ```ts class MyLbApplication extends Stage { public readonly loadBalancerAddress: CfnOutput; constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, props?: StageProps) { super(scope, id, props); const lbStack = new LoadBalancerStack(this, 'Stack'); // Or create this in `LoadBalancerStack` directly this.loadBalancerAddress = new CfnOutput(lbStack, 'LbAddress', { value: `https://${lbStack.loadBalancer.loadBalancerDnsName}/` }); } } const lbApp = new MyLbApplication(this, 'MyApp', { env: { /* ... */ } }); const stage = pipeline.addApplicationStage(lbApp); stage.addActions(new pipelines.ShellScriptAction({ // ... useOutputs: { // When the test is executed, this will make $URL contain the // load balancer address. URL: pipeline.stackOutput(lbApp.loadBalancerAddress), } }); ``` #### Using additional files in Shell Script Actions As part of a validation, you probably want to run a test suite that's more elaborate than what can be expressed in a couple of lines of shell script. You can bring additional files into the shell script validation by supplying the `additionalArtifacts` property. Here are some typical examples for how you might want to bring in additional files from several sources: * Directory from the source repository * Additional compiled artifacts from the synth step #### Controlling IAM permissions IAM permissions can be added to the execution role of a `ShellScriptAction` in two ways. Either pass additional policy statements in the `rolePolicyStatements` property: ```ts new pipelines.ShellScriptAction({ // ... rolePolicyStatements: [ new iam.PolicyStatement({ actions: ['s3:GetObject'], resources: ['*'], }), ], })); ``` The Action can also be used as a Grantable after having been added to a Pipeline: ```ts const action = new pipelines.ShellScriptAction({ /* ... */ }); pipeline.addStage('Test').addActions(action); bucket.grantRead(action); ``` #### Additional files from the source repository Bringing in additional files from the source repository is appropriate if the files in the source repository are directly usable in the test (for example, if they are executable shell scripts themselves). Pass the `sourceArtifact`: ```ts const sourceArtifact = new codepipeline.Artifact(); const pipeline = new pipelines.CdkPipeline(this, 'Pipeline', { // ... }); const validationAction = new pipelines.ShellScriptAction({ actionName: 'TestUsingSourceArtifact', additionalArtifacts: [sourceArtifact], // 'test.sh' comes from the source repository commands: ['./test.sh'], }); ``` #### Additional files from the synth step Getting the additional files from the synth step is appropriate if your tests need the compilation step that is done as part of synthesis. On the synthesis step, specify `additionalArtifacts` to package additional subdirectories into artifacts, and use the same artifact in the `ShellScriptAction`'s `additionalArtifacts`: ```ts // If you are using additional output artifacts from the synth step, // they must be named. const cloudAssemblyArtifact = new codepipeline.Artifact('CloudAsm'); const integTestsArtifact = new codepipeline.Artifact('IntegTests'); const pipeline = new pipelines.CdkPipeline(this, 'Pipeline', { synthAction: pipelines.SimpleSynthAction.standardNpmSynth({ sourceArtifact, cloudAssemblyArtifact, buildCommands: ['npm run build'], additionalArtifacts: [ { directory: 'test', artifact: integTestsArtifact, } ], }), // ... }); const validationAction = new pipelines.ShellScriptAction({ actionName: 'TestUsingBuildArtifact', additionalArtifacts: [integTestsArtifact], // 'test.js' was produced from 'test/test.ts' during the synth step commands: ['node ./test.js'], }); ``` ### Confirm permissions broadening To keep tabs on the security impact of changes going out through your pipeline, you can insert a security check before any stage deployment. This security check will check if the upcoming deployment would add any new IAM permissions or security group rules, and if so pause the pipeline and require you to confirm the changes. The security check will appear as two distinct actions in your pipeline: first a CodeBuild project that runs `cdk diff` on the stage that's about to be deployed, followed by a Manual Approval action that pauses the pipeline. If it so happens that there no new IAM permissions or security group rules will be added by the deployment, the manual approval step is automatically satisfied. The pipeline will look like this: ```txt Pipeline ├── ... ├── MyApplicationStage │   ├── MyApplicationSecurityCheck // Security Diff Action │   ├── MyApplicationManualApproval // Manual Approval Action │   ├── Stack.Prepare │   └── Stack.Deploy └── ... ``` You can enable the security check by passing `confirmBroadeningPermissions` to `addApplicationStage`: ```ts const stage = pipeline.addApplicationStage(new MyApplication(this, 'PreProd'), { confirmBroadeningPermissions: true, }); ``` To get notified when there is a change that needs your manual approval, create an SNS Topic, subscribe your own email address, and pass it in via `securityNotificationTopic`: ```ts import * as sns from '@aws-cdk/aws-sns'; import * as subscriptions from '@aws-cdk/aws-sns-subscriptions'; const topic = new sns.Topic(this, 'SecurityChangesTopic'); topic.addSubscription(new subscriptions.EmailSubscription('test@email.com')); const pipeline = new pipelines.CdkPipeline(app, 'Pipeline', { /* ... */ }); const stage = pipeline.addApplicationStage(new MyApplication(this, 'PreProd'), { confirmBroadeningPermissions: true, securityNotificationTopic: topic, }); ``` **Note**: Manual Approvals notifications only apply when an application has security check enabled.