Create a build-deploy-test workflow for a standard environment

Article
04/28/2015

Note

This topic applies to standard environments. If you want to complete this procedure using an SCVMM environment, see Create a build-deploy-test workflow for an SCVMM environment.

You can use a build-deploy-test workflow to automatically deploy an application to your standard environment and run automated tests on that application as part of the build process. Users can then access the application in their standard environment, or they can run manual tests or automated tests separate from the build process using Microsoft Test Manager. For an overview on build-deploy-test workflows, see Create a build-deploy-test workflow for a standard environment.

Requirements

Visual Studio Ultimate, Visual Studio Premium, Visual Studio Test Professional

This topic describes how to create a build-deploy-test workflow after you create deployment scripts for your workflow. For information about creating deployment scripts, see Guidance for Build-Deploy-Test Workflows. Use the following procedures to create a build-deploy-test workflow for a standard environment:

Check the Prerequisites
Configure Your Build
Create a Build Definition for Your Workflow
Add Details to Your Workflow
Run Your Workflow
View your Build Results
View Your Application
Run Tests After Your Workflow is Complete

Prerequisites

Before you can set up your workflow to build and deploy your application, use this list to verify that you have completed the following tasks:

Prerequisite tasks

Configure Team Foundation Build Service. See: How to: Configure a Build Machine.
Install a test controller and register it with your team project collection: Setting Up Test Controllers in Lab Environments.
Note

When you create your lab environment, choose the options to run tests and use a workflow.

Create a standard environment that uses your virtual and physical machines. See: Standard lab environments.
If you are going to run automated tests in your lab environment, you must add your tests to a test plan and create a test setting using Microsoft Test Manager. See Test on a lab environment.
Create deployment scripts that your build-deploy-test workflow can use to install your application. See Creating deployment scripts for build-deploy-test workflows.

Configure your build

Your build-deploy-test workflow can either deploy an existing build of your application, or it can run a build definition, and then deploy the new build. To create a new build during your workflow, you must create a separate build definition that your workflow can use to build your application. When you add the build details to your workflow, you will either choose the drop location of an existing build or the build definition for creating a new build.

Important

If you add a build definition instead of a build drop location to your build-deploy-test workflow, you must disable tests in the build definition that will be used to build your application.

Create a build definition.

To create a build definition for your application

On the Build menu, choose New Build Definition.
On the General tab, in the Build definition name box, specify a name and in the Description text box, add an appropriate description.
Follow the steps as described in the topic Create or edit a build definition.

Create your build-deploy-test workflow

In this section you will create your build-deploy-test workflow.

Create a build definition for your workflow

Next, create another build definition for your build-deploy-test workflow, as shown in the following illustration:

Use the lab default template.

To create a build definition for your workflow

On the Build menu, choose New Build Definition.
On the General tab, in the Build definition name box, specify a name and in the Description box add an appropriate description.
Note

You can only use the template for a build definition with Manual, Scheduled, or Rolling build triggers. Rolling build triggers are not recommended because a test failure still allows the next rolling build to start or stop the entire build system. Gated check-in and Continuous integration triggers are not supported.

Choose settings on the Trigger and Workspace, Build Defaults, and Retention Policy tabs as described in the topic Create or edit a build definition.

Note

You do not have to enter a build drop path on the Build Defaults tab for this build workflow because you do not create build output when you use the Lab template. Clear My builds copy outputs and no drop folder is required.
To be able to select the Lab template for the build definition, on the Process tab, under Build process template, choose Show details.

A drop-down list appears.
Select a template. This is the build process file that defines your workflow.
To create a workflow for your build definition to deploy your application to a virtual environment, select LabDefaultTemplate.11.xaml from the drop-down list for Build process file.

Add the details for your workflow

Now you can add details to your workflow using the Lab Workflow Parameters wizard.

After you add these details to your workflow and save the build definition, you can queue the build to run your workflow:

To enter the details for your workflow, under Build process parameters, choose Lab process settings and then choose the ellipsis (…).

