Hands-on demo – Setting up a Release Gate in Azure DevOps

Hands-on demo – Setting up a Release Gate in Azure DevOps

In this demo, we'll walk through the steps to create a simple release gate in Azure DevOps to ensure that a deployment meets specific quality criteria.

Steps for setting a release gate

1. Step 1: Navigate to Azure DevOps

   • Log in to your Azure DevOps organization.

   • Navigate to Pipelines > Releases.

2. Step 2: Create or Edit a Release Pipeline

   Select a Release Pipeline: Click New pipeline or select an existing release pipeline to edit.

3. Step 3: Add a Stage to Your Pipeline

   Add a Stage: Click Add Stage to add a new stage (e.g., Staging or Production).

4. Step 4: Configure a Stage

   Configure the Stage: Click on the newly added stage to configure it.

5. Step 5: Add a Release Gate

   • Add a Gate: Under Pre-deployment conditions or Post-deployment conditions, click Add a gate.

   • Select the Gate Type: Choose the appropriate gate type for your scenario:

     • Query Work Items: Validate linked work items.

     • Query Compliance: Ensure all compliance checks are met.

     • HTTP Check: Validate third-party tool reports, such as code coverage or vulnerability scans.

6. Step 6: Configure the Gate

   • Set Up the Gate:

     • For Query Work Items:

       • Select Work Items and provide a query.

       • Example:

       xxxxxxxxxx
       3
       1
       SELECT [State], [Severity]
       2
       FROM WorkItems
       3
       WHERE [Severity] = 'Blocker' AND [State] <> 'Closed'
       

     • For HTTP Check:

       • Enter the endpoint URL of a tool that provides validation data (e.g., SonarQube or Snyk).

       • Example: http://example-scan-tool/api/v1/checks

   • Define Gate Requirements:

     • Set conditions, such as:

       • Minimum Pass Rate (e.g., 90% test pass rate).

       • Severity Threshold (e.g., block deployment if high-severity issues exist).

7. Step 7: Save and Test

   • Save the Configuration: Click Save to apply the release gate to the stage.

   • Run a Release: Trigger a release to test if the gate works as expected.

8. Step 8: Review Gate Results

   Review the Gate Outcome:

   • After the release is tested, check the results in the pipeline to ensure the gate conditions are met.

   • Example:

     • A successful release will show all conditions met.

     • A failed release will indicate why the gate was blocked (e.g., unresolved blocker issues or failing code coverage).

Summary

This demo demonstrates how to set up a simple release gate in Azure DevOps to ensure quality in deployment pipelines. You can customize the gate based on specific criteria like code coverage, compliance, security scans, and more.