> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Modify Dev Deployment Job to use Environment tags
> This article explains how to enhance a GitHub Actions workflow by updating the dev-deploy job to utilize environment tags for better deployment management.
In this lesson, we’ll enhance our GitHub Actions workflow by updating the `dev-deploy` job to leverage **environment tags**. By specifying an environment:
* You can enforce protection rules (e.g., required approvals or wait timers).
* Access environment-scoped secrets and variables.
* Surface the deployment URL directly in the GitHub UI.
## Prerequisites: Review Your Environment
First, recall the `development` environment configuration. It includes one protection rule, one secret, and two variables. Environment-scoped variables always take precedence over repository-level variables.
Environment-level variables override repository variables. This ensures you can customize settings (like replica counts) for each deployment stage.
Next, compare the repository-level variables (e.g., `replicas: 2`) against the environment-level variables (`replicas: 1`):
| Scope | Definition | Priority |
| ----------- | --------------------------------------- | -------- |
| Repository | Variables and secrets at the repo level | Lower |
| Environment | Variables and secrets scoped to env. | Higher |
## Verify Current Deployment
Use `kubectl` to inspect your deployments and pods in the `development` namespace:
```bash theme={null}
kubectl -n development get deployments.apps
# NAME READY UP-TO-DATE AVAILABLE AGE
kubectl -n development get pods
# NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE
# solar-system-6db5d5dfb8c-96qcz 1/1 Running 0 26m
# solar-system-6db5d5dfb8c-psbxx 1/1 Running 0 26m
```
Currently, the `solar-system` deployment uses two replicas (from the repository variable). We want to switch this to the environment variable value (`1` replica) by invoking the `development` environment in our workflow.
## Update the Workflow
To enforce environment protections and show the deployment URL in the workflow summary, add an `environment` block under the `dev-deploy` job:
```yaml theme={null}
env:
MONGO_URI: mongodb+srv://supercluster.d83ji.mongodb.net/superData
MONGO_USERNAME: ${{ vars.MONGO_USERNAME }}
MONGO_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.MONGO_PASSWORD }}
jobs:
unit-testing:
# ...
code-coverage:
# ...
docker:
# ...
dev-deploy:
needs: docker
environment:
name: development
url: https://${{ steps.set-ingress-host-address.outputs.APP_INGRESS_HOST }}
outputs:
APP_INGRESS_URL: ${{ steps.set-ingress-host-address.outputs.APP_INGRESS_HOST }}
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout repository
uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Install kubectl CLI
uses: azure/setup-kubectl@v3
with:
version: 'v1.26.0'
- name: Set kubeconfig context
uses: azure/k8s-set-context@v3
with:
method: kubeconfig
# ... additional deployment steps ...
```
Commit and push these changes to trigger a new workflow run.
After this change, the `dev-deploy` job will pend if the environment has protection rules (e.g., a wait timer or approval). Administrators must review and approve to proceed.
## Approving the Pending Deployment
Once the workflow hits the `dev-deploy` job, you’ll see it pending due to environment protection:
Click the pending job to reveal the protection rule and remaining wait time. Administrators can bypass the wait by adding a comment:
After approval, the `dev-deploy` job runs. Upon success, the deployment URL appears in the workflow summary:
By clicking this URL, stakeholders can quickly verify the live application.
## View Deployments Across Environments
GitHub’s public beta for deployment tracking offers a centralized overview of deployments across all environments. Access it via **Actions > Deployments** in your repository:
This dashboard displays each deployment event along with environment name, branch, commit, and duration. Learn more on the [GitHub blog announcement][gh-deploy-tracking].
***
With environments configured in your GitHub Actions workflow, you can enforce rules, manage scoped secrets and variables, and prominently display deployment URLs for fast verification.
## Links and References
* [GitHub Environments](https://docs.github.com/actions/deployment/targeting-different-environments/using-environments-for-deployment)
* [Azure/setup-kubectl Action](https://github.com/Azure/setup-kubectl)
* [GitHub Actions Deployment Tracking][gh-deploy-tracking]
[gh-deploy-tracking]: https://github.blog/2023-07-26-github-actions-deployment-tracking/