Lesson 2.3: Submit a build request

In this lesson, you submit a build request that includes all changes that the team delivered. A build is the bridge between development and testing. A build generates feedback for the development team. The team delivers changes that trigger builds and the unit tests provide the feedback on development progress. Widgets, such as Build Health and Frequent Test Regressions, illustrate the relationships between builds, development, and testing.

Before you begin

The IBM® Engineering Workflow Management Eclipse client and Build System Toolkit is installed, and the Jazz® Build Engine is started. For more information, see Introduction.

About this task

The development team builds continuously. Delivered changes trigger builds automatically, and the Builds widget can be used to track progress.

Occasionally, additional verification testing (manual or automated) is done to assess the status of the build. If the verification passes, then the build is promoted to testers.

The following scenario describes best practices for how you can track builds with work items:

  • For each milestone, the release engineering team opens a work item to track a build.
  • All team members who are interested in the build status subscribe to the work item.
  • The release engineering team announces successful builds by adding a comment to the work item. The description can include a link to a test server where the build is deployed.
  • The release engineering team communicates build failures by adding a comment to the work item. The team also creates related defects for failing test cases.
  • Information is added to the work item, such as links to build results, related defects, and comments about the build.
  • The release engineering team adds approvals to the work item, so that component team leads can approve a build.
  • After the milestone is completed, the work item is closed, and a new work item is open for the next milestone.

In this lesson, you learn how to complete these tasks:

  • Submit a build request.
  • Update a build work item.
  • Add subscribers to a work item.

Submitting a build request

About this task

Submit a build request, and tag a build result:

Procedure

  1. Start the Engineering Workflow Management client, and select the workspace for the Rebecca user that you created during setup.
  2. In the Work Items perspective, in the Team Artifacts view, expand Builds > Build Engines, and verify that the jke.dev.engine build engine is started. (Its status is busy or idle).
  3. Right-click brm.continuous; then click Request Build to manually start a continuous integration build.
    Request build
    Note: You can also configure a build to start automatically on a scheduled basis.
  4. In the Request Build window, click Submit.
  5. In the Builds view, click Refresh to view build progress.
    Note: The build duration can be less than 2 minutes, but the estimated completion time can be listed as several hours.
  6. After the build is complete, double-click the build result to open it.
    Note: Verify that there are no compilation errors reported, all tests passed, and the status is completed. One work item is included in the build.
  7. Open the completed implementation task work item.
  8. Return to the build result and click Show Changes to view all the delivered updates. There is automated traceability between work items, source control, and the build.
  9. In the Tags field of the build result, press Ctrl+Space and select the ready_for_test tag. This tag identifies to the testers that the build has been promoted and is ready for verification.
  10. Save the build result.
    Build result

Updating the build work item

About this task

Update the build work item:

Procedure

  1. On the Overview page of the build result, click on the build result header label; then click Copy.
  2. In the Eclipse client, in the search field in lower left corner, search for Track Build.
  3. In the search results, open Track Build for Sprint 2.
  4. In the Track Build for Sprint 2 work item, click Add Comment.
  5. In the Comment field, paste the build result; then add this text: Completed successfully.
    Build completed successfully

Adding subscribers to the work item

About this task

Subscribe Marco, a development lead, and Tanuj, a tester, to the track build work item:

Procedure

  1. In the Track Build for Sprint 2 work item, click the Links tab.
  2. Beside the Subscribers area, click Add.
  3. Search for Marco and Tanuj and add them as subscribers.
  4. Save the work item.
    Work item subscribers

Lesson checkpoint

In this lesson, you learned how to complete these tasks:
  • Submit a build request.
  • Update a build work item.
  • Add subscribers to a work item.