I created a Build task for this purpose as well. Check it out here! Back in the early days, when we used XAML builds in TFS (wow that seems like ages ago!), we had the possibility to NOT execute a build when nothing changed in the source code repository. This checkbox “Build even if nothing has changed” […]
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Trigger Release Pipeline only for Scheduled builds
March 30, 2017 
2 Comments
Currently I am working on some build and release pipelines to deploy some websites automatically. I have some CI builds running, and some scheduled buils that are deployed automatically. This works fine, but there is some waste in the process. My CI build is the same as my scheduled build, with 1 major difference. I do […]
Continue reading Run Functional (Coded) UI Tests in your VSTS Release Pipeline
February 1, 2017 2 Comments
Today I was trying to run some CodedUI test from my VSTS Release pipeline. The process is quite straightforward but there were some tiny catches I’d like to share with you Let me first show the pipeline I have created
Continue reading Programmatically promote your package quality with Release Views in VSTS
January 16, 2017 5 Comments
A short while ago, Package Management in VSTS became publicly available. Agreed, the features in the initial version are not overwhelming, but the potential is very high. If you are not familiar yet, with Package Management in VSTS , I highly recommend you take a look at the documentation on the Visual Studio site, to […]
Continue reading Change VSTS release variables at queue time
October 27, 2016 2 Comments
When creating and queueing new build, a feature that I often use is the “allow change at queue time” checkbox next to the build variables Allowing me to change it at Queue time Sometimes you also want this for releases, but there is no such an option. However, you can do it, and it is described […]
Continue reading Copy files (and run tests) on a remote machine back to the VSTS build and release agent
September 27, 2016 1 Comment
This week I was working on a script, running in my VSTS release pipeline that executed Pester tests on a remote machine. Running Pester tests on the VSTS Build and Release Agent work fine with one the awesome tasks on the Visual Studio Marketplace, but this was about running the tests remotely AND getting the […]
Continue reading Controlling build quality using Build Tags and VSTS Release Management
July 8, 2016 2 Comments
On many occasions a release is a composition of many different artifacts, like product MSI’s, Shared Assemblies, Documentation etc.. I like to compare it with a big box that you use when moving. You fill it up with all sort of little boxes and other stuff and you label it. The big box is the […]
Continue reading Call VSTS REST API from Release Management
June 8, 2016 2 Comments
Update 22/6/2016 That’s how fast things go. Since this blogpost there has been a new update on VSTS that allows you to access the OAuth token by just clicking a checkbox. In the Release Environment, click the elipsis asnd select Deployment Conditions (or Configure Variables etc.). It opens a new screen where you also can […]
Continue reading Configure your load test against different URL’s within your Release Pipeline
May 24, 2016 1 Comment
Yesterday I was preparing some demo’s for my NDC talk in June. have a simple website that deploy to Azure by using the Build and Release Pipeline functionality. I thought it would be great to run a Cloud Based Load Test as part of this pipeline and that is what I tried to do. I […]
Continue reading Trigger a vNext release template from a build definition throws Http Error 500
February 23, 2015 4 Comments
Last week I was busy with some work on a vNext Release template. When my release worked I wanted to trigger that release from my build definition. Where as in the agent-based Release Management it was a matter of checking a checkbox and using a different Build Template that triggers this release, in the vNext […]
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Join the Dutch MS ALM meetup
I speak at Techorama Netherlands
- Knowledge Driven Culture
- Remove the [External] Tag in Outlook
- Aligned Autonomy in Practice
- Building an Engineering Culture
- Embrace chaos to achieve stability
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Using Personal Access Tokens to access Visual Studio Online
- Changing the product backlog in TFS 2012
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Use Visual Studio as your Diff and Merging Tool for local files
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Using Custom Reports in TFS: Part 3 – How to set up my reporting environment and structure
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TFS as perfect tool for Scrum (Part 5) – Sprint Review and Retrospective
The Road to ALM 