Running builds as local process

• Prepare agent machine
  • Minimum requirements:
• Setup agent machine software
  • Download and install AppVeyor Host agent on agent machine
  • Optionally configure Host agent to run in “Interactive” mode
  • Download and install AppVeyor build agent on agent machine
  • Download and install additional software required by build process
• Setting up custom cloud and images in AppVeyor
• Make build worker image available for configuration
• How to route build to your own cloud

Prepare agent machine

Minimum requirements:

• Windows Server 2012 R2 (Windows 8.1) or higher
• .NET Framework 4.5.2
• Disk space should be enough to clone repository and store build artefacts
• Internet connectivity
  • Currently we require outbound Internet connectivity at TCP (not HTTP) level (behind router or NAT). We are working on proxy support, please watch this issue

Setup agent machine software

Download and install AppVeyor Host agent on agent machine

• Download location
• Installation settings
  • Host authorization token: token generated or manually entered during Setting up custom cloud and images in AppVeyor step

Optionally configure Host agent to run in “Interactive” mode

This setting can be useful if you need to run UI tests.

• Enable auto-logon [raw]
• Add Appveyor Host Agent to auto-run [raw]

Restart computer to ensure that changes auto-logon/run works as expected.

Download and install AppVeyor build agent on agent machine

• Download location
  • Accept all default settings during installation
  • Set Build Agent mode to Local process [raw]

Download and install additional software required by build process

Follow these steps to configure VM and install software required for your build process. It is tested PowerShell scripts which can be simply copy-pasted to PowerShell window (started in privileged mode). Specifically:

• Basic configuration and Essential 3rd-party software - we strongly recommend to install everything from those sections.
• Build framework - you can skip one of MSBuild and Visual Studio versions or both if you don’t need them.
• Test framework - you can skip that step if you are running your own custom test script/framework.
• AppVeyor Build Agent and Configuring agent to run in “Interactive” mode - these steps are mandatory.

Install any additional software required for your builds.

Setting up custom cloud and images in AppVeyor

• Login to AppVeyor portal
• Navigate to your account level Settings in the top manu and select Build environment option from the drop-down
  • If Build environment option is not available, please contact support@appveyor.com and ask to enable Private build clouds feature
• Press Add cloud, select cloud type Process

Complete the following settings:

• Name: Name for your local process environment. Make it meaningful and short to be able to use in YAML configuration.
• Host authorization token: generate host authorization token or enter it manually.
• Workers capacity: In local process context this means number of AppVeyor build agents could be spin up in parallel.
  • Note that every build agent consumes about at least 15 Mb of memory, with additional overhead which depends on build tool is being used.
  • CPU consumption is also can vary depending on specific build tool/scenario
  • Number of parallel build cannot be greater than what is allowed in AppVeyor plan regardless of Workers capacity setting.
• Project builds directory: Set folder to be used to clone and run builds on agent machine
• Build Agent directory: leave it blanc is Agent installation happened with default settings, otherwise set accordingly.
• Open Failure strategy and set the following:
  • Job start timeout, seconds: 180 should good enough for modern server. However, please feel free to increase according to your observation with specific machine.
  • Provisioning attempts: 2 is good for start. Later you may need to change it according to your observations

Make build worker image available for configuration

Though image term does not fit into local process scenario, it is required to set some image to be able to wire specific environment to specific project.

• Navigate to Build environment > Build worker images
• Press Add image
• Enter any name you like as IMAGE NAME

How to route build to your own cloud

At project level:

• UI:
  • Settings > Environment > Build cloud: Select your local process environment name from drop-down
  • Settings > Environment > Build worker image: Select your image name set in previous step from drop-down
• YAML:

build_cloud: <process_environment_name>
image: <process_environment_image>