Azure DevOps Release Notes and Installation Guide

Azure DevOps is a powerful tool for managing and automating software development, but getting started can be overwhelming. The good news is that Azure DevOps provides a comprehensive release notes and installation guide to help you navigate the process.

The release notes for Azure DevOps are regularly updated to reflect new features and improvements. You can find the latest release notes on the Azure DevOps website.

To get started with Azure DevOps, you'll need to install the necessary software. The installation guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing Azure DevOps on your local machine or in the cloud.

The installation process typically takes around 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your internet connection and system configuration.

Azure DevOps Server release notes are an essential part of keeping your development process up-to-date and secure. Azure DevOps Server 2020 Update 1.2 Patch 4 was released on December 13, 2022, and it includes a fix for test data not being deleted, which caused the database to grow.

You should update to Azure DevOps Server 2020.0.1 first, and then install Azure DevOps Server 2020.0.1 Patch 2, which was released on April 13, 2021. This patch fixes two security vulnerabilities: CVE-2021-27067 and CVE-2021-28459.

Azure DevOps Server 2019.0.1 Patch 2 was released on August 13, 2019, and it adds information to service connections to clarify that they are authorized for all pipelines by default.

Here are some key security fixes from previous patches:

Azure DevOps Server 2020.1 Patch 1 was released on June 15, 2021, and it includes two fixes: secure cookies used in authorization flows and resolving an issue with Notifications SDK.

To upgrade or install Azure DevOps Server, you'll need to follow specific steps. The first step is to check your current version and determine which patch you need to install. For example, if you're running Azure DevOps Server 2019 Update 1.1, you should install Patch 8.

You can verify the installation by checking the version of the Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.Feed.Server.dll file. The correct version after installing Patch 8 is 17.153.31129.2. Alternatively, you can run the devops2019.1.1patch8.exe CheckInstall command to see if the patch has been installed.

If you're upgrading from Azure DevOps Server 2019 to Azure DevOps Server 2020, be aware that there are changes to the pipeline run retention model. You can read more about this in our blog post for information on how to safely upgrade.

Here's a summary of the patch installation steps:

Note that the new version of the Azure Pipelines agent after installing Patch 8 or Patch 15 is 3.225.0. It's essential to install these updates before installing Patch 10 or Patch 16, respectively.

Safely Upgrade from Azure DevOps Server 2019 to Azure DevOps Server 2020.

Azure DevOps Server 2020 introduces a new pipeline run (build) retention model that works based on project-level settings.

Certain policy configurations in Azure DevOps Server 2020 lead to pipeline runs being deleted after the upgrade.

Pipeline runs that have been manually retained or are retained by a release will not be deleted after the upgrade.

To ensure a smooth upgrade, read our blog post for more information on how to safely upgrade from Azure DevOps Server 2019 to Azure DevOps Server 2020.

Install Patch 4 before installing Patch 6 if you haven't already, as it includes updates to the Azure Pipelines agent.

The new version of the agent after installing Patch 4 will be 3.225.0.

To upgrade and install Azure DevOps Server 2019, you'll need to download and install patches. The first step is to identify the correct patch for your version of Azure DevOps Server. If you have Azure DevOps Server 2019 Update 1.1, you should install Azure DevOps Server 2019 Update 1.1 Patch 8.

To verify the installation, you can run a command or check the version of a specific file. Running devops2019.1.1patch8.exe CheckInstall will tell you if the patch has been installed or not. Alternatively, you can check the version of the file [INSTALL_DIR]\Azure DevOps Server 2019\Application Tier\Web Services\bin\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.Feed.Server.dll, which should be 17.153.31129.2 after installing Patch 8.

Before installing Patch 10, make sure you have installed the updates to the Azure Pipelines agent with Patch 8. This patch was released on September 12, 2023, and it updates the agent to version 3.225.0.

If you have Azure DevOps Server 2019.0.1, you should install Azure DevOps Server 2019.0.1 Patch 9. This patch updates the agent to version 3.225.0, and it's recommended to install it before installing Patch 16.

To verify the installation of Patch 9, you can run devops2019.0.1patch9.exe CheckInstall or check the version of the file [INSTALL_DIR]\Azure DevOps Server 2019\Application Tier\Web Services\bin\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.Feed.Server.dll, which should be 17.143.30723.4 after installing Patch 9.

Here's a summary of the recommended patches for each version of Azure DevOps Server:

Azure DevOps Server 2020.1.1 Patch 3 was released on December 15, 2021. This patch includes fixes for several issues, including a work item macro that was returning incorrect results for queries with "Contains Words".

The patch also increases limits for Maven package version character length, and resolves localization issues for custom work items layout states and email notification templates.

One of the notable fixes is for the NOTSAMEAS rules evaluation when multiple NOTSAMEAS rules were defined for a field.

Azure DevOps Server 2020 Update 1.2 Patch 3, released on October 18, 2022, includes fixes for issues such as newly added AD identities not appearing in security dialog identity pickers.

Here are some key fixes included in the patch:

Azure DevOps Server 2020.1.1 Patch 2, released on October 26, 2021, includes fixes for issues such as creating connections to GitHub.com and resolving issues with the Test Plan widget.

In Azure Pipelines, you might notice that fields like Duration can be null in some locales, which might cause some issues. This is a known issue.

If you're using an Azure Resource Group Deployment in your Pipeline, be aware that the template path may not point to a valid JSON file. This can lead to errors.

To fix the collection-level retention settings page issue, you can find it in the project settings pages. This page is now visible, which is a good thing.

