Github Actions Continuous Delivery for Ruby on Rails

Github Actions Continuous Delivery for Ruby on Rails

Welcome to the Github Actions Continuous Delivery for Ruby on Rails tutorial! In this tutorial, we will explore how to use Github Actions to automate the deployment of a Ruby on Rails application. Continuous Delivery is a software development practice that aims to automate the entire software delivery process, from code changes to production deployment. By automating the deployment process, we can reduce the risk of human error, increase the speed of deployments, and ensure that our application is always up-to-date and running smoothly.

In this tutorial, we will start by setting up a basic Ruby on Rails application and configuring Github Actions to automatically build and test our application on every code change. We will then explore how to use Github Actions to deploy our application to a production environment, using best practices for security and performance. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a solid understanding of how to use Github Actions to automate the Continuous Delivery process for your Ruby on Rails applications.

What is Github Actions?

Github Actions Continuous Delivery is a software development practice that automates the entire software delivery process, from code changes to production deployment, using Github Actions. Github Actions is a powerful tool that allows developers to automate tasks and workflows directly from their Github repository. With Github Actions Continuous Delivery, developers can automate the build, test, and deployment process of their applications, ensuring that their code is always up-to-date and running smoothly.

By automating the Continuous Delivery process, developers can reduce the risk of human error, increase the speed of deployments, and ensure that their application is always up-to-date and running smoothly. Github Actions Continuous Delivery also allows developers to easily roll back changes if something goes wrong, ensuring that their application is always in a stable state. Overall, Github Actions Continuous Delivery is a powerful tool for developers who want to streamline their software delivery process and ensure that their applications are always up-to-date and running smoothly.

Why use Github Actions for Continuous Delivery in Ruby on Rails application?

There are several reasons why one should use Github Actions for Continuous Delivery. Firstly, Github Actions is a powerful tool that allows developers to automate tasks and workflows directly from their Github repository. This means that developers can easily set up Continuous Delivery pipelines that automatically build, test, and deploy their applications whenever changes are made to the codebase. This can save a significant amount of time and effort, as developers no longer need to manually perform these tasks.

Secondly, Github Actions is highly customizable and flexible. Developers can easily create custom workflows that meet their specific needs, using a wide range of pre-built actions and tools. This means that developers can easily integrate Github Actions into their existing development workflows, without needing to make significant changes to their existing processes.

Finally, Github Actions is tightly integrated with Github, which is one of the most popular code hosting platforms in the world. This means that developers can easily manage their codebase, issues, and pull requests directly from Github, while also automating their Continuous Delivery process. This can help to streamline the development process and ensure that developers can focus on writing high-quality code, rather than managing complex deployment processes. Overall, Github Actions is a powerful tool for developers who want to streamline their Continuous Delivery process and ensure that their applications are always up-to-date and running smoothly.

Prerequisites

To complete the "Github Actions Continuous Delivery for Ruby on Rails" tutorial, you will need the following prerequisites:

1. A basic understanding of Ruby on Rails development, including how to create a new Rails application, how to use the Rails console, and how to run tests.

2. A Github account and a basic understanding of Git version control. You should be familiar with how to create a new repository, how to clone an existing repository, and how to push changes to a remote repository.

3. A basic understanding of Continuous Delivery and how it can be used to automate the software delivery process. You should be familiar with the concepts of build automation, testing automation, and deployment automation.

4. A basic understanding of Docker and how it can be used to package and deploy applications. You should be familiar with how to create a Dockerfile, how to build a Docker image, and how to run a Docker container.

5. A basic understanding of Github Actions and how it can be used to automate workflows. You should be familiar with how to create a new Github Actions workflow, how to use pre-built actions, and how to customize workflows to meet your specific needs.

Ruby on Rails Github Actions step by step setup and configuration

Integrating Github Actions into a Ruby on Rails project is a straightforward process that involves creating a new workflow file in your Github repository. To get started, navigate to your repository and create a new file in the .github/workflows directory. This file should be named ruby.yml and should contain the following code:

name: Ruby on Rails CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    - name: Set up Ruby
      uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
      with:
        ruby-version: 3.0.1
    - name: Install dependencies
      run: |
        gem install bundler
        bundle install --jobs 4 --retry 3
    - name: Run tests
      run: |
        bundle exec rails db:create RAILS_ENV=test
        bundle exec rails db:migrate RAILS_ENV=test
        bundle exec rspec

This workflow file defines a job named build that runs on every push to the main branch and every pull request targeting the main branch. The job runs on an Ubuntu environment and performs the following steps:

1. Checks out the code from the repository using the actions/checkout action.
2. Sets up Ruby using the ruby/setup-ruby action, specifying the version of Ruby to use.
3. Installs dependencies using the bundle install command.
4. Runs the tests using the rspec command.

