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Written: 23/02/2020 | Updated: N/A
A pipeline allows developers and DevOps teams to build and release reliable code into their test and production environments. If you know developers within the organisation or have developers on the team, you will probably know that they spend considerable amounts of time monitoring builds and releases. By integrating azure pipelines into Teams, the team will always know the latest status of the pipeline from within the same hub where they collaborate without switching context. They can set up and manage subscriptions for events directly from channels. They can approve or reject requests right from the browser, desktop app or while on the go using the mobile app.
WHY WOULD WE DO IT?
- To monitor pipelines through notifications
- To approve or reject requests
PREREQUISITES
Users need Teams – usually via Office/Microsoft 365. It is recommended that an administrator sets up the DevOps organisation within Azure, and applies permissions upon the DevOps project
HOW
1.) If no DevOps organisation exists, one has to be setup prior to setting up the Azure Pipelines app within Teams. Login to https://aex.dev.azure.com/me#
2.) Select Create New Organisation
3.) Select Continue
4.) Name the DevOps organisation and select the Azure Region where the DevOps projects will be hosted, then select Continue
5.) The DevOps organisation is now created. At this point, projects can be created, as well as Pipelines
6.) Once the pipeline has been created, in Teams select Apps at the bottom left of the App bar
7.) Search for, and select Azure Pipelines. If this isn’t visible in the app store, then it may be blocked under the current app permission policy. If so, unblock the app.
8.) Select Add to a Team
9.) Select the channel, then select Set up a Bot
10.) The App is now deployed. Select the Azure Pipelines app below the compose box in the channel, then select sign in
11.) Complete the sign in
12.) The Azure Pipelines app requests permissions from the user. Select Accept
13.) Now select the Azure Pipelines app under the compose box again. Select Setup
14.) Select the DevOps organisation, then Continue
15.) Select the DevOps project, then Continue
16.) The integration is complete. As shown below a build pipeline is now visible which has been created previously with a Github repo and a starter pipeline built in DevOps. To subscribe to a pipeline simply write @Azure Pipelines subscribe [Pipeline URL] in the compose box and select Enter
17.) When the pipeline is run, a notification will be sent to the channel
Our job here is done
The integration between DevOps and teams is very straightforward and took no more than 15 minutes to achieve. It would be far quicker without having to screenshot the process and if a DevOps organisation was already created! Developers should take advantage of this functionality today.
