CODEWITHSUNDEEP
tfstfsbuildtfs-2015
alltej
alltej

Reputation: 7285

Create Queue and Download Agent means in TFS 2015 (on premise)

Trying to make my CI/CD work using TFS. Have to overcome some of this user role setup. Also not really getting my head around the terminology and the workflow (kinda different with how Jenkins works) and at the same time I have to figure the myriad of TFS versions(2010/2012/2013/2015/2017) and the online Visual Studio team services. I have to unlearn what I already know somehow, thus my basic questions:

  1. What are agent queue? What are pools? (when i click create queue, it will ask me to create new pool)

enter image description here

  1. What does "Download Agent" means? I thought this agent will be installed on the server side like a plugin that you install in Jenkins.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 941

Answers (2)

PatrickLu-MSFT
PatrickLu-MSFT

Reputation: 51073

The official tutorial which involves a lot of aspects about Team Services and TFS. Most of the concepts is the same in /2013/2015/2017 and Team service. You just need pay attention to the support version under the topic such as below screenshot: enter image description here

An agent queue provides access to an agent pool. When you create a build or release definition, you specify which queue it uses. Queues are scoped to your team project in TFS 2017 and in Team Services, so you can only use them across build and release definitions within a team project.

More details about agent queue and agent pool, you could refer this link: Agent pools and queues

each queue can use only one agent pool.

This is why when you click create queue, it will ask you to create new pool.

For TFS2015, you are using the private agent.

An agent that you set up and manage on your own to run build and deployment jobs is a private agent. You can use private agents in Team Services or Team Foundation Server (TFS). Private agents give you more control to install dependent software needed for your builds and deployments.

You could use the download agent to Deploy an agent on Windows. And one of the most commonly used scenes of the "Download Agent" is when you are installing multiple private agents on the same machine.

Upvotes: 1

Jacob Maki
Jacob Maki

Reputation: 366

I think this might help clarify:

An agent pool defines the sharing boundary for all agents in that pool. In TFS, pools are scoped across all of your Team Foundation Server (TFS); so you can share an agent pool across team project collections and team projects. In Team Services, agent pools are scoped to the Team Services account; so you can share an agent pool across team projects.

An agent queue provides access to an agent pool. When you create a build or release definition, you specify which queue it uses. Queues are scoped to your team project in TFS 2017 and in Team Services, so you can only use them across build and release definitions within a team project.

An agent in TFS / VSTS does work (like a build or a release). Microsoft offers agents they host if you are using VSTS. Alternatively, you can setup your own agents. For example, if you need to run your build on a particular machine because it has some needed items to do compilation or you're using TFS and can't use the hosted, you'd need to download the agent and configure it on a machine. You can have multiple agents on one machine. I'd recommend not installing an agent on the same machine as the TFS application tier if you're working with an on premise installation.

Upvotes: 1

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