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Azure DevOps Extension

Release tasks

Release tasks deploy and distribute the app — to per-tenant and dev endpoints, on-premise environments, NuGet feeds, runtime packages and Microsoft Marketplace (AppSource). All except Publish NuGet Package require a valid ALbuild license for your Azure DevOps organization (see Licensing & tiers).

Tasks in this category

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Build Runtime Packages

Reference name: BuildRuntimePackages@0

Builds runtime packages for one or more apps across Business Central platform versions.

Note: Wraps Build-BcRuntimePackages from the businessdev.ALbuild module (licensed). Provide one .app file per line and one or more platform versions.

Underlying cmdlet: Build-BcRuntimePackages

Example

Code
- task: BuildRuntimePackages@0
  displayName: 'Build runtime packages'
  inputs:
    appFile: |                        # one .app per line (or a folder)
      $(bcAppFile)
    platformVersion: '$(appVersion)'
    type: 'OnPrem'
    country: 'w1'
    outputFolder: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/runtime'

Inputs

Option values

type

Note: Compiles each app into a sealed runtime package (runtime .app) for the target platform. appFile is multi-line - one .app (or folder) per line. platformVersion pins the target BC platform; userName/password default to the Create BC Container credentials. This task sets no output variables.

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Publish Dev Extension

Reference name: PublishDevExtension@0

Publishes an app to a Business Central development service endpoint.

Note: Wraps Publish-BcDevExtension from the businessdev.ALbuild module.

Underlying cmdlet: Publish-BcDevExtension

Example

Code
- task: PublishDevExtension@0
  displayName: 'Publish dev extension'
  inputs:
    devServerUrl: 'https://bcserver'
    serverInstance: 'BC'
    appFile: '$(bcAppFile)'
    userName: '$(BcUser)'
    password: '$(BcPassword)'
    schemaUpdateMode: 'synchronize'
    dependencyPublishingOption: 'ignore'

Inputs

Option values

schemaUpdateMode

dependencyPublishingOption

Note: Publishes the app to a Business Central server's development endpoint (like VS Code F5) - a replaceable dev extension that can be re-published without a version bump. Targets devServerUrl + serverInstance with the given credentials. This task sets no output variables.

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Publish On-Prem App

Reference name: PublishOnPremApp@0

Publishes, synchronises and installs an app on an on-premises Business Central server instance.

Note: Wraps Publish-BcOnPremApp from the businessdev.ALbuild module.

Underlying cmdlet: Publish-BcOnPremApp

Example

Code
# Runs on the BC server host (self-hosted agent) against a locally installed BC server instance.
- task: PublishOnPremApp@0
  displayName: 'Publish app to on-prem server'
  inputs:
    serverInstance: 'BC'
    appFile: '$(bcAppFile)'
    scope: 'Global'
    syncMode: 'Add'
    install: true
    skipVerification: false

Inputs

Option values

scope

syncMode

Note: Publishes the app to a locally installed on-prem BC server instance (wraps Publish-BcOnPremApp) - the agent must run on the BC server host. With scope: Dev, devServerUrl sets the development service base URL (blank = auto-resolve localhost:<DeveloperServicesPort> from the local server config). This task sets no output variables.

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Publish On-Prem Container App

Reference name: PublishOnPremContainerApp@0

Publishes, synchronises and installs an app on a Business Central server instance running inside a Docker container.

Note: Wraps Publish-BcOnPremContainerApp from the businessdev.ALbuild module. Use this when the on-premises BC server runs in a Docker container on the deployment host; use 'Publish On-Prem App' for a directly installed server instance.

Example

Code
- task: PublishOnPremContainerApp@0
  displayName: 'Publish app to on-prem container'
  inputs:
    containerName: '$(containerName)'
    appFile: '$(bcAppFile)'
    serverInstance: 'BC'
    scope: 'Global'
    syncMode: 'Add'
    install: true
    skipVerification: false

Inputs

Option values

scope

syncMode

Note: Publishes the app into a BC container's on-prem server instance. With scope: Dev the app is published through the development endpoint and needs username + password. tenant (default default) selects the tenant for Tenant scope. This task sets no output variables.

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Publish NuGet Package

Reference name: PublishPackage@0

Pushes a NuGet package to a feed.

Note: Wraps Publish-BcPackage from the businessdev.ALbuild module.

