How to work with Artifacts

This page explains a bit more on how to work with Artifacts.

We support creating Docker images from NAV v9.0 to BC v17.0 (and upcoming) with the new task ALOpsDockerCreate. The task includes: - Creating BC Docker images on the local repository - Creating Docker Images for NAV: 2016 (v9), 2017 (v10), 2018 (v11) - Creating Docker Images for BC: v13, v14, v15, v16 - Creating Docker Images for BC-Insider: v17 (SASToken / StorageAccount) - Pull/Push images with public/private registry. - Supports a "Hint", where the old name of docker images can be supplied, we'll try and figure out the correct new parameters - The new task should be inserted in the pipeline above "ALOpsDockerStart"

BcContainerHelper

We will need BcContainerHelper to build the images. ALOps will install and maintain it, you don't have to do anything - although, you can, of course. If you see anything fails in ALOps regarding the installation of BcContainerHelper, these scripts can help you to cleanly install it (with thanks to Kasper): - to uninstall all instances of NavContainerHelper

$ModuleName = 'navcontainerhelper';
$Latest = Get-InstalledModule $ModuleName; 
Get-InstalledModule $ModuleName -AllVersions | 
    ? {$_.Version -ne $Latest.Version} | 
        Uninstall-Module -WhatIf

- to install BcContainerHelper manually:

Install-Module BcContainerHelper -AllowClobber -force

Some Examples:

Most basic Image creation based possible, only based on the old container naming.

- task: ALOpsDockerCreate@1
  inputs:
    artifacthint: 'mcr.microsoft.com/businesscentral/onprem:16.2.13509.13779-be-ltsc2019'

The proper, new way of defining the version/type/country you want can be done very easy:

- task: ALOpsDockerCreate@1
  inputs:
    artifactversion: '16.2'
    artifactcountry: 'be'
    artifacttype: OnPrem

Also not all parameters are required, if for example "Version" is not specified, we automatically take the latest. Example below will (today) resolve to "onprem-16.4.14693.15445-be"

- task: ALOpsDockerCreate@1
  inputs:
    artifactcountry: 'be'

For BC-Insider you just have to specify the [sastoken] parameter, if [StorageAccount] is blank we assume "bcinsider". Do of course make sure to set the type to "Sandbox" as there are no OnPrem builds in insider.

- task: ALOpsDockerCreate@1
  inputs:
    artifactcountry: 'be'
    artifacttype: Sandbox
    sastoken: $(bcinsider_sas_token)

To work with docker registries, specify the [dockerregistry] parameter, if its secured additionally specify [dockerusername] and [dockerpassword]. Tested on Docker registries [onprem/hosted] and Microsoft Container Registry (Azure)

- task: ALOpsDockerCreate@1
  inputs:
    artifactversion: '16.2'
    artifactcountry: 'be'
    artifacttype: OnPrem
    dockerregistry: 'alops.azurecr.io'
    dockerusername: $(dtr_username)
    dockerpassword: $(dtr_password)

When using the new "ALOpsDockerCreate" in a pipeline, you have to clear the [docker_image] parameter on ALOpsDockerStart. ALOpsDockerStart with automatically pickup the image-name from the the ALOpsDockerCreate task.

- task: ALOpsDockerStart@1
  inputs:
    docker_pull: false
    memory_gb: 8
    docker_parameters: '--isolation=hyperv'

Migrating your old build pipeline

To update your pipeline, it should just be a matter of adding the new task.

The easiest is to reuse the exact image you were using, like in:

- task: ALOpsDockerCreate@1
  inputs:
    artifacthint: 'mcr.microsoft.com/businesscentral/onprem:16.2.13509.13779-be-ltsc2019'

But better would be to specify the exact parameters you need to find the Artifact:

- task: ALOpsDockerCreate@1
  inputs:
    artifactversion: '16.2'
    artifactcountry: 'be'
    artifacttype: OnPrem

If you have any issues or suggestions, please put them on GitHub