Tag: Sitecore Team Development

Setting Up TDS to Build Azure Repo

~ Nikhil Kulkarni ~ 2 Comments

Hi Champs,

In next few blogs I going to explain you setting up TDS for entire Sitecore CI-CD process. Without any further delay we will start by below.

By using TDS 5.8 and Web Deploy packages, I’ll walk you through on how to create a fully automated build and deployment process from your workstation to source control and into your Azure environment.

The TDS Web Deploy packages were designed around quick and easy deployments to Azure, but they can be deployed to any Sitecore server that supports Web Deploy.

The difference in using .update packages and Web Deploy packages 

Workflow before TDS 5.8
Chart showing deployment before TDS 5.8

Workflow after TDS 5.8

Chart showing deployment process with TDS 5.8

Setting up the TDS project for Web Deploy

The Web Deploy Package tab has similar options to the Update package tab. You can enable building a Web Deploy package, what to include in the package, and the package name. In this example configuration, we’ll need a Web Deploy package, so we’ll check off “Build web deploy package.” The name can be left blank, and it will use the name of the project.

Window showing Web Deploy Package Tab

Since we are planning to build on the cloud based VSO build server, we need to add the TDS Build components NuGet package into the TDS project. To do this, you need to execute the following command in the Package Manager Console of Visual Studio. Side note: make sure you have selected the nuget.org repository while executing this command.

Install-Package HedgehogDevelopment.TDS -Version 5.8.0.6

Building the Web Deploy package

To create the Web Deploy package, simply build the project/solution with the configuration where Web Deploy packages are enabled. When the build is finished, you will find a folder called [Configuration]_WebDeploy with the Web Deploy package and the Web Deploy PowerShell script.

Image showing Publish Web Deploy and TDS Project files

Please note: the PowerShell script provided by TDS isn’t the only way to install the package. It is provided as a convenience for the developer to help them deploy the package if they don’t have another method of deploying it. It also contains script that can be used to monitor the deployment on the server.

Testing the Web Deploy package

Once you have the Web Deploy package and the PowerShell script, you only need to specify where it should be deployed. This can be easily set using a Publish Profile from Azure or by using parameters to the PublishWebDeploy.ps1 script. You can get a publish profile from the control menu of the App Service in Azure.

control menu of App Service in Azure

Now you can make a test deployment to the Sitecore instance using the script. I placed my Publish Profile file in the same directory where the Web Deploy package and the script were generated.

If you want to deploy the Web Deploy package into your Azure instance, all you need is to execute the script using the following parameters:

PublishWebDeploy.ps1 -PackagePath TDSProject1.wdp.zip -PublishSettingsPath tdstestinstance-630820-single.PublishSettings -ViewLogs

Summary

This completes the setup of the TDS project for building Web Deploy packages. Soon, I’ll walk you through on how to set up a TDS build in a Visual Studio Online Build Pipeline.

Ready to move on to the next step? Click here to read about configuring Azure DevOp’s Build Pipelines.
 
 
Happy Learning

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Razl for Sitecore Database Comparison

~ Nikhil Kulkarni ~ Leave a comment

Hi Champs,

Today I am going to share experience about how to use Razl tool for comparing Sitecore Databases.

To Start with this you need to download Razl from below link, one major thing is to keep in mind that Razl is paid software so keep your Product Key details ready to enter after installation.

https://www.teamdevelopmentforsitecore.com/Download/Razl

Once you install the Razl tool make sure that you restart your machine. After restarting your machine you need to follow the instruction given in below link to connect your database from different  Sitecore instances to compare. Basic think you need to take care is all instances of Sitecore should have proper configurations and instances should be running.

https://hedgehogdevelopment.github.io/razl/connections.html

there is another way to connect and compare which is by a script which you can follow below.

https://hedgehogdevelopment.github.io/razl/script.html

Once you guys are able to open connection which you want to compare. You need to follow simple steps to compare and sync the databases.

  1. Open node one by one which has left or right or both arrow mark.  Razl1
  2. Check if you required those items to be moved or not.
  3. If you find a gold star on the top end of the node name, that means it’s the latest item, and if the representation is on the side where your updating then no need to change. (Still, check)
  4. Make sure that while updating or transferring the item right click on the node and select all children item to avoid the issues.
  5. Sometime Razl doesn’t pick the child items, then it that case please check every node and get the items updated.
  6. Razl is only trusted tool after Sitecore packages to move Sitecore items from one version instance to another version instance of Sitecore.
  7. Once your data is migrated by Razl from one Sitecore version instance to another Sitecore version instance you can sync database with your TDS project and share it with the team for development purpose.
  8. With Use of Sitecore TDS and Raz, you can migrate Sitecore databases easily and share within the team, I already migrated Databases from Sitecore 8.2 to 9.1.1 which is a success story.

Note:

  1. Razl is not free software
  2. If you find any issues you can connect to Razl support via Email– support@hhog.com or you can write issues on below link.

https://www.teamdevelopmentforsitecore.com/Contact-Us

Happy to Share

Please write your note or queries in a comment.

Thanks for Reading!!!