How to Set Up Jenkins on AWS: A Step-by-Step Guide

Jenkins is a popular open-source automation server that helps streamline your software development and deployment pipelines. In this guide, we’ll walk through setting up Jenkins on AWS, step by step.

Prerequisites

1. AWS Account: Ensure you have access to the AWS Management Console.

2. SSH Key Pair: Generate a key pair or use an existing one for EC2 instance access.

3. Security Group Rules: Allow HTTP (port 8080) and SSH (port 22) in your security group.

4. Basic AWS CLI Knowledge (Optional): If you want to automate steps.

Step 1: Launch an EC2 Instance

1. Navigate to EC2 Dashboard:

   • Go to the AWS Management Console > EC2 > Instances > Launch Instances.

2. Choose AMI:

   • Select Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS (free-tier eligible).

3. Instance Type:

   • Choose t2.micro (free-tier eligible).

4. Configure Instance Details:

   • Leave default settings or customize as needed.

   • Ensure the instance is in a public subnet.

5. Add Storage:

   • Default storage (8 GB) is sufficient for Jenkins.

6. Configure Security Group:

   • Add the following inbound rules:

     • SSH: Port 22, Source: My IP.

     • Custom TCP Rule: Port 8080, Source: 0.0.0.0/0 (for Jenkins web access).

7. Review and Launch:

   • Review your settings and click Launch.

   • Select your key pair or create a new one, then launch the instance.

Step 2: Connect to the EC2 Instance

1. Open your terminal or SSH client.

2. Run the following command to connect:

    ssh -i "your-key.pem" ubuntu@<EC2_PUBLIC_IP>
   

   Replace <EC2_PUBLIC_IP> with the public IP of your instance.

Step 3: Install Jenkins

1. Update System Packages:

    sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   

2. Install Java (Required for Jenkins):

    sudo apt install -y openjdk-11-jdk
   

3. Add Jenkins Repository:

    curl -fsSL https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable/jenkins.io.key | sudo tee \
        /usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc > /dev/null
    echo deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc] \
        https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable binary/ | sudo tee \
        /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list > /dev/null
   

4. Install Jenkins:

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install -y jenkins
   

5. Start Jenkins Service:

    sudo systemctl start jenkins
    sudo systemctl enable jenkins
   

Step 4: Access Jenkins Web Interface

1. Open a web browser and navigate to:

    http://<EC2_PUBLIC_IP>:8080
   

2. Unlock Jenkins:

   • Find the initial admin password:

       sudo cat /var/lib/jenkins/secrets/initialAdminPassword
     

   • Copy the password and paste it into the web interface.

3. Set Up Jenkins:

   • Install recommended plugins.

   • Create an admin user.

   • Configure instance URL (use the public IP).

Step 5: Secure Your Jenkins

1. Enable Security:

   • Use IAM roles for EC2 to manage AWS resources securely.

   • Configure HTTPS using a reverse proxy (e.g., Nginx or Apache).

2. Backup Configurations:

   • Use plugins like ThinBackup for periodic Jenkins backups.

Step 6: Install Essential Plugins

1. Go to Manage Jenkins > Manage Plugins.

2. Recommended plugins:

   • Git: For SCM integration.

   • Pipeline: To create Jenkins pipelines.

   • Docker: If you use Docker for builds.

   • Credentials: To manage secrets.

Step 7: Create Your First Job

1. Click New Item in Jenkins.

2. Enter a name, select Freestyle project, and configure the project settings.

3. Add build steps, such as running shell commands or pulling from a Git repository.

Step 8: Automate Jenkins with AWS (Optional)

• IAM Role for EC2 Instance: Attach an IAM role with necessary permissions to access AWS resources.

• S3 for Backup: Configure backups to S3 using AWS CLI or plugins.

Conclusion

You now have a fully functional Jenkins instance running on AWS, ready to automate your CI/CD pipelines. Jenkins provides extensive customization with plugins and can integrate seamlessly with tools like Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS services.

Start building pipelines and automate your workflows for enhanced productivity!