Bicep is a human-readable language for deploying resources using ARM templates. Our latest step makes deploying Azure resources using Bicep more intuitive and user-friendly.
In this post, I walk you through configuring our new Deploy a Bicep template step.
Getting started
You need an Azure account to use the Deploy a Bicep template step. For help configuring an Azure account, read our docs about connecting an Azure account to Octopus Deploy.
To get started using the new step, add the Deploy a Bicep template step to your deployment process. This step depends on the Bicep module of the Azure CLI in the execution environment. Assuming the Azure CLI is already installed and on path, install the Bicep module using:
az bicep install
Configuring the Deploy a Bicep template step
You can store the templates using the source code editor or packages when configuring the Deploy a Bicep template step.
The first and easier option is the source code editor. Here you can directly edit your Bicep template.
Alternatively, you can store your Bicep files in a package and provide a path to the template. When you use packages, you can provide many Bicep templates and reference modules in local files using relative paths. You need to provide the relative path to the Bicep template file contained in the package when using packages.
To provide parameters to these Bicep templates, you get a list of key-value pairs.
For example, imagine you're given a Bicep template with the following param definitions:
param appicationName string
param location string
You can provide the following parameter definitions using the key-value pairs below. In this example the parameter applicationName gets replaced with the value mypetshop during the deployment.
Regardless of your template source, you must choose a deployment mode. We default to incremental mode.
In incremental mode, resources that exist in the resource group but are not specified in the template aren't changed by Resource Manager. Resources in the template get added to the resource group.
In complete mode, Resource Manager deletes resources that exist in the resource group but aren't specified in the template.
Account configuration
You need an Azure account along with a target resource group.
When specifying a resource group if it does not exist, it gets created as part of the deployment process. If the resource group does not exist and it's being created as a part of the deployment, you must specify the resource group location.
Conclusion
Like our existing Deploy an ARM template step, Bicep deployments will periodically poll and report the deployment state. Output parameters such as the deployment name are available using #{AzureRmOutputs[DeploymentName]} along with resource properties via #{AzureRmOutputs[PropertyName]}.
Please reach out via our Community Slack if you have any questions, comments, or feedback.
Happy deployments!
