This document discusses the new build system (dubbed "vNext") in VSTS/TFS 2015. It has a more flexible agent/pool architecture that allows builds to run on Windows, Linux, and Mac agents. Build definitions are defined through web-based steps and templates. The new system provides features like real-time build status, definition auditing, secret variables, and publishing test results. It is designed to work alongside the existing XAML-based builds.

1. TFS/VSTS Build vNext ehmm vCurrent – or is it vFuture?
Jelle Druyts

2. 2http://www.visug.be

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Team Build
l MSBuild Engine on a production server
l Used for
– Deployment builds (Alpha, Beta, RC, RTM, SP, ...)
– Nightly Builds
– Continuous Integration
– Automated testing
– Calculating static code metrics
– ...
Home > Team Build

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Team Build Extensibility Points
Home > Team Build

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Customization Scenarios
l Updating the assembly version number
l Packaging a build
l Copying a build
l Creating a work item on a broken build
l Scheduling a build
Home > Customization Scenarios

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l Packaging A Build
l MSBuild doesn’t support Visual Studio Setup Projects 
l Need to build MSI’s on the build server
– Use Visual Studio on the build server (vs.Licenses++)
Home > Customization Scenarios

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Scheduling A Build
l Call TFSBuild through a Windows Scheduled Task
Home > Customization Scenarios

9. Introduction
• Team Foundation Build is highly customizable
• TFS 2010 introduces new infrastructure
• TFS TPC  Build Controller  Build Agent
• Based on Windows Workflow Foundation 4 for control flow
• Compilation still based on MSBuild (parity with Visual Studio)
• Has a learning curve but quickly pays off
• Typically start from built-in template

10. Build Workflow Customization

12. Ok ok – seriously: on to 2015!
• Build “vNext” == vCurrent == v3
• Extensible cross-platform task and build engine
• Windows agent for Windows based development
• Xplat agents that run on Mac and Linux – Built on Node.js!

13. Define A Build
• Edit in the web using build steps (task library)

14. Run unit tests and publish results
• Run unit tests for just about any framework
• JUnit
• VSTest
• NUnit
• XUnit
• Publish test results to and include them in the build summary

15. Real-time Build Status
• Live console view in the web with real time status of each task

16. Definition Auditing
• Who changed what in the build and why

17. Definition Diff
• Build definitions are JSON and can be diffed in web UI

18. Secret Variables
• Lock a variable to hide it from the web and store it in a strong box

19. Definition Templates
• Create standard build templates for teams to consume

20. Works Side By Side with existing XAML Builds

21. Build Architecture
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Microsoft Confidential

22. Agent Pool
• Scoped to TFS Application Tier
• Can be shared across multiple
project collections
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Microsoft Confidential

23. Build Agents
• Each agent is connected to a pool
• Install as many agents as you want on any machine
• No more limitation of “1 TPC per Controller and 1 Controller per Machine”
• Agents on the same machine can be shared across different pools and queues
• Agents are automatically updated
• Add your own “capabilities “
• Non-Windows OS’s use “Cross Platform Build Agents”
• Open sourced at https://github.com/Microsoft/vso-agent
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Microsoft Confidential

24. Build Agents
• Installing Build Agent
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Microsoft Confidential

25. Queue
• Provides access to a pool of
agents
• Each queue is dedicated to a
specific TPC
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Microsoft Confidential

26. Better Control of Agent Routing
• Build Agent capabilities
• Auto discovered
• Add your own
• Specify build agent requirements for
the definition
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27. Queue a build
• Web browser based
• Can change settings for
the current build
• Queue
• Variables
• Demands
• Validate shelveset
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28. Running multi configuration build
• Define the
configuration variables
• In options tab point to
the variable
• Select other options
• Queue a build
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29. Summary
• New build capabilities open TFS/VSTS for true cross-platform
development
• Side-by-side with XAML builds
• More flexible pool/agent/queue architecture
• Extensible task library
• Template are still limited for now (e.g. no inheritance)

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