Package Management

The previous step demonstrated a conceptualised released pipeline. In this step, we will learn about package management.

A package management system or package manager is the set of tools that allows you to form complete packages that are ready to be pushed to release and deployment management. It automates the process of installing, upgrading, downgrading, configuring, removing and purging software. A package manager sometimes called a package repository, maintains a database of the key application metadata, such as:

• The name
• The description
• The maintainer
• The dependencies
• Version information

In a DevOps environment, the package manager has an important role in the DevOps toolchains because it creates a bridge between the build and the release phases. It doesn’t only include software-related packages but also packages of the infrastructure build; this increases automation and implements DevOps best practices.

This is a list of some repository management tools:

• Archiva – this extensible repository management software that helps manage tour build artefact repository. It could be integrated with build tools such as Maven, Continuum, and ANT.
• Nexus – it has a complete component lifecycle management approach and works with build tools such as Ant, Ivy, Gradle, Maven, SBT and others.
• npm – this is the default package manager for the JavaScript runtime environment Node.js. It can manage local project packages and globally installed JavaScript tools, and it has an online database of public and paid-for private packages.
• NuGet – NuGet, formerly known as NuPack, is the package manager for Microsoft .NET. The NuGet client tools provide the ability to produce and consume packages. It offers the ability to browse thousands of packages that developers created and shared with the .NET community.

In this next step, we will watch a video demonstration on producing a package in VSTS (Virtual Studio Team Services).