Quickstart: Integrate Bicep with Azure Pipelines

This quickstart shows you how to integrate Bicep files with Azure Pipelines for continuous integration and continuous deployment.

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

Prerequisites

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

You also 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 that your Bicep file uses. This file is in a repository.

Create pipeline

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

   

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

   

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

   

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

   

Deploy Bicep files

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

Use Azure Resource Manager template deployment task

Note

As of Azure Resource Manager template deployment task version 3.235.0, usage of '.bicepparam' files is supported.

Note

The AzureResourceManagerTemplateDeployment@3 task requires both Bicep and .bicepparam files to 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 uses the Azure Resource Manager template deployment task to create a resource group and deploy a Bicep and .bicepparam file.

   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'
       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'
       connectedServiceName: '${{ parameters.azureServiceConnection }}'
   

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 runs automatically. 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 the 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 v2 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 runs automatically. 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.

Azure CLI

az group delete --name exampleRG

Azure PowerShell

Remove-AzResourceGroup -Name exampleRG

Next steps

Deploy Bicep files by using GitHub Actions