This opens the Lab Workflow Parameters wizard where you enter the information for the workflow.
Select a lab environment: On the Environment tab, select the standard environment to which you want to deploy your application.
Choose Next.
Select a build definition or a build drop location: If you want your workflow to build your application every time it is run, follow these steps:
1. Choose Use a Team Foundation build, and choose the build definition that you created earlier.
2. Choose Queue a new build.
If you want your workflow to use an existing build and not rebuild your application, follow these steps:
1. Choose Use a Team Foundation build, and choose the build definition that you created earlier.
2. Choose Select an existing build. Then choose a build from the drop-down list. The existing builds created by the build definition that you chose are displayed in the list.
3. Choose a build configuration from Select build configuration.
  
  Note
  
  The build configurations are specified when you create your build definition for your application. If there is more than one build configuration, you can choose one from this list.
If you want to define the location of a build, choose Use a build from a specified location and then specify the UNC path of the existing build.
Choose Next.
Details for deployment scripts and commands:

Important

Before you complete the next few steps, you must create deployment scripts and commands for your workflow. See Creating deployment scripts for build-deploy-test workflows.

To deploy the application as part of your workflow, from the Deploy tab, select Deploy the build.
To add the scripts or commands required to deploy your application, choose Add. Select the virtual machine, or virtual machine role that you want to add the script or command for.

You can now add scripts or commands for each virtual machine in your lab environment. For example, if you have a Windows client as part of your application, you might have a script that copies the executable to the location that your coded UI test will use to start the tests on your virtual machine. If you have a Web server then you will have to run the script or command to deploy that part of your application. For more details about how to complete this step, see Creating deployment scripts for build-deploy-test workflows.
Choose Next.
Add details for automated tests:

To run automated tests from your workflow after you deploy your application, follow these steps:
1. Select Run these tests in the environment.
2. Under Select the test plan, select the test plan that you want to use. The test results will be saved as part of this test plan.
3. Under Select the test suites choose the ellipses (…), and in the Select test suites dialog box, select the test suites you want to run.
  
  Note
  
  By default, the root test suite is selected. If you do not want to run tests in this test suite, you must clear this field.
4. Under Select the test configuration, select the configuration that you plan to use to run your tests.
  
  Note
  
  The test results for each test case in each selected test suite will be saved as a pairing of each test case in the suite and the test configuration that you selected. See Test configurations: specifying test platforms.
5. Under Select the automated test settings, select the test settings that you created earlier to match the roles in your lab environment in step 9 of the overall process for this topic. See Create Test Settings for Automated System Tests Using Microsoft Test Manager.
Choose Finish.
Choose Save to save your build definition.

The created build definition appears in the Builds folder in Team Explorer.

Run Your Workflow

You can run your workflow by running the build definition that contains your workflow.

To start your workflow, go to the Builds folder, then open the shortcut menu for the build definition that contains your workflow.

Choose Queue New Build.

The Queue Build dialog box is displayed.
Verify the information for your build workflow and then choose Queue.

The Build Explorer view is displayed.
To see the Build Summary view as the build progresses, double-click your build.

You can see the status as the build progresses.
(Optional) If you want to view the environment as the build progresses, open Microsoft Test Manager, locate the Lab Center, choose Lab, and then choose your environment in the list. You can view the progress of the build reflected in the image for your environment and in the environment details above this image, as follows:
- The status of the capabilities (a green arrow is displayed when a capability is ready).
- The tests as they run, if the tests interact with the user interface.
If your build workflow is completed successfully, you will see a green checkmark. If there are errors, you can choose View Log to see details.

View the build results for your workflow

You can view the build results for your workflow after your workflow is complete.

To view the build results for your workflow

From the Builds folder in Team Explorer, right-click your build workflow definition and point to View Builds.

The Build Explorer view is displayed.
To view your completed build, choose the Completed tab.
Double-click the build that you want to view.

The Build Summary view is displayed.

View your application after it is deployed

After your workflow is complete, you can use Environment Viewer in Microsoft Test Manager, or Remote Desktop to view your application by logging onto the machine your application was deployed to.

Test your application after your workflow is complete

After your workflow is complete and your application is deployed to your lab environment, you can run tests on your application separate from your workflow. View these topics if you want to run tests on your application separate from your workflow, after your application is deployed to a standard environment:

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