Continuous Integration is one of the most reliable processes in the software industry. Continuous Integration tools help keep track of the messy software devlopment process with great ease. This process is no longer restricted to huge enterprises and establishments, thanks to the different open source Continuous Integration tools available. Here is a summary of the pros and cons of the various opensource Continuous Integration tools that will be a prospective choice for several non profit organisations and start up software firms to ensure quality at it economical best.

1. Hudson

Hudson is a continuous integration tool written in Java, which runs in a servlet container, such as Apache Tomcat or the GlassFish application server. It supports SCM tools including CVS, Subversion, Git and Clearcase and can execute Apache Ant and Apache Maven based projects, as well as arbitrary shell scripts and Windows batch commands.

2. CruiseControl NET

CruiseControl.NET is an Automated Continuous Integration server, implemented using the Microsoft .NET Framework.

3. Apache Continuum

Apache Continuum is an enterprise-ready continuous integration server with features such as automated builds, release management, role-based security, and integration with popular build tools and source control management systems. Whether you have a centralized build team or want to put control of releases in the hands of developers, Continuum can help you improve quality and maintain a consistent build environment.

4. Draco NET

Draco.NET is a Windows service application designed to facilitate continuous integration. Draco.NET monitors your source code repository, automatically rebuilds your project when changes are detected and then emails you the build result along with a list of changes since the last build.

5. CABIE

Continuous Automated Build and Integration Environment. Cabie is a multi-platform, multi-cm client/server based application providing both command line and web-based access to real time build monitoring and execution information. Cabie builds jobs based upon configuration information stored in MySQL and will support virtually any build that can be called from the command line. Cabie provides a centralized collection point for all builds providing web based dynamic access, the collector is SQL ba

6. Buildbot

The BuildBot is a system to automate the compile test cycle required by most software projects to validate code changes. By automatically rebuilding and testing the tree each time something has changed, build problems are pinpointed quickly, before other developers are inconvenienced by the failure. The guilty developer can be identified and harassed without human intervention. By running the builds on a variety of platforms, developers who do not have the facilities to test their changes everyw

7. Beebox

Beebox is a complete solution for any development and systems management team. It allows you to standardize your development, deployment and quality assurance processes, automate repetitive tasks, and greatly simplify teamwork in a continuous integration environment.

8. Apache Gump

Apache Gump is an open source Continuous Integration system, which aims to build and test all the open source Java projects, every night. Its aim is to make sure that all the projects are compatible, at both the API level and in terms of functionality matching specifications. It is hosted at gump.apache.org, and runs every night on the official Sun JVM.

9. ControlTier

ControlTier is an open source, cross-platform build and deployment automation framework. ControlTier can help you to coordinate and scale service management and administration activities across multiple nodes and application tiers.

10. CruiseControl

CruiseControl is both a continuous integration tool and an extensible framework for creating a custom continuous build process. It includes dozens of plugins for a variety of source controls, build technologies, and notifications schemes including email and instant messaging. A web interface provides details of the current and previous builds. And the standard CruiseControl distribution is augmented through a rich selection of 3rd Party Tools.