Build cache for faster iOS builds with Jenkins CI and on-demand macOS VM slaves

Most of the existing iOS CI environments are configured to run the build and tests jobs directly on the Mac hardware. In such installations with large projects, some data like XCode derived data, and code repository get cached on the hardware and subsequent builds use these caches. In this blog, we will describe how you can set up your Anka Build macOS cloud in a Jenkins CI environment to build cache inside the VM and use them for on-demand provisioned Jenkins iOS CI slaves. This will provide the advantages of isolated, reproducible environments and build caches for faster build times.



We have implemented a Jenkins plugin called “Anka Slave template Prepare” plugin. This plugin enables devops to load and update build cache on existing jobing Anka macOS VM templates in an automated manner. Devops can then use the Anka Build Cloud Jenkins plugin and setup their primary iOS CI Jenkins jobs to always run using the VM templates pre-loaded with caches.



Visit https://ankadoc.bitbucket.io/using-jenkins/#using-the-anka-slave-template-prepare-plugin for detailed documentation to configure the plugin.



Anka Slave Template Prepare Jenkins Plugin







Post Build Action Configuration



Share this post

anka-or-1
Anka vs Orka in 2024
It has been several years since we made our first side by side comparison between Anka and Orka. A lot has changed, and we believe it’s important to make sure the information out there is accurate. We’ll be specifically addressing a newer...
Read More
networking-performancev1
Unlocking Superior macOS VM Network Performance: Introducing Anka's new networking mode for Apple Silicon
Large and complex enterprises using Anka have many different demands, and we have worked to continue to develop innovative technology to meet these demands. Enterprise infrastructure hardware is often on the cutting edge, and they need advanced capabilities...
Read More
gitlab-with-anka
Anka Cloud Gitlab Executor
Veertu’s Anka and the new Anka Cloud Gitlab Executor Veertu’s Anka is a suite of software tools built on the macOS virtualization platform. It enables the execution of single or multi-use macOS virtual machines (VMs) in a manner similar to Docker....
Read More
mac-scan-v1
Real-Time CVE Scanning of your macOS Build Systems
It’s common that an organization’s macOS build system will download thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of third-party dependencies every hour. When building and testing iOS applications, it typically downloads and installs third-party...
Read More
anka-on-silicon-v1
The ONLY Fully Automated Apple Silicon macOS VM Creation Solution
Starting in Anka 3.1 we announced that Anka is now able to fully automate the macOS installation processes, disabling SIP, and enabling VNC — all previously manual steps users had to perform inside o the VM. At the time of writing this article,...
Read More
anka_click
Scripting macOS UI User Actions With Anka Click
Starting in Anka 3.2, we’ve introduced a solution for scripting macOS UI user actions. You may ask, “Why would I want to do that?”. Well, often macOS configuration and applications do not have a CLI allowing you to perform certain actions...
Read More
mac-scan-fullscan-shells-v3
Real-time, continuous scan of file downloads on macOS for security vulnerabilities
Today, we are announcing the Beta availability of the Mac Scan solution. Mac Scan software runs on macOS systems (bare metal, virtual, EC2 Mac) and scans downloads in real time for security vulnerabilities. There are multiple scenarios why you would...
Read More
Screen Shot 2022-10-17 at 10.13
Anka 3.1- Fully automated VM macOS installation & The Behavior-Driven macOS UI Automation Framework
We are very happy to announce the General Availability of Anka 3.1 for Apple Silicon / ARM macs. In this release, we are taking our approach to iOS CI automation one step further by introducing a Behavior-Driven macOS UI Automation Framework in Anka,...
Read More
ankam1v2
Migrating from Anka on Intel to Anka on M1 Mac for iOS CI
In this blog, we will cover the key topics for migrating from Anka on Intel to Anka on M1/M2 Macs. Anka is an IaaC solution from Veertu to set up an agile Container like CI for iOS CI using macOS VMs. Anka for Intel uses Apple’s Hypervisor.Framework virtualization...
Read More
ami-scanner-featured-v2
World's first Security Vulnerability scanner for EC2 Mac AMIs
We are excited to announce the General Availability of the world’s first security vulnerability scanner for EC2 Mac AMIs. EC2 Mac AMI Scan scans Intel and Apple Silicon macOS EC2 AMIs, detects security vulnerabilities in third-party packages, dependencies,...
Read More