Team Foundation Server

Microsoft Team Foundation Server is a Microsoft product offering source control, data collection, reporting, and project tracking, and is intended for collaborative software development projects. It is available either as stand-alone software, or as the server side back end platform for Visual Studio Team System (VSTS). (Taken from Wikipedia).

 

By default, Microsoft Visual Studio Team Explorer 2010 (version 10.0.0.0) is supported and must be installed on the Execution Machine you intend to execute TFS job steps. Microsoft Visual Studio Team Explorer 2012 (version 11.0.0.0) is also supported however you would need to make a change in the abathost.config file. The ASCI Knowledge Base article with a search string of “Team Foundation Server Job Step Requirements” should be read for precise instructions on the changes to make to support the 2012 version.

 

 

This job step allows you to create a work item.

 

 

Job Step Properties

 

Team Foundation Server – This pair of properties is used to denote the TFS machine and the appropriate credentials for accessing the server.

 

  • Server URL – This property is a URL that designates the TFS system for access.

  • Credentials – This property is an ActiveBatch User Account object that contains security credentials appropriate for access and the operation you wish to perform.

 

Project Name – This property is an existing TFS project.

 

Work Item Title – This property is a free form string that represents the title of the work item.

 

Work Item Type – This dropdown property enumerate the type of work item you may create.

 

Description – This property is a free form string that represents the description of the work item you’re creating.

 

Create Work Item – This collection of properties consists of name/value pairs that correspond to TFS field names and their values. Some TFS fields may be required and therefore must be specified.

 

Return Step Value

 

TfsWorkItem – This set of properties is returned that provides information about the work item that was created.

 

 

This job step allows you to iterate through a series of work items.

 

 

Job Step Properties

 

Team Foundation Server – This pair of properties is used to denote the TFS machine and the appropriate credentials for accessing the server.

 

  • Server URL – This property is a URL that designates the TFS system for access.

  • Credentials – This property is an ActiveBatch User Account object that contains security credentials appropriate for access and the operation you wish to perform.

 

Project Name – This property is an existing TFS project.

 

ContextName – This property contains the name of an execution variable that will be accessible from the nested job steps. This execution variable represents a structure of variables that provides more information about each work item as you iterate.

 

Search Query Parameters – This dropdown property denotes two (2) types of queries: Predefined Query and Custom Search. The Predefined Search Query is an existing query that can be enumerated via its dropdown parameter. The Custom Search Query allows you to specify your own query as part of this job step.

 

 

This job step retrieves a collection of work items based on either a predefined or custom search criteria. This step is similar to For-Each-Work-Item with the exception that all results are immediately returned as opposed to an iteration process.

 

 

Job Step Properties

 

Team Foundation Server – This pair of properties is used to denote the TFS machine and the appropriate credentials for accessing the server.

 

  • Server URL – This property is a URL that designates the TFS system for access.

  • Credentials – This property is an ActiveBatch User Account object that contains security credentials appropriate for access and the operation you wish to perform.

 

Project Name – This property is an existing TFS project.

 

Search Query Parameters – This dropdown property denotes two (2) types of queries: Predefined Query and Custom Search. The Predefined Search Query is an existing query that can be enumerated via its dropdown parameter. The Custom Search Query allows you to specify your own query as part of this job step.

 

Return Step Value

 

TfsWorkItems – This collection of properties are the work items passed back as a result of the query.

 

 

This job step allows you to modify a build.

 

 

Job Step Properties

 

Team Foundation Server – This pair of properties is used to denote the TFS machine and the appropriate credentials for accessing the server.

 

  • Server URL – This property is a URL that designates the TFS system for access.

  • Credentials – This property is an ActiveBatch User Account object that contains security credentials appropriate for access and the operation you wish to perform.

 

Project Name – This property is an existing TFS project.

 

Build Specification – This pair of properties indicates the build number and the build definition that is to be used.

 

Retention – This Boolean property indicates whether build is to be kept or not.

 

Build Quality – This property represents your assessment of the build.

 

 

This job step allows you to modify a work item.

 

 

Job Step Properties

 

Team Foundation Server – This pair of properties is used to denote the TFS machine and the appropriate credentials for accessing the server.

  • Server URL – This property is a URL that designates the TFS system for access.

  • Credentials – This property is an ActiveBatch User Account object that contains security credentials appropriate for access and the operation you wish to perform.

 

Work Item ID – This property indicates the ID of an existing work item that you would like to modify.

 

Field Values – This collection of properties indicates one or more fields that you would like to modify. Each property pair consists of a TFS field name and its new associated value.

 

 

This job step allows you to start a build.

 

 

Job Step Properties

 

Team Foundation Server – This pair of properties is used to denote the TFS machine and the appropriate credentials for accessing the server.

  • Server URL – This property is a URL that designates the TFS system for access.

  • Credentials – This property is an ActiveBatch User Account object that contains security credentials appropriate for access and the operation you wish to perform.

 

Project Name – This property is an existing TFS project.

 

Build Controller – This property represents the build machine.

 

Build Definition – This property represents the build definition.

 

Queue Timeout Threshold – This property represents an integer value in which if a non-zero value is specified, the build must have started within this specified time period. The timeout if specified is in seconds. Zero indicates an infinite period.

 

Wait for Completion – This Boolean property indicates whether the job step should start the build and then wait for its completion or not. False indicates that the build is to be started but the job step will continue execution and not wait for the builds completion. True indicates that the build is to be started and to wait until completion.

 

Return Step Value

 

BuildDefinition –This collection of properties represents the Build Definition and Build Number for this build.

 

 

This job step allows you to stop a build.

 

 

Job Step Properties

 

Team Foundation Server – This pair of properties is used to denote the TFS machine and the appropriate credentials for accessing the server.

  • Server URL – This property is a URL that designates the TFS system for access.

  • Credentials – This property is an ActiveBatch User Account object that contains security credentials appropriate for access and the operation you wish to perform.

 

Project Name – This property is an existing TFS project.

 

Build Definition – This property represents the build definition.

 

Build Number – This property represents the build number.

 

Return Step Value

 

BuildDefinition –This collection of properties represents the Build Definition and Build Number for this build.