Jenkins GitHub Actions Cloud Plugin: An Elastic Build Solution Connecting Two CI/CD Ecosystems

An innovative Jenkins plugin that uses GitHub Actions as a dynamic build agent source, enabling deep integration between Jenkins and GitHub Actions. It solves the problem of fragmented CI/CD ecosystems in enterprises, provides elastic build capabilities, combines the strengths of Jenkins' robust plugin ecosystem and GitHub Actions' hosting convenience, and brings flexibility to enterprises' CI/CD infrastructure choices.

In modern software development, CI/CD is core infrastructure, but enterprises often face a dilemma when choosing a platform: Jenkins is favored for its plugin ecosystem and self-hosting capabilities, while GitHub Actions is popular among developers for its deep code repository integration and hosting convenience. This fragmentation forces organizations to maintain two systems or compromise on functionality and convenience, creating an urgent need for a solution that combines the strengths of both.

The plugin's workflow consists of four stages:

1. Trigger Stage: When a Jenkins task matches a tag, it calls the GitHub API to trigger the specified repository workflow, carrying necessary parameters;
2. Connection Stage: The GitHub Actions runner downloads Jenkins agent.jar and establishes a WebSocket connection using a secret key;
3. Execution Stage: Jenkins assigns tasks, logs are transmitted in real time, and the experience is consistent with traditional agents;

An innovative Jenkins plugin that uses GitHub Actions as a dynamic build agent source, enabling deep integration between Jenkins and GitHub Actions, and providing enterprises with flexible CI/CD infrastructure options.