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Detecting CI/CD workflow errors through visual inspection of logs
  • Sebastian Alfaro,
  • Alexandre Bergel,
  • Jocelyn Simmonds
Sebastian Alfaro
Universidad de Chile Departamento de Ciencias de la Computacion

Corresponding Author:sebastian.alfaro@outlook.cl

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Alexandre Bergel
RelationalAI Inc
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Jocelyn Simmonds
Universidad de Chile Departamento de Ciencias de la Computacion
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Abstract

The increasing adoption of DevOps practices in software development has emphasized the need for efficient and reliable CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery/Deployment) workflows. These workflows generate extensive log files that capture execution details, changes, and errors. This paper proposes the utilization of microprints to detect errors in CI/CD workflows by visually inspecting their logs. We highlight the challenges of manually inspecting logs, particularly in identifying unreported errors not flagged by CI/CD platforms. By leveraging microprints, the ability of developers and maintainers to quickly and accurately detect and diagnose issues within these logs is enhanced. We implemented a suite of tools to make use of microprints in CI/CD workflows and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the microprint visualization through a user study, showcasing its potential to improve error detection and workflow efficiency in DevOps environments.