Bamboo 6 lets every team manage their plans through code. But it's only the start of a journey. At Atlassian, we now configure the vast majority of our builds and deployments with code. Whether you're a new starter or already a user of Bamboo Specs, you're (or will be) facing questions such as "How do I test my Spec before update?", "Can I safely modify this reused Spec component?", or "How do I make Specs more accessible to non-Java teams?". Join Przemek Bruski, the architect of Bamboo to hear how our teams solved these - and more - problems. Apart from practical tips, we'll also talk about jump-starting your Specs with our exporter, latest additions to the Specs feature, and support for Bitbucket Cloud Pipelines configuration files.

1. 10 Tips for Configuring Your
Builds with Bamboo Specs
PRZEMEK BRUSKI | BAMBOO ARCHITECT | ATLASSIAN

2. Agenda
Configuration as Code
Declarative or imperative?
Using Specs at scale
Bamboo Summit highlights

3. Agenda
Configuration as Code
Declarative or imperative?
Using Specs at scale
Bamboo Summit highlights

4. Agenda
Configuration as Code
Declarative or imperative?
Using Specs at scale
Bamboo Summit highlights

5. Agenda
Configuration as Code
Declarative or imperative?
Using Specs at scale
Bamboo Summit highlights

6. What is Configuration
as Code?

7. Black box
Configuration is hidden,
cannot be versioned or
peer reviewed
UI-driven configuration does not scale
No bulk operations
A simple change can be very
tedious if you have to do it
across the whole instance
Clone is not your
friend
Limited sharing of
common entities

8. Black box
Configuration is hidden,
cannot be versioned or
peer reviewed
UI-driven configuration does not scale
No bulk operations
A simple change can be very
tedious if you have to do it
across the whole instance
Clone is not your
friend
Limited sharing of
common entities

9. Black box
Configuration is hidden,
cannot be versioned or
peer reviewed
UI-driven configuration does not scale
No bulk operations
A simple change can be very
tedious if you have to do it
across the whole instance
Clone is not your
friend
Limited sharing of
common entities

10. Configuration as Code:
representing the
configuration of a system
through source code.
CONFIGURATION AS CODE - THE CONCEPT

11. Bamboo Specs

12. Choosing the language
Or, the great “declarative vs imperative” debate

13. Declarative
Define what needs to be done. The definition is
then interpreted.
Imperative
Define exactly how to do something.
Declarative
or
imperative?

14. Declarative
Define what needs to be done. The definition is
then interpreted.
Imperative
Define exactly how to do something.
Declarative
or
imperative?

15. image: node:4.6.0
pipelines:
default:
- step:
script:
- npm install
- npm test
Declarative
Example
Advantages
Disadvantages

16. Declarative
Example
Advantages
Disadvantages
Compact
Easy to read, low syntax clutter
Flat learning curve
Master a few rules = master the language
No entry barrier
Use your standard tools to edit it

17. Declarative
Example
Advantages
Disadvantages
Harder to scale
Internal compliance, a lot of definitions.
Reuse
Reuse is a problem
Validation
No validation out of the box

18. image: node:4.6.0
pipelines:
default:
- step:
script:
- npm install
- npm test
Imperative
Example
Advantages
Disadvantages

19. Imperative
Example
Advantages
Disadvantages
Easy to scale
Templates, central management.
Reuse
Reuse is an inherent part of the approach
Integration with tools
Context sensitive documentation, completion, validation…

20. Imperative
Example
Advantages
Disadvantages
Harder to start
Tooling setup.
Steeper learning curve
For non-Java users
Inviting complexity
700+ plans is a lot…

21. Powerful definition languages
are the easiest way to
manage a big CI instance.
CHOOSING THE LANGUAGE

22. On every big instance
we have small,
independent teams.
CHOOSING THE LANGUAGE

23. Bitbucket Pipelines Go example…

24. …ran in Bamboo

25. 10* Tips for managing
your instance
*Actually a bit more

26. Simpler for simple use
cases
Simplicity of YAML
Gateway to Specs
At some point your projects need more
Containers for free
The whole build is containerised
#1
Use
Pipelines
YAML

27. Simpler for simple use
cases
Simplicity of YAML
Gateway to Specs
At some point your projects need more
Containers for free
The whole build is containerised
#1
Use
Pipelines
YAML

28. Simpler for simple use
cases
Simplicity of YAML
Gateway to Specs
At some point your projects need more
Containers for free
The whole build is containerised
#1
Use
Pipelines
YAML

29. Generate specs from a plan
Never start on your own
Using exporter
Simple right click and you get a working
spec definition
#2
Use exporter
to start with
Specs

30. Generate specs from a plan
Never start on your own
Using exporter
Simple right click and you get a working
spec definition
#2
Use exporter
to start with
Specs

31. Use exporter to start with Specs

32. Task are a useful UI
building block
But “we’re not in UI anymore”
Easier to run locally
Tasks are Bamboo-specific
#3
Prefer script
tasks

33. Task are a useful UI
building block
But “we’re not in UI anymore”
Easier to run locally
Tasks are Bamboo-specific
#3
Prefer script
tasks