Once you have created the ruby.yml file, Github Actions will automatically run this workflow on every push to the main branch and every pull request targeting the main branch. You can view the status of the workflow in the Github Actions tab of your repository.

To deploy your Ruby on Rails application using Github Actions, you can create a new workflow file named deploy.yml in the .github/workflows directory. This file should contain the following code:

name: Deploy to production

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    - name: Set up Ruby
      uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
      with:
        ruby-version: 3.0.1
    - name: Install dependencies
      run: |
        gem install bundler
        bundle install --jobs 4 --retry 3
    - name: Build Docker image
      run: |
        docker build -t myapp .
    - name: Push Docker image to registry
      uses: docker/build-push-action@v2
      with:
        context: .
        push: true
        tags: myapp:latest
    - name: Deploy to production
      uses: appleboy/ssh-action@master
      with:
        host: ${{ secrets.HOST }}
        username: ${{ secrets.USERNAME }}
        password: ${{ secrets.PASSWORD }}
        script: |
          docker pull myapp:latest
          docker stop myapp || true
          docker rm myapp || true
          docker run -d --name myapp -p 80:3000 myapp:latest

This workflow file defines a job named deploy that runs on every push to the main branch. The job runs on an Ubuntu environment and performs the following steps:

1. Checks out the code from the repository using the actions/checkout action.
2. Sets up Ruby using the ruby/setup-ruby action, specifying the version of Ruby to use.
3. Installs dependencies using the bundle install command.
4. Builds a Docker image using the docker build command.
5. Pushes the Docker image to a registry using the docker/build-push-action action.
6. Deploys the Docker image to a production environment using the appleboy/ssh-action action.

To use this workflow, you will need to set up a production environment with Docker installed and configure the secrets for your Github repository with the appropriate credentials. Once you have done this, Github Actions will automatically deploy your Ruby on Rails application to your production environment on every push to the main branch.

Github Actions configuration options in Ruby on Rails

Here are the Github Actions configuration options for Ruby on Rails integration along with their short explanations:

1. name: The name of the workflow. This is used to identify the workflow in the Github Actions tab of your repository.

2. on: The events that trigger the workflow. This can be a push to a specific branch, a pull request, or a schedule.

3. jobs: The jobs that make up the workflow. Each job runs in a separate environment and performs a specific set of tasks.

4. runs-on: The environment that the job runs on. This can be a specific operating system or a virtual environment.

5. steps: The steps that make up the job. Each step performs a specific task, such as checking out the code, installing dependencies, or running tests.

6. uses: The action that is used to perform a specific task. Actions are pre-built scripts that can be used to perform common tasks, such as checking out the code or deploying an application.

7. with: The parameters that are passed to an action. These parameters can be used to customize the behavior of the action, such as specifying the version of Ruby to use.

8. run: The command that is run as part of a step. This can be any valid shell command, such as installing dependencies or running tests.

9. env: The environment variables that are set for the job. These variables can be used to pass information between steps or to configure the behavior of the job.

10. secrets: The secrets that are used by the job. Secrets are encrypted values that can be used to store sensitive information, such as API keys or passwords.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Github Actions is a powerful tool that can be used to automate the Continuous Delivery process for Ruby on Rails applications. By automating the build, test, and deployment process, developers can save time and reduce the risk of human error, while also ensuring that their applications are always up-to-date and running smoothly. With Github Actions, developers can easily create custom workflows that meet their specific needs, using a wide range of pre-built actions and tools.

In this tutorial, we have explored how to use Github Actions to automate the Continuous Delivery process for a Ruby on Rails application. We started by setting up a basic Ruby on Rails application and configuring Github Actions to automatically build and test our application on every code change. We then explored how to use Github Actions to deploy our application to a production environment, using best practices for security and performance.

Overall, Github Actions is a powerful tool for developers who want to streamline their Continuous Delivery process and ensure that their applications are always up-to-date and running smoothly. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can easily integrate Github Actions into your Ruby on Rails projects and start automating your software delivery process today.