What is Jenkins? Use of Jenkins in Automation Testing.

What is Jenkins? 

Jenkins is an automation tool used for continuous Integration and deployment. It is an open-source Automation Tool written in Java with plugins. Jenkins is used to build and test the software application, so developers can easily change their code to the project and users get fresh builds. Jenkins also allows you to continuously deliver part of software by interchanging with many testing and deployment technologies. 

Why use Jenkins for Test Automation?

It is a server-based application, so it can be run on various platforms like Windows, Linux, MacOS, Unix, etc. Jenkins provides lots of plugins for various frameworks like Selenium, Cucumber, Appium, etc. Jenkins help developer and DevOps to integrate code easily.

Advantages of Jenkins: 

1. It is an open-source tool so everyone can use it. 
2. It is easy to install and configuration and user-friendly.  
3. Jenkins has cross-platform compatibility, which means it can be run on various operating system such as Windows, Linux, MacOS, etc. which allow flexibility  
4. Jenkins is used to build and test the application, to reduce the chances of human error, and to ensure that software is always in a deployable state. 
5. It is mostly used for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment of the code.  
6. We can notify the status of the build through Chat by integrating Jenkins with Teams or Slacks. 
7.  It is used to show the HTML report of Automated Test Execution. 
8. It is used to send emails with Test Execution Reports. 
9. It is used to Schedule builds periodically. 

Limitations of Jenkins:

1. Jenkins setting and Configuration are complex, especially for teams that are new to CI/CD.  
2. Jenkins has a Lack of Authentication and Authorization rules and options.  
3. Jenkins used a large amount of plugins causing issues while upgrading. 
4. Managing credentials and Securing Jenkins for various repositories and services is a challenging task.
5. Jenkins does not host itself on the cloud, AWS and AZUR helps to integrate with the cloud for additional setup and configuration.
6. Jenkins requires regular maintenance and upgrades, which can be time-consuming. 
7. Jenkins has limited scalability, so while handling a large number of builds performance issues can occur.
8. If Jenkins can introduce security risks to a software development pipeline, it makes it more vulnerable to attacks or unauthorized access.
9. Jenkins setup is more complex who are not familiar with its configuration plugins and files.

Conclusion: 

As Jenkins has some limitations or drawbacks it is the most popular choice for CI/CD pipeline due to its configuration, monitoring, extensibility, versatility, and long-standing presence. With a large number of plugins, Jenkins meets all testing automation needs.