Base Team Build Directories Setup

So you want to setup a Build server, sounds easy doesn’t it?  It actually is, just need to account for a few little details, primarily 2 directories, the build working directory and the build drops directory.  The biggest killer of a build server is the infamous MAX_PATH limitation, limiting files on disk to 260 characters or less:

Setup your build working directory. 

You’re build agents need a temporary workspace to build from.  The Build Agent definition has a “Working Directory” setting that is the base for this.  One thing to note is a sources subdirectory is added to that directory you specified, which will go into the overall path length (aka MAX_PATH limitation).  The Work directory field has some interesting macros to use for creation of unique base folders to allow multiple agents to run multiple build definitions on the same box.  As with all thing, THOU SHALL NOT PUT THIS ON THE SYSTEM DRIVE.  A child cries every time either a build directory or the build drops directory is defined on the same drive letter as the OS, most of the time the C drive. 

My preference is to use the numeric ID’s TFS assigns to the build agent and the build definition to segregate these folders.  I will use the D drive as my example non-system drive I use for data.  Make a directory called D:\bld and give full rights to the service account running the agents on that machine:

Working Directory = D:\bld\$(BuildAgentId)\$(BuildDefinitionId)

What you will see = D:\bld\5\3  (the 5th build agent building the 3rd definition)

Setup your build drops directory and share.

Sometimes this is on your build machine, sometimes its on file server.  The key is this needs to be a file share where the full UNC is in the build definitions.  The key thing to remember is the build service account needs full rights both the file system where the share exists and the network share (thru Advanced Settings on the sharing dialog).