Question

We’re using TFS to follow a pretty standard agile build process:

1. Nightly builds from latest source code
2. Build to staging server every 2 weeks
3. Build to production server every 4 weeks

I’ve got 1 and 2 set up in TFS and working great. However, I’m struggling a little with #3. If I just set up a “normal” build, it will pull the most recent source code and use that to push to the production server. But what I really want is to move the code from step #2 to the production server since it’s already been vetted by the QA team.

I thought about doing a custom build template that uses XCopy or something along those lines, but then the issue is how to update the configuration strings.

I was following this article, which seems to be exaclty what I want, http://www.asp.net/web-forms/tutorials/deployment/configuring-team-foundation-server-for-web-deployment/deploying-a-specific-build, but it is not working.

How do you all accomplish this?

Answer 1

So this is a slightly easier way to achieve 3. if you have achieved 2.

Let your production build definition stay as it is. However to compile the same changeset that was used to compile your staging build in step 2 (which has now been vetted by QA), when you queue a prod build then on the parameters tab expand the Advanced section and find the “Get Version” property as shown below.

In here you can specify the same TFS changeset that was used to build your build in step 2. Assuming this changeset is number 84, you would write (exactly)

C84

if you compile labels then for a label named – “For build xyz” you specify

LFor build xyz

Note that “C” and “L” above are intentional.

Hope this helps.