Quickstart: Integrate Bicep with Azure Pipelines

This quickstart shows you how to integrate Bicep files with Azure Pipelines for continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD).

It provides a short introduction to the pipeline task you need for deploying a Bicep file. If you want more detailed steps on setting up the pipeline and project, see Deploy Azure resources by using Bicep and Azure Pipelines.

Prerequisites

If you don't have an Azure subscription, create a free account before you begin.

You need an Azure DevOps organization. If you don't have one, create one for free. If your team already has an Azure DevOps organization, make sure you're an administrator of the Azure DevOps project that you want to use.

You need to have configured a service connection to your Azure subscription. The tasks in the pipeline execute under the identity of the service principal. For steps to create the connection, see Create a DevOps project.

You need a Bicep file that defines the infrastructure for your project. This file is in a repository.

You need a bicepparam file that defines the parameters used by your bicep file. This file is in a repository.

Create pipeline

  1. From your Azure DevOps organization, select Pipelines and Create pipeline.

    Screenshot of creating new pipeline.

  2. Specify where your code is stored. This quickstart uses Azure Repos Git.

    Screenshot of selecting code source.

  3. Select the repository that has the code for your project.

    Screenshot of selecting repository.

  4. Select Starter pipeline for the type of pipeline to create.

    Screenshot of selecting pipeline.

Deploy Bicep files

You can use Azure Resource Group Deployment task or Azure CLI task to deploy a Bicep file.

Use Azure Resource Manager Template Deployment task

Note

As of version 3.235.0 of the Azure Resource Manager Template Deployment task, usage of bicepparam files is supported.

Note

The AzureResourceManagerTemplateDeployment@3 task requires both Bicep and bicepparam files be provided when using bicepparam. The Bicep file can reference all supported locations for module references. The bicepparam file must reference the local Bicep file in the using statement.

  1. Replace your starter pipeline with the following YAML. It creates a resource group and deploys a Bicep and bicepparam file by using the Azure Resource Manager Template Deployment task.

    trigger:
    - main
    
    name: Deploy Bicep files
    
    parameters:
    - name: azureServiceConnection
      type: string
      default: '<your-connection-name>'
    
    variables:
      vmImageName: 'ubuntu-latest'
      resourceGroupName: 'exampleRG'
      location: '<your-resource-group-location>'
      templateFile: './main.bicep'
      csmParametersFile: './main.bicepparam'
    
    pool:
      vmImage: $(vmImageName)
    
    steps:
    - task: AzureResourceManagerTemplateDeployment@3
      inputs:
        deploymentScope: 'Resource Group'
        azureSubscription: '${{ parameters.azureServiceConnection }}'
        action: 'Create Or Update Resource Group'
        resourceGroupName: '$(resourceGroupName)'
        location: '$(location)'
        templateLocation: 'Linked artifact'
        csmFile: '$(templateFile)'
        csmParametersFile: '$(csmParametersFile)'
        overrideParameters: '-storageAccountType Standard_LRS'
        deploymentMode: 'Incremental'
        deploymentName: 'DeployPipelineTemplate'
    
  2. Update the values of azureServiceConnection and location.

  3. Verify you have a valid main.bicep file in your repo.

  4. Verify you have a valid main.bicepparam file in your repo that contains a using statement.

  5. Select Save. The build pipeline automatically runs. Go back to the summary for your build pipeline, and watch the status.

Use Azure CLI task

Note

The az deployment group create command requires only a bicepparam file. The using statement in the bicepparam file can target any supported location to reference the Bicep file. A Bicep file is only required in your repository when using from a local disk path with Azure CLI.

Note

When you use a bicepparam file with the az deployment group create command, you can't override parameters.

  1. Replace your starter pipeline with the following YAML. It creates a resource group and deploys a bicepparam file by using an Azure CLI task:

    trigger:
    - main
    
    name: Deploy Bicep files
    
    parameters:
      azureServiceConnection: '<your-connection-name>'
    
    variables:
      vmImageName: 'ubuntu-latest'
      resourceGroupName: 'exampleRG'
      location: '<your-resource-group-location>'
      bicepParamFile: './main.bicepparam'
    
    pool:
      vmImage: $(vmImageName)
    
    steps:
    - task: AzureCLI@2
      inputs:
        azureSubscription: '${{ parameters.azureServiceConnection }}'
        scriptType: bash
        scriptLocation: inlineScript
        useGlobalConfig: false
        inlineScript: |
          az --version
          az group create --name $(resourceGroupName) --location $(location)
          az deployment group create `
            --resource-group $(resourceGroupName) `
            --parameters $(bicepParamFile) `
            --name DeployPipelineTemplate
    

    For the descriptions of the task inputs, see Azure CLI task. When using the task on air-gapped cloud, you must set the useGlobalConfig property of the task to true. The default value is false.

  2. Update the values of azureServiceConnection and location.

  3. Verify you have a valid main.bicepparam file in your repo that contains a using statement.

  4. Select Save. The build pipeline automatically runs. Go back to the summary for your build pipeline, and watch the status.

Clean up resources

When the Azure resources are no longer needed, use the Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell to delete the quickstart resource group.

az group delete --name exampleRG

Next steps