How start identical jobs with different parameters in parallel execution?

Question

I have a build job and a test job parameters.

I want to be after the build job, simultaneously run test job with one parameter and the same test job with different parameters in parallel execution.

                build job  
                   |  
                  / \  
         test job    test job
   with one params    with other params
            |             |

How to accomplish this and whether it is possible to perform without having to write your own plugin?

Thanks!

Answer 1

When you create your test job, create it as a "Build multi-configuration project" While configuring the job select "Configuration Matrix" then "User-defined axis"

You can use the name of this axis as a parameter in your job. the given parameters will be started simultaneous in different jobs. (if enough executors are available)

Answer 2

Playing off @Soo Wei Tan's answer, I found the following works well.

• Parameterized Trigger Plugin
• Choose "Parameter Factory"
• Choose "For every property file, invoke one build"

Then, in a shell, write a series of property files, and the Trigger Plugin will take care of the rest.

You can even combine this with a matrix style job at the top level in interesting ways. For example, triggering on the user-defined axis, keeping track of it all with a grid. Really quite a flexible approach, if a bit hidden.

Answer 3

Assuming you know the parameters when you are finishing your build job, you can use the Parameterized Trigger Build plugin to fire both downstream jobs with different parameters.

Answer 4

I had the same requirement, and found that Parameterized Trigger Plugin was not flexible enough for passing different parameters to different (or the same) jobs in parallel. Yes you can use a Parameter Factory with property files, but that would mean adding new property files to my version control solely for the purpose of configuring Jenkins. A Multi-Configuration project with a configuration matrix also seemed overcomplicated.

The better and more straightforward solution for me was the Multijob Plugin, which has the concept of Phases. A MultiJob can have multiple phases. Phases run sequentially and jobs within a phase will run concurrently (in parallel).

After installing the MultiJob plugin, when creating a new Jenkins item, select MultiJob Project. You can then create one or more phases. Each job within a phase has it own parameters, click Advanced... -> Add Parameters

Also it is very easy to configure what should happen if a particular job fails, should the entire MultiJob continue or fail etc, see the Kill the phase on: and Continuation condition to next phase when jobs' statuses are: settings.

For me this was much more intuitive to use than the Parameterized Trigger Plugin or a Mult-Configuration project, and did not require any extra configuration outside of Jenkins.

Answer 5

One option would be to use Build Flow plugin (https://wiki.jenkins-ci.org/display/JENKINS/Build+Flow+Plugin) potentially together with Job DSL plugin (https://wiki.jenkins-ci.org/display/JENKINS/Job+DSL+Plugin). You can use Job DSL to define job steps that invoke your build with different command line arguments and orchestrate the build with Build Flow.

Answer 6

I have a slightly different use case. We have test jobs that run against our main build during the development cycle. Toward the end of the cycle; we create a release candidate build and run the same tests against that. We want to also continue testing the main build.

               Main Build     Release Build
                         \   /
                           |
                       same set of tests

I can create duplicate jobs with just different names to handle this. But there have to be a more elegant/simpler way.

Answer 7

Could you please say a bit more why do you need your test jobs to run concurrently?

I do use test that need to split and run simultaneously, but I use a single Jenkins/Hudson job that has a weight > 1 (see Heavy Job Plugin).