BizTalk Continuous Deployment with Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS)

This blog post is to go along with my Integration Monday talk: http://www.integrationusergroup.com/biztalk-continuous-integration-continuous-deployment

Prerequisites

Your BizTalk Solution needs to be using BTDF (https://biztalkdeployment.codeplex.com/)

You need a Visual Studio Team Services Account (https://www.visualstudio.com/)

You need the drop folder from a BizTalk Build (BizTalk Continuous Integration with Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS) or BizTalk Continuous Integration with Team Foundation Server (TFS) 2015 Update 1 )

PowerShell Scripts using in VSTS Release Management (https://github.com/Mexia/BizTalkCICD)

Modification to the BTDF EnvironmentSettings.xml file required for VSTS Release Management

Add a Column for Release Management with Settings File Name: Exported_RMSettings.xml, add #{} around the name of the settings for use by Release Management

Steps to Create a Release in VSTS

Open the VSTS Team Project that the BizTalk Solution is in, go to the Release Tab
Click the + to create a new release definition
Select Empty Click OK
Enter the Name for the Release Definition
Click Save
Click Artifacts
Click Link an artifact source
Select the Project and Build Click Link
Click Configuration
Click Triggers Note: current solution is not using any global configuration variables
Click General Note: current solution is not using Continuous deployment, this will depend you client requirements
Take default for Release name format Click History
History will show changes to the release definition and includes a diff function Click Environments
Overtype the name of the environment, this sample uses Test
Right click on the ellipse Click Assign Approvers
Click OK Note: It is possible to have a pre and post deployment approver for the release
Right click on the ellipse Click Agent options
Select “Default” for Default queue, add environment equals test to the Demands Click OK Note: Via the Demands we can control what machine the deployment goes to
Right click on the ellipse Click Configure variables
Enter the Name of the Settings from the EnvironmentSettings.xml and the values for the Test environment Click OK
Right click on the ellipse Click Security
Take the default Click Close Note: This is where permissions are set on who can do what around the release definition
Configure as Shown Click the pencil at the end of the name
Click Save
Click Add task
Select PowerShell, Click Add Click Close
Click the ellipse at the end of the Script filename
Expand the Build, Expand the drop and select InstallBizTalkApplication.ps1 Click OK
Click Save
Click Release, Select Create Release
Select the build that is to be released, Select the environment that it is to be released to Click Create
The Release has been queued
Double Click on the Relapse to view it progress
This release has completed successfully Click Close

Thanks for your time and I look forward to helping people on their BizTalk CI & CD journey