Create Azure package on TFS build

Question

I want Azure Package files to be the output of a successful check-in build. We want to be able to publish these packages to Azure from a drop location.

According to this post, we only need the csdef file in order to create the package file using cspack in the command line:

cspack “c:\<path to the csdeffile>\servicedefinition.csdef” /role:<Name of the role as defined in the csdef file>;<location of the binaries> /sites:<Name of the role>;<name of the site path>;<location of the website files>

But I want to avoid using the command line. I know there is a CSPack task that can be used, but I have been struggling to find more information on it. I can't find any specification online, expect for some information on this Stackoverflow post.

How can I translate the above cspack command into the CSPack build task?

I have come up with the following based on the MSDN spec for cspack.exe but I have had to make a lot of assumptions:

<PropertyGroup>
  <VisualStudioVersion Condition=" '$(VisualStudioVersion)' == '' ">10.0</VisualStudioVersion>
  <CloudExtensionsDir Condition=" '$(CloudExtensionsDir)' == '' ">$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)\Windows Azure Tools\2.2\</CloudExtensionsDir>
  <Roles></Roles>
</PropertyGroup>
<Import Project="$(CloudExtensionsDir)Microsoft.WindowsAzure.targets" />
<Target Name="CreatePackage" DependsOnTargets="Build">
  <CSPack 
      ServiceDefinitionFile="MyCloudProject\ServiceDefinition.csdef"
      Output="$(OutDir)Publish\$(ProjectName).cspkg"
      PackRoles="MyRoleName"
      SiteMapping="MyRoleName;MySiteName;MySitePath"
      RoleProperties="MyRoleName;$(OutDir)Publish\MyProject.dll"
      CopyOnly="false">
  </CSPack>
</Target>

I get the following build error:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v12.0\Windows Azure Tools\2.2\Microsoft.WindowsAzure.targets (351): No default service configuration "ServiceConfiguration.cscfg" could be found in the project.

To be honest, I don't really know what I am doing. I have been at this for some time, so any guidance would be appreciated.

Copying the cspkg files will be easy enough, but I can't seem to figure out how to perform the packaging.

We are using Visual Studio Online (cloud-based TFS).

EDIT:

We do have cloud projects. This is how we have been publishing (right click -> Publish). This obviously isn't ideal as it doesn't follow a "Build Once" strategy and it adds further complications with a larger team.

@Simon Opelt: Would using the CorePublish target require a change to the build definition? Right now, the build definition uses a specific .build file (in order to perform a NuGet restore), which then runs the Build target for all projects in the solution:

<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutDir>$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)bin</OutDir>
    <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
    <ProjectProperties>OutDir=$(OutDir);Configuration=$(Configuration);</ProjectProperties>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Solution Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)*.sln" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <Target Name="RestorePackages">
    <Exec Command="&quot;$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory).nuget\NuGet.exe&quot; restore &quot;%(Solution.Identity)&quot;" />
  </Target>
  <Target Name="Clean">
    <MSBuild Targets="Clean" Projects="@(Solution)" Properties="$(ProjectProperties)" />
  </Target>
  <Target Name="Build" DependsOnTargets="RestorePackages">
    <MSBuild Targets="Build" Projects="@(Solution)" Properties="$(ProjectProperties)" />
  </Target>
  <Target Name="Rebuild" DependsOnTargets="RestorePackages">
    <MSBuild Targets="Rebuild" Projects="@(Solution)" Properties="$(ProjectProperties)" />
  </Target>
</Project>

This also builds and runs our test projects. Would using the cloud project coupled with CorePublish still allow for this?

Are you using cloud projects? Is that an option or do you want to stick with web-projects plus csdef/cscfg? Have you looked at using the MSBuild CorePublish target as descibed in blog.ehuna.org/2011/02/how_to_automate_the_creation_o.html ? — Simon Opelt

d3r3kk d3r3kk · Accepted Answer · 2014-06-05T19:07:17

Set the following properties in your build (via command line msbuild /p: switches, or property pages, or whatever you like):

PublishDir = [Folder you want the packages published to]

PackageForComputeEmulator = true

Then add a target that turns on Publish after build like so:

  <Target
    Name="BuildPackagesForAzure"
    Condition="'$(DoPackagesInBuild)'=='True'"
    DependsOnTargets="Publish"
    AfterTargets="Build">
      <Message Importance="high" Text="Doing Azure packaging in build." />
  </Target>

Create Azure package on TFS build

3 Answers