Build Definition as Code with YAML Builds

Build configuration as code and store it in version control was a request from some time back. It is great to have your build definition as code alongside your application source code. Microsoft has now released preview of YAML builds for this purpose to VSTS. Even though as of now it is limited to use with VSTS GIt and GitHub, version control (TFSVC not supported) to create CI builds, it is just the beginning of a new way to think about defining CI, CD pipelines and it will evolve into much greater levels in the future. Let’s get a basic YAML build done to understand what it is.

Mistake in .sln Can Cause NuGet Restore Task in Build to Fail and Hide the Real Issue

NuGet packages are very commonly used in VS Development. Using build VSTS task NuGet Restore is general practice of downloading packages while doing the automated builds. Today suddenly a team ran into the same issue described here https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/97737/error-da-toolnuget400x64nugetexe-failed-with-retur.html. Let’s have a look at the real issue caused this error in this particular teams’ instance and how it was found and resolved.

Auto Generating CD Build/Release Pipeline Targeting Azure App Service for MVC Web Application

VSTS allows great flexibility with it’s new web based build and release management features. You have several templates which can be used to create build and release definitions you need quickly. Lots of out of the box tasks allow you to further customize your definitions to support the steps that you need to perform during a build or a deployment. Visual Studio Marketplace is getting more and more components added to it, allowing you to find a task for almost any build deploy step you may require to perform. Taking the steps to the next level, you can now even generate your build/release pipeline with Visual Studio 2017, after adding the extension Continuous Delivery Tools for Visual Studio.

Let’s walkthrough the steps of generating a CD pipeline for an MVC Web Application, to allow it to be deployed to Azure App Service.

06. Setup a Build Server - Setup Virtual Environment for TFS 2013 - Using Virtualbox



In this step of Setup Virtual Environment for TFS 2013 - Using Virtualbox, I will explain how to setup a build server for TFS.

01. First setup an account in PDC as TFS build service

02. Set up a new virtual machine in Oracle Virtual Box for TFS Build server. Set network to isolated internal network.



03. Change the machine name,, set IP and add to domain.

04. Select restart later and add TFA Admin account to local administrators group.

05. Restart the machine and login as TFS Admin.

  

06. Enable File and Printer sharing for the domain, to allow network access.

07. Run mmc and add Group Policy Object snap in to change local computer policies.

08. Add build service account for Log on as a service.

09. Install TFS.

10. Run build service configuration wizard.

11. Select the team project collection

12. If  any issues related to selecting TFS server go to IE options and add tfs root to trusted sites.

13. TFS server can be connected with added to trusted sites. Select the project collection for the build server.

14. Set the number of build agents depending on the number of CPU cores.

15. Set the build service account.

16. Review and configure.

17. Close the wizard and  start the build service, controller and agents.

Oops. Something is wrong. Service starts and stops suddenly. Done some search and really useful info here http://nakedalm.com/tfs-2012-issue-stuck-builds-in-team-foundation-build-with-no-build-number/

But the issue of multiple site bindings was not an issue for me here. So I did not proceed to set multipleSiteBindingsEnabled to true as specified in the above link.

18. After hour or two of search in www without any other valid solution just tried ping the TFS server from the build server. Since its shown resolving with IPv6 added below to hosts file.

19. It did the trick and Build Services are up and running for my TFS environment.

The next step is to install Visual Studio versions and any other required stuff in build server to support the developments solutions build, which I will not explain here.

For our TFS Environment in Virtual Box we need to setup a developer workstation base next.