In the realm of Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), Jenkins build agents are the unsung heroes, akin to the tires of a car – essential for smooth operation and progress. These agents serve as the backbone of your development workflow, enabling deployment, code building, and automated testing with seamless efficiency.

At the core of every CI/CD pipeline lies the build agent. It's the workhorse responsible for executing tasks ranging from compiling code to running tests, all integral components in ensuring software quality and deployment readiness. Essentially, the entire workload of your CI/CD pipeline is shouldered by these build agents, making them indispensable assets in the software development process.

A fundamental prerequisite for a build agent is the ability to run Java. This requirement ensures compatibility with Jenkins and its processes. While it's technically possible to execute Jenkins workloads directly from the Jenkins server, it's not advisable. Security concerns and performance optimization dictate the necessity of deploying tasks to dedicated build agents.

So, how does one go about adding a new build agent to Jenkins?

The process begins with provisioning a new virtual machine (VM), often leveraging cloud services like Azure for scalability and flexibility. Once the VM is up and running, the next step involves setting up a new user on the Jenkins server. This user will be utilized for authentication and access control purposes.

sudo adduser newuser

sudo usermod -aG sudo newuser

groups newuser

With the user configuration complete, attention shifts to Jenkins' dashboard. Navigating to "Manage Jenkins" → "Credentials" → "Jenkins" → "Global credentials," credentials for the new build agent are added to ensure secure communication between Jenkins and the agent.

Finally, the new build agent is incorporated into Jenkins by accessing "Manage Jenkins" → "Manage Nodes and clouds" → "New Node." Here, the necessary configurations are specified, defining the newly provisioned VM as a build agent ready to undertake tasks in the CI/CD pipeline.

In summary, Jenkins build agents serve as the backbone of CI/CD workflows, executing critical tasks with precision and efficiency.

By understanding their significance and following the proper procedures for their setup, developers can harness the full potential of Jenkins for streamlined software delivery.