For Azure Test Plans, editing fields can be slow, which might be frustrating. However, this is a known issue.

When opening a Test Case from Boards, you might notice that the Shared Step details don't open. This is the case, even though it works when opening from Test Plans.

To use the new behavior in Azure Pipelines, you'll need to set a specific variable in your pipelines. This variable is AZP_75787_ENABLE_NEW_LOGIC = true, and you can define it in the variable tab in the pipeline on classic, or use the YAML example provided.

The new behavior requires you to download and extract Tasks_20230825.zip. After extracting the files, you'll need to change directory into the extracted files and execute the following commands to upload the tasks.

If you haven't installed the Azure Pipelines agent updates as described in Patch 5, you should do so before installing Patch 6. The new version of the agent after installing Patch 5 will be 3.225.0.

To manage security on the Releases tab, all users will now be shown the action to manage security, regardless of whether they can change the permissions or not.

Here are the steps to upload tasks on the server:

Note that there are some known issues with Pipelines notifications, where fields such as Duration may be null in some locales. Additionally, the collection-level retention settings page appears in the project settings pages.

Test Plans can be a bit finicky. Editing fields in Test Plans is slow, which can be frustrating when you're working on a tight deadline.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Shared Step details don't always open as expected. In a Test Case, when opening from Boards (as opposed to Test Plans), the Shared Step details don't open.

This can make it harder to access the information you need. However, it's worth noting that this issue doesn't occur when opening Test Cases from Test Plans.

We've added support for Visual Studio 2019 to the Visual Studio Test task in pipelines.

To run tests using the test platform for Visual Studio 2019, select the Latest or Visual Studio 2019 options from the Test platform version dropdown.

You can now easily integrate Visual Studio 2019 into your pipelines for a seamless testing experience.

To do this, simply navigate to the Test platform version dropdown and choose the option that suits your needs.

Azure DevOps Server 2020 RC2 was released on August 11, 2020.

This release is a roll up of bug fixes, which is great news for teams looking to squash pesky errors.

Azure DevOps Server 2020 RC2 includes all features from the previous release, Azure DevOps Server 2020 RC1.

In Azure Boards, you'll notice a change in the way you access work items. The "View work item" hyperlink in notification emails now uses a public URL.

The server configuration wizard has been updated with a fix for a spelling mistake, making it easier to navigate.

If you're using extensions, you can now increase the package size and even adjust it in the registry.

Resource groups are used to organize and manage resources in Azure, and deploying a resource group is a crucial step in setting up your Azure environment.

You can deploy a resource group using the Azure portal, PowerShell, or Azure CLI.

To deploy a resource group using the Azure portal, you'll need to select the subscription and location for your resource group.

Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates can also be used to deploy resource groups, and these templates can be stored in Azure DevOps or GitHub.

Resource groups can be linked to Azure Active Directory (AAD) for identity and access management, and this is a best practice for securing your resources.

Azure Monitor can be used to monitor resource groups, and this is useful for keeping track of resource utilization and performance.

In Azure Boards, you might have noticed that the "View work item" hyperlink in notification emails isn't using the public URL.

This change is likely to affect how you access and view work items in your boards.

The server configuration wizard has been updated to fix spelling errors.

You can now adjust the extension package size in the registry, which is a nice flexibility feature.

Here are the details on the extension package size adjustments:

Azure DevOps Services is a powerful tool that helps teams manage and deliver software. It's a cloud-based service that integrates with Azure DevOps Server.

You can view the released features timeline for Azure DevOps Services, which lists significant features delivered to the service and the corresponding version of Azure DevOps Server. The timeline is a valuable resource for teams looking to upgrade or plan their future development.

Versions in the timeline are linked to the appropriate download location, making it easy to access the latest features. You can also view the build numbers for each version, which is useful for troubleshooting or testing purposes.

Versions in italics on the timeline are planned for the future and subject to change, so be sure to check back regularly for updates.

Release Cycles are a crucial part of Azure DevOps, allowing you to plan and manage releases of your software or application.

Azure DevOps offers two types of release cycles: Continuous Release and Scheduled Release. Continuous Release is enabled by default and allows for automatic deployment to production as soon as a build is completed.

Scheduled Release, on the other hand, allows you to specify a specific time and date for deployment. This is useful for deployments that require downtime or have specific business requirements.

Release gates can be used to block or allow a release to proceed based on certain conditions, such as build validation or manual approval.

Release notes can be automatically generated and included in the release, providing a clear and concise summary of changes made in the release.

Release history is also available in Azure DevOps, allowing you to track changes made to releases over time.

In Azure DevOps, you can build and deploy your code using the Release feature, which allows you to automate the deployment of your application to various environments.

The Release feature supports continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, enabling you to build, test, and deploy your code automatically.

Azure Pipelines can be used to build and deploy your code, and you can create a pipeline in minutes using a YAML file.

You can also use the Azure DevOps UI to create a pipeline, which provides a more visual and interactive experience.

The Release feature supports multiple deployment strategies, including canary releases and blue-green deployments.

Azure DevOps provides a built-in approval and gate mechanism to ensure that your code meets certain criteria before it's deployed to production.

The Release feature also integrates with Azure Monitor and Application Insights, allowing you to monitor your application's performance and health in real-time.

Azure Pipelines can be used to deploy your code to various environments, including Azure App Service, Azure Functions, and Kubernetes clusters.

You can also use the Release feature to deploy your code to on-premises environments using Azure File Share and Azure Blob Storage.