34. Dry run
A disabled plan is sent to the server
Works with Maven and IDE
You can test IDE mode and RSS mode
#4
Dry run your
specs

35. Dry run
A disabled plan is sent to the server
Works with Maven and IDE
You can test both the IDE mode and RSS mode
#4
Dry run your
specs

36. Result of a dry run

37. A simple change can have
big impact
Usually good, but sometimes undesired
Generate YAML locally
And version it with the review. You can make it
mandatory too.
#5
Include
YAML in
reviews

38. A simple change can have
big impact
Usually good, but sometimes undesired
Generate YAML locally
And version it with the review. You can make it
mandatory too.
#5
Include
YAML in
reviews

39. Shared entities are great
But no longer necessary.
Encryption
Instance-wide encryption makes it safe
to share credentials
#6
Move
variables/
credentials
to Specs

40. Shared entities are great
But no longer necessary.
Encryption
Instance-wide encryption makes it safe
to share credentials
#6
Move
variables/
credentials
to Specs

41. Define policies, tiers
Empower the champion
Not a “Fix red build role”
He needs to define how the red builds are handled
It’s going to happen anyway
Specs or not, at 100+ plans your instance is complex.
#7
Find build
champions

42. Define policies, tiers
Empower the champion
Not a “Fix red build role”
He needs to define how the red builds are handled
It’s going to happen anyway
Specs or not, at 100+ plans your instance is complex.
#7
Find build
champions

43. Define policies, tiers
Empower the champion
Not a “Fix red build role”
He needs to define how the red builds are handled
It’s going to happen anyway
Specs or not, at 100+ plans your instance is complex.
#7
Find build
champions

44. Working with many plans is
a hassle
Flaky tests, email spam, red wallboards
Define plan tiers
E.g. “Always green”, “Green CoB”, “Green at
Sprint end”
Alternative: merge plans
Having a “Mega Plan” reduces the amount of noise
#8
Organise
plans into
tiers

45. Working with many plans is
a hassle
Flaky tests, email spam, red wallboards
Define plan tiers
E.g. “Always green”, “Green CoB”, “Green at
Sprint end”
Alternative: merge plans
Having a “Mega Plan” reduces the amount of noise
#8
Organise
plans into
tiers

46. Working with many plans is
a hassle
Flaky tests, email spam, red wallboards
Define plan tiers
E.g. “Always green”, “Green CoB”, “Green at
Sprint end”
Alternative: merge plans
Having a “Mega Plan” reduces the amount of noise
#8
Organise
plans into
tiers

47. Organise your plans into tiers

48. Feature branches
Feature branches for maintenance branches
are a problem
Plan branches for repo
Redefine repositories per product branch
#9
Create
separate
projects for
releases

49. Feature branches
Feature branches for maintenance branches
are a problem
Plan branches for repo
Redefine repositories per product branch
#9
Create
separate
projects for
releases

50. Separate projects for releases

51. Separate projects for releases

52. New microservices or
projects
A starting point or a template for your plan
Policy enforcement
A team can own a template or a component
#10
Template
your
organisation

53. New microservices or
projects
A starting point or a template for your plan
Policy enforcement
A team can own a template or a component
#10
Template
your
organisation

54. What is AnyTask
A Specs class that can represent any custom task
Exporter can help
A definition will be created automatically.
#11
AnyTask is
there for
your custom
plugins

55. What is AnyTask
A Specs class that can represent any custom task
Exporter can help
A definition will be created automatically.
#11
AnyTask is
there for
your custom
plugins

56. AnyTask is there for your custom plugins

57. One more thing…

58. #12
Use Specs for
Bitbucket Server

59. Store your Specs in
Bitbucket
Flaky tests, email spam, red wallboards
Use Bitbucket Server to
track changes
Audit log on steroids
Use Pull Requests for
extra control
Plan changes will become active after PR merge
Use Specs
for Bitbucket
Server

60. Store your Specs in
Bitbucket
Flaky tests, email spam, red wallboards
Use Bitbucket Server to
track changes
Audit log on steroids
Use Pull Requests for
extra control
Plan changes will become active after PR merge
Use Specs
for Bitbucket
Server

61. Store your Specs in
Bitbucket
Flaky tests, email spam, red wallboards
Use Bitbucket Server to
track changes
Audit log on steroids
Use Pull Requests for
extra control
Plan changes will become active after PR merge
Use Specs
for Bitbucket
Server

62. Specs for
Bitbucket
Server
Repository
Enabling Specs
Profit!

63. Specs for
Bitbucket
Server
Repository
Enabling Specs
Profit!

64. Specs for
Bitbucket
Server
Repository
Enabling Specs
Profit!

65. Bamboo Summit highlights
Visit us at the booth to find out more

66. The world doesn’t end with Specs
Performance
improvements, new tiers
1000 agents need more performance:
Bulk operations no longer affect UI
Smart mirrors
Have your Bitbucket Server mirrors
handle the agent traffic with ease
Project level permissions
You no longer need to hand out
instance-wide permissions anymore.
Artifact handlers
Let S3/NFS handle your
artifacts. Scalably.

67. Thank you!
PRZEMEK BRUSKI | BAMBOO ARCHITECT | ATLASSIAN