[FIXED] How are Build and Release definitions connected with each other in Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS)?

Issue

Using the "Continuous Delivery" blade on my Azure website:

I set up Build and Release definitions in VSTS.

Source control properly triggers the build and then the release runs following that. All is good.

What I don't understand is how the Build and Release definitions are connected. I see nothing in the properties of either that refers to the other. How are they linked?

Part 2 confusing to me is that when I look at the Tasks in the Build definition

there's no Deploy task - this does make sense to me because that Deploy task shows up in the Release definition (seems logical):

However, I see that on the Build definition side of things I can directly add a Deploy task as well.

What's the meaning of having a Deploy task as part of the Build definition rather than as part of the Release definition?

Solution

The build and release systems use the same tasks (and task runner), but beyond that are designed with the concerns of their respective problem domains in mind. For example, the release definition editor allows you to define an environment pipeline, approvals, and triggers for promoting builds between environments.

Builds are tied to release definitions under the Artifacts tab of a release definition -- builds can use the Publish Artifacts task to publish outputs (like binaries). Releases can then deploy those published artifacts along the pipeline you define.

If you have a very simple project with no need for the release pipeline capabilities exposed by release definitions, you can create a build definition that both builds AND deploys your software.

Answered By - Daniel Mann

Answer Checked By - Robin (PHPFixing Admin)