Update Sitecore application hosted on Azure using AzureDevOps

1
votes

I am trying to wrap my head around Sitecore deployments to Azure and a bit stuck with the actual application deployments.

I am using Sitecore 9.1.

So far I have all infrastructure provided (databases, webapps, cache, app insights) and installed the basic Sitecore packages to the webapp and applied dacpacs to DBs. Now I can access Sitecore and happily enjoy the default site.

Now I want to apply some of the TDS packages to this setup using Azure DevOps pipelines, and not sure where to start.

I checked available options and there seems to be 2 tasks in the marketplace:

But if I understand correctly, both of them will require Sitecore Package Deployer installed on the instance and will need to upload the package to the instance first. I think it will fail with my setup as I am running it as a zip-package (WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE = 1).

What are the best practices of deploying Sitecore app without the need to redeploy the whole Sitecore instance? And preferably with the option to apply the updates from the devops agent.

1
azureazure-devopssitecore
How about use the Sitecore PowerShell Extensions Remoting to install the update package? SPE Remoting allows you to use Windows PowerShell to use Sitecore PowerShell. Sitecore PowerShell has a cmdlet called Install-UpdatePackage that installs the update package from the Sitecore server. sitecore.stackexchange.com/questions/4445/… - Joy

1 Answers

2
votes

If you use Sitecore Package Deployer:

Clarification: The answer below will probably work in cases where you run your website from a zip package but it has not been tested. If anyone tests this please let me know in the comments

You can add the TDS packages(.update files) in the artifact when you build your application at the folder: /App_Data/SitecorePackageDeployer.

This is the default folder that Sitecore Package Deployer will look for TDS files. Sitecore package Deployer runs as a service in the server and will look into the defined folder for .update files every x minutes(x can also be configured.) The Sitecore package Deployer will then pick them up and install them for you.

To make your solution more clear:

  • You can have two separate artifacts: one for the CM server and one for the CD server.
  • Place the TDS packages only in the artifact that will be deployed to your CM server.

Clarification: The answer below will not work in cases where you run your website from a zip package. The zip is read-only and you cannot upload the .update files inside the zip package (thanks JleruOHeP).

If you still want to install the TDS packages as an extra step in your deploy pipeline and not include them in the artifact:

You can upload the .update files to your webApp under the /App_Data/SitecorePackageDeployer using the KUDU api. The Sitecore Package Deployer will then pick them up and deploy the packages for you.

Hope this helps.