Configuring stage types

Task 3: Configuring Deployment Agents and Environments

1. Servers to be used for deployment must have the Microsoft Deployment Agent service installed
and configured to connect to the Release Management Server over HTTP or HTTPS. In addition,
these servers must be explicitly added to Release Management Server. Navigate to Configure
Paths | Servers and note that the deployment agent service has already been setup and
configured for this virtual machine.

Figure 1
Configuring servers

Note: Although we won’t do so here, the recommended way to add additional deployment
servers is to select the drop-down arrow next to the New button and then select Scan for
Agents.

2. Double-click on the VSALM server.

Figure 2
Configuring servers
3. There are many options shown here for the selected deployment server, but the general
takeaway is that you want to configure servers that you add to be uniquely identifiable so that
Release Management Sever can target them. It is possible to used cloned servers, configure the
address type to be a gateway, and to have the server use HTTP(S) to grab the deployment bits
from the drop location (if it a UNC path is not an option).

Figure 3
Configuring servers

4. Navigate to Configure Paths | Environments.

5. Servers are grouped into environments so that servers are decoupled from release path
definitions and so that various stages of the release path can be restricted to certain
environments. Double-click on the first environment named “Int-Dev”.

Figure 4
Viewing environment configuration

6. As the description states, this environment is meant to define the group of servers used for a
development environment. If you wanted to restrict the use of this environment to specific
stages, you could do so in the Stage Type Security tab.
 Figure 5
Viewing environment configuration

Exercise 3: Defining a Release Path

and Template
In this exercise, you will learn how a release path and release template are created and configured. You
will also see how to use the actions and tools provided to deploy an application to the correct
environment.

Task 1: Release Path and Template Configuration

1. Now let’s look at a release path definition. Navigate to Configure Paths | Agent-based Release
Paths and double-click on the Fabrikam Call Center release path.

Figure 6
Viewing release path

2. This release path defines a three-stage path through Dev -> QA -> Prod using the selected
environments. Most steps for the first two stages are automated, so the assigned user or group
does not intervene. Both the Dev and QA stages required approval before the next stage could
begin.
3.