Underlying cmdlet: Publish-BcPackage

Example

Code
- task: PublishPackage@0
  displayName: 'Publish NuGet package'
  inputs:
    packagePath: '$(bcNuGetPackage)'
    feedUrl: 'https://pkgs.dev.azure.com/365businessdev/_packaging/ALbuild/nuget/v3/index.json'
    apiKey: '$(System.AccessToken)'
    failOnConflict: false          # true = fail if the version already exists
    # view: 'Release'              # optionally promote to a feed view after push

Inputs

Note: Pushes a .nupkg to a NuGet feed. failOnConflict (default false) controls whether an already-published version fails the task or is skipped. view optionally promotes the package to a feed view (e.g. Release/Prerelease) after the push. This task sets no output variables.

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Publish Per-Tenant Extension

Reference name: PublishPerTenantExtension@0

Publishes an app as a per-tenant extension to a Business Central environment via the Automation API.

Note: Wraps New-BcApiAuthContext + Publish-BcPerTenantExtension from the businessdev.ALbuild module. Choose an authentication method: client secret (S2S), certificate (signed via an Azure Key Vault cert), or a legacy refresh token. Azure DevOps does not pass secret pipeline variables into task inputs, so map secrets via the task 'env:' block: ALBUILD_PTE_CLIENTSECRET, ALBUILD_PTE_REFRESHTOKEN, ALBUILD_PTE_KEYVAULTCLIENTSECRET.

Underlying cmdlet: Publish-BcPerTenantExtension

Example

Code
- task: PublishPerTenantExtension@0
  displayName: 'Publish per-tenant extension'
  inputs:
    environment: 'Production'         # BC environment (sandbox or production)
    tenantId: '$(BcTenantId)'
    authType: 'ClientSecret'
    clientId: '$(BcClientId)'
    clientSecret: '$(BcClientSecret)'
    schemaSyncMode: 'Add'
    appFile: '$(bcAppFile)'
    # schedule: 'Current'              # when the environment deploys it (default: immediately)
    # includeTestApp: true             # only for a dedicated test tenant - off by default

Inputs

Option values

authType

schemaSyncMode

schedule

Note: Publishes the app to a Business Central online environment as a per-tenant extension via the Automation API. environment is required. Credentials depend on authType; scope overrides the OAuth scope (blank = https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/.default). This task sets no output variables.

Test apps and runtime packages are skipped. appFile defaults to the whole artifact staging folder and is searched recursively, so a build that also produces a test app would otherwise ship it into the customer environment. An app counts as a test app when its manifest carries Target="Test" or it depends on a Microsoft test/assert library — the same rule the AppSource submission uses. Set includeTestApp only for a dedicated test tenant.

Deployment is asynchronous. The Automation API never installs synchronously: uploading the file and posting the upload action only queues the work, which is what schedule selects. The task therefore polls extensionDeploymentStatus and fails if an app does not install, instead of reporting success for something that may fail minutes later inside Business Central. Use noWait to skip that check (the release then cannot detect a failed installation), and timeoutMinutes to bound the wait.

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Submit to Marketplace

Reference name: SubmitMarketplace@0

Submits an app to Microsoft Marketplace (AppSource) via Partner Center and optionally promotes it.

Note: Wraps Submit-BcMarketplaceApp from the businessdev.ALbuild module.

Underlying cmdlet: Submit-BcMarketplaceApp

Example

Code
- task: SubmitMarketplace@0
  displayName: 'Submit to AppSource marketplace'
  inputs:
    appPath: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)'   # folder or .app(s); test apps excluded
    # productName: ''                # empty = the main app's manifest name; set to override the offer name
    # libraryAppPath: ''             # library app(s) arriving as a separate artifact (one per line / ';')
    tenantId: '$(PartnerTenantId)'
    clientId: '$(PartnerClientId)'
    clientSecret: '$(PartnerClientSecret)'
    publisherId: '$(PartnerCenterPublisherId)'
    autoPromote: false               # true = go live automatically after validation
    timeoutMinutes: '40'

Inputs

Option values

autoPromote

Note: Submits the app to AppSource via the Partner Center API. appPath (folder or .app files; test apps excluded) is the modern input - the singular appFile input is deprecated and ignored when appPath is set. productName defaults to the main app's manifest name; set it only when the AppSource offer name differs. libraryAppPath supplies library apps that arrive as a separate artifact. timeoutMinutes (default 40) bounds the validation wait. This task sets no output variables.

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