Setup Deployment Agent

Deployment Agent is responsible for downloading the payload for deployment form the Release Management Server and perform release steps in the deployment machine. Release Management Agent (Deployment Agent) is licensed separately for each target server and for details refer here.
Let’s have look at how to setup a deployment agent for VS 2013 Release Management. I have explained in earlier posts on setting up a Release Management Server and a Release Management Client.
Launch Deployment Agent setup.

Installer will be very quick.

 


Launch to configure.


We need an account to set up agent. Let’s add a domain account.

 

Make sure to add the rmagent account created above to the deployment machine local administrators group.

 
It is really easy when configuring a Deployment Agent in the same domain as Release Management Server. Use the created domain account as the account for Deployment Agent and provide Release Management Server url to configure. The user running the configuration should have Release Manger role in the server.

Configuration succeeds.


Successful configuration can be verified in services.

rmagent account is added as a service account to Release Management Server

Now the Deployment Agent machine can be registered in the Release Management Server.
Adding a deployment agent is easy in the same domain. To add a machine outside of domain follow below steps.
1. Create account rmshadowagent as window user in Release Management Server.
2. Create same account with same password in deployment agent machine, and add the rmshadowagent account to local admin group the deployment agent machine.
3. Add rmshadowagentwith only user name to RM server and make him ReleaseManager and a service user

4. Log on to deployment agent machine with rmshadowagent user or in deployment agent run the deployment agent configuration as rmshadowagent user (run as different user).


5. In configuration screen provide shadow agent user name (only rmshadowagent ) and password, and Release Management Server url. Release Management Server url can be exposed as https, so that this can be used to configure agent (example – Production machine in client’s environment) fully outside of the Release Management Server network.
Note use of .\rmshadowagent or machine\rmshadowagent will give error "user is not a release manager and service"

6. After “Apply Settings” and configured successfully, removal of shadow user (rmshadowagent ) release manger role is possible. (if adding new agent with this user again, temporary make him release manager)
Successfully configured agent machine can now be registered in the Release Management Server.