TFS 2012 Backup and Restore BuildDefinitions only - testing

Question

I installed a TFS2012 as a test system and doing some tests before we go productive.
This includes to define many BuildDefinitions which was a lot of work.
After the tests are successful, an new server will be installed with TFS2012 on it.
For this new server - which operates then as the productive system - i would like to restore the BuildDefinitions from the test system. But only the BuildDefinitions, not the whole TeamCollections. Because i ran test checkins and i don`t want these on my productive server.
Now, is it possible to backup and restore BuildDefinitions only?
Maybe it is possible directly throught the Sql database?, but i`am a little affraid of references there, pointing on some other tables.
Best Regards, Peter Bucher

Answer 1

Build definitions are not source controlled. The only option is relying on the TFS database backup where can restore or view the tbl_BuildDefinition* tables in the Tfs_DefaultCollection database.
There is a user voice for this feature and also you can use TFS API to do it.
Add a vote on uservoice:
provide a way to version-control build definitions
Using TFS API
How can I copy a TFS 2010 Build Definition?

Answer 2

Finally i decided not to touch the database, because there are references to a lot of other tables.
I used the TFS API v11 (TFS2012) and a bit C# Code, which i fitted to my needs from this base: How can I copy a TFS 2010 Build Definition?
It copies all Build Definitions from one TFS2012 Server to another. For both servers there is the need to specifiy a TeamCollection and a TeamProject.
So, the copy-task has to be done per TeamProject.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Build.Client;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Client;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.Client;
namespace TFSBuildDefinitionCreator
{
internal class Program
{
private static void Main(string[] args)
{
// Copies build definitions from one server to another.
// Uses the TeamFoundation API V11 (TFS2012).
// Code was used to copy b uild definitions from a test server to a productive.
string sourceServer = "http://testTfs:8080/tfs/MyTeamCollection";
string sourceTeamProject = "MyTeamProject";
string targetServer = "https://productiveTfs:8080/tfs/MyTeamCollection";
string targetTeamProject = "MyTeamProject";
// DropLocation for defininitions: Share on which the build should be dropped.
string defaultDropLocation = "\\\\MyBuildserver\\Builds$";
// Change the DefaultProcessTemplate in the following method below: GetDefaultProcessTemplateByServerPathFromBuildServer.
CopyBuildDefinitions(sourceServer, sourceTeamProject, targetServer, targetTeamProject, defaultDropLocation);
Console.Read();
}
private static IBuildServer GetBuildServerFromServerUrl(string serverUrl)
{
var tfs = TeamFoundationServerFactory.GetServer(serverUrl);
return (IBuildServer)tfs.GetService(typeof(IBuildServer));
}
private static IBuildController GetDefaultBuildControllerFromBuildServer(IBuildServer buildServer)
{
return buildServer.QueryBuildControllers()[0];
}
private static IProcessTemplate GetDefaultProcessTemplateByServerPathFromBuildServer(IBuildServer buildServer, string teamProject)
{
var processTemplates = buildServer.QueryProcessTemplates(teamProject);
var result = processTemplates.First(t => t.ServerPath.Contains("/BuildProcessTemplates/MyDefaultTemplate.xaml"));
return result;
}
private static void CopyBuildDefinitions(string sourceServer, string sourceTeamProject, string targetServer,
string targetTeamProject, string defaultDropLocation)
{
var sourceBuildServer = GetBuildServerFromServerUrl(sourceServer);
var sourceBuildDetails = sourceBuildServer.QueryBuildDefinitions(sourceTeamProject);
foreach (var sourceBuildDetail in sourceBuildDetails)
{
CopyBuildDefinition(sourceBuildDetail, targetServer, targetTeamProject, defaultDropLocation);
}
}
private static void CopyBuildDefinition(IBuildDefinition buildDefinition, string targetServer, string targetTeamProject, string defaultDropLocation)
{
var targetBuildServer = GetBuildServerFromServerUrl(targetServer);
var buildDefinitionClone = targetBuildServer.CreateBuildDefinition(targetTeamProject);
buildDefinitionClone.BuildController = GetDefaultBuildControllerFromBuildServer(targetBuildServer);
buildDefinitionClone.ContinuousIntegrationType = buildDefinition.ContinuousIntegrationType;
buildDefinitionClone.ContinuousIntegrationQuietPeriod = buildDefinition.ContinuousIntegrationQuietPeriod;
// Noch ändern.
//buildDefinitionClone.DefaultDropLocation = buildDefinition.DefaultDropLocation;
buildDefinitionClone.DefaultDropLocation = defaultDropLocation;
buildDefinitionClone.Description = buildDefinition.Description;
buildDefinitionClone.Enabled = buildDefinition.Enabled;
//buildDefinitionClone.Name = String.Format("Copy of {0}", buildDefinition.Name);
buildDefinitionClone.Name = buildDefinition.Name;
//buildDefinitionClone.Process = buildDefinition.Process;
buildDefinitionClone.Process = GetDefaultProcessTemplateByServerPathFromBuildServer(targetBuildServer, targetTeamProject);
buildDefinitionClone.ProcessParameters = buildDefinition.ProcessParameters;
foreach (var schedule in buildDefinition.Schedules)
{
var newSchedule = buildDefinitionClone.AddSchedule();
newSchedule.DaysToBuild = schedule.DaysToBuild;
newSchedule.StartTime = schedule.StartTime;
newSchedule.TimeZone = schedule.TimeZone;
}
foreach (var mapping in buildDefinition.Workspace.Mappings)
{
buildDefinitionClone.Workspace.AddMapping(
mapping.ServerItem, mapping.LocalItem, mapping.MappingType, mapping.Depth);
}
buildDefinitionClone.RetentionPolicyList.Clear();
foreach (var policy in buildDefinition.RetentionPolicyList)
{
buildDefinitionClone.AddRetentionPolicy(
policy.BuildReason, policy.BuildStatus, policy.NumberToKeep, policy.DeleteOptions);
}
buildDefinitionClone.Save();
}
}
}
Hope that helps others.