How to Find Build Runner Usage in TeamCity

Today we needed a way to determine build runner usage across all TeamCity projects. We were using a custom build runner – Node.js NPM – in several projects in TeamCity, but we didn’t know exactly which projects. And we wanted to upgrade the version of Node.js on our build server.

The Node.js NPM build runner allows you to integrate Node.js into your build steps. But, unless you’ve configured the related build steps to use a specific Node version, it will use whichever version that is currently installed on the build agent. So if we didn’t pay attention, upgrading Node.js had the potential to break some of our existing build configurations.

Searching the TeamCity UI

Initially, I thought the TeamCity UI might reveal which projects were using this build runner. In the Administration section, I found the Usage Statistics node (see Figure 1.) While this told me Continue reading “How to Find Build Runner Usage in TeamCity”

Practical Octopus Deploy – Using OctoPack

Creating Deployment Packages Using OctoPack

In the previous post, we took a look at DbUp – a tool to package and deploy database change scripts. In this post, we are going to check out another tool, OctoPack. We’ll be using OctoPack to help us create and publish packages in a format that Octopus Deploy can easily consume. This is the seventh post in a series about using Octopus Deploy.

An Octopus's Garden
An Octopus Garden

An Octopus’ Garden – and Some Turtles

Octopus Deploy has many capabilities. But once I got into to it, eventually I found that three of the shiniest objects in the world of Octopus are:

  1. NuGet packages,
  2. PowerShell scripts,
    3. and in what perhaps is simply another case of Continue reading “Practical Octopus Deploy – Using OctoPack”

Practical Octopus Deploy – Using DbUp

Using DbUp to Package Database Change Scripts

In the previous post, we took a look at some popular strategies for updating database schemas, including using database change scripts. In this post, we’ll focus on using DbUp, an open-source tool, to package and deploy change scripts. This is the sixth post in a series about using Octopus Deploy.

Database

Using DbUp, In a Nutshell

The project page for DbUp on nuget.org simply states: Continue reading “Practical Octopus Deploy – Using DbUp”

Practical Octopus Deploy – Database Change Scripts

Making Schema Modifications Using Database Change Scripts

In this post, we’ll examine some popular strategies for updating database schemas, including using database change scripts. We’ll also see how one of these strategies can be integrated into a deployment process that uses Octopus. This is the fifth post in a multi-part series about using Octopus Deploy.

Databases are a key part of many applications. Naturally, releasing a new version often requires a schema change. One way we can accomplish this is to use change scripts, so we’re going to look at how this works. We will see how to name and organize change scripts so they are deployed in the proper order. And we’ll also briefly touch on how Octopus supports a change script strategy.

Change Ahead exit sign

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

When our Octopus Deploy pilot started, one of my first Continue reading “Practical Octopus Deploy – Database Change Scripts”

Practical Octopus Deploy – Projects and Project Groups

Understanding Octopus Deploy Projects

In our last post, we explored lifecycles in Octopus Deploy. In this post, we’ll examine Octopus Deploy projects and project groups. We’ll see how projects help to define your deployments. We’ll look at how project groups help organize your projects, and also how they play a role in providing security. And we’ll also see how an Octopus project uses a lifecycle to control a project’s deployment model. This is the fourth post in a multi-part series about using Octopus Deploy.

Project as jigsaw puzzle
Figure 1: Project as puzzle

A Book of Recipes

Ultimately, the point of using a tool like Octopus is Continue reading “Practical Octopus Deploy – Projects and Project Groups”

Practical Octopus Deploy – Lifecycles

Understanding Octopus Deploy Lifecycles

The previous post in this series discussed environments and roles in Octopus Deploy. In this post, we’ll examine Octopus Deploy lifecycles, lifecycle phases, and how they control deployments. We’ll also see how a lifecycle phase contains and interacts with Octopus environments. This is the third post in a multi-part series about using Octopus Deploy.

The Bizarre Lifecycle of an Octopus
Figure 1: The bizarre lifecycle of an octopus

Typically, a web application deploys through several stages on its way from development to production. In Octopus, the lifecycle allows Continue reading “Practical Octopus Deploy – Lifecycles”

Practical Octopus Deploy – Environments and Roles

Understanding Octopus Environments and Roles

When first trying out a new application, it’s tempting to jump right in. Often, you can learn a lot about a new system through usage and discovery. However, Octopus Deploy introduces a new vocabulary that needs to be understood. In particular, two concepts that crop up constantly are environments and roles. This post will provide a magic decoder ring.

Orphan Annie's Decoder Ring
Figure 1: What Ralphie got in the mail

Saving the Environment

The Octopus documentation describes an Octopus environment as simply Continue reading “Practical Octopus Deploy – Environments and Roles”

Practical Octopus Deploy – Introduction

Introducing Practical Octopus Deploy

I started out my career several years ago as a build and install engineer (remember InstallScript? Yeah, me neither.) Today, I create web applications for a large urban county government. Naturally, we need to deploy these applications to various servers. So, like many dev shops, we’ve created our own home-grown deployment processes. Maybe you have too. We’re developers, after all!

While our processes work for us, they had become a bit unwieldy (see Figure 1.) They were also difficult to maintain and needed updating. In addition, we were starting to consider a move towards the cloud. The systems we’ve been using do not address this need at all. As a result, it was time to up our DevOps game.

Our Current Deployment Process
Figure 1: Overview of current deployment process

Getting Better All the Time

Wanting to improve, we started looking at our options. After a brief search we Continue reading “Practical Octopus Deploy – Introduction”

Ninject Parameterless Public Constructor Errors

About once a year I have to set up an entire new application from scratch. To help speed this process along, there are many NuGet packages that we typically use. Since we strongly believe in IOC and DI, one of our more important packages is Ninject.

Houston, We Have a Problem

Doing this work so seldom, it is always a bit of a trick to get everything set up properly. Commonly, after installing the Ninject NuGet packages, the first time you try injecting a service into a controller and running a WebAPI method, you will see Continue reading “Ninject Parameterless Public Constructor Errors”

Call stored procedures using DbContext

Staying Warm and Dry

Sometimes I find myself needing to create a complicated bit of logic in the SQL layer (say, for statistical reports.) Later, perhaps someone will ask to see these statistics exposed on a screen through the UI. Suddenly I need this same logic further up the stack. While I’m a fan of using LINQ, too much code duplication of complex logic can result in a maintenance headache. This is even more true when the duplication crosses languages, as when going from SQL to C#. Staying DRY is a good thing.

While I’d prefer to confine most of my coding logic to C# and keep my databases as simple as possible, sometimes this is not practical. In this article I will demonstrate how to call stored procedures using DbContext.

Putting Things In Context

My organization likes to Continue reading “Call stored procedures using DbContext”