Setting up and Running Additional Build Agents

Before you can start customizing projects and creating build configurations, you need to configure build agents.

tip

If you install TeamCity bundled with a Tomcat servlet container, or opt to install an agent for Windows, both the server and one build agent are installed. This is not a recommended setup for production purposes, since the build procedure can slow down the responsiveness of the web UI and overall TeaMCity server functioning. If you need more build agents, perform the procedure described below.

To install a build agent, follow these general steps:

1. Open the Agents tab

2. Click the Install Build Agents link located in the top-right area of the page

3. In the Install Build Agents pop-up, choose one of the available installation options:

   • installingBuildAgentsJavaWebStart

   • installingBuildAgentsViaMSWindowsInstaller

   • installingBuildAgentsZip

4. When an agent connects to the server for the first time, it appears on the Unauthorized agents tab under Agents, where administrators can authorize it. This will connect it to the server for the first time.

   note

   Agents will not run builds until they are authorized and enabled. The agent running on the same computer as the server is authorized and enabled by default.

Please note that in order to run a TeamCity agent, the user under which account the agent runs, should have the following privileges:

• Log on as a service (to run as Windows service)

• Start/Stop service (to run as Windows service, necessary for agent upgrade to work)

• Debug programs (for take process dump functionality to work)

• have write access to following directories: <agent home>, <agent work>, and <agent temp>

Installing Build Agents via Java Web Start



1. Make sure JDK 1.5+ is installed on the computer.

2. On the agent computer, set up the JAVA_HOME environment variable to point to the JDK 1.5+ installation directory.

3. Navigate to the Agents tab in the TeamCity web UI.

4. Click the "Install Build Agents" link and then click "Via Java Web Start".

5. Follow the instructions.

   tip

   You can install the build agent Windows service during the installation process or buildAgentsWindowsService.

Installing Build Agents via a MS Windows installer



Run the agentInstaller.exe Windows Installer and follow the installation instructions.

Installing Build Agents via a zip file



1. Unzip the downloaded file into the desired directory.

2. Make sure that you have a JDK or JRE installed (You will need JDK (not JRE) for some build runners like Ipr runner, Inspections, and Duplicates). Please ensure that the JRE_HOME or JAVA_HOME environment variables are set (pointing to the installed JRE or JDK directory respectively) for the shell in which the agent will be started.

3. Navigate to the <installation path>\conf directory, locate the file called buildAgent.dist.properties and rename it to buildAgent.properties.

4. Edit the buildAgent.properties file and change the properties of the installed build agent:

   • serverUrl - URL of the TeamCity server (the one used to open web TeamCity UI).

   • name - name of the build agent that will be visible in the web UI. All agents connected to TeamCity server must have unique names.

   • ownPort - (not required) port number that agent use to accept connections from server. Please make sure there is no firewall blocking incoming connections to the port. The port must not be used by any other application installed on the computer. If you want to install several build agents on the same computer, make sure they are assigned different ports.

   • ownAddress - (not required) the IP address of the computer running build agent. Required only if automatic detection fails (e.g. if there are several network interfaces on the computer).

5. Under Linux, you may need to give execution permissions to the bin/agent.sh shell script.

   tip

   On Windows you may also want to install the buildAgentsWindowsService instead of manual agent startup.

Starting the Build Agent



To start the agent manually, run the following script:

• for Windows: <installation path>\bin\agent.bat start

• for Linux and MacOS X: <installation path>\bin\agent.sh start

  note

  If you're running build agent on MacOS X and you're going to run Inspection builds, you may need to use the StartupItemContext utility:

  sudo /usr/libexec/StartupItemContext agent.sh start

Stopping the Build Agent



To stop the agent manually, run the <Agent home>\agent script with a stop parameter.

Use stop to request stopping after current build finished. Use stop force to request immediate stop (if a build is running on the agent, it will be stopped abruptly (canceled)) Under Linux, you have one more option top use: stop kill to kill the agent process.

If the agent runs with a console attached, you may also press Ctrl+C in the console to stop the agent (if a build is running it will be canceled).

Installing and Running a Build Agent as a Windows Service



In Windows, you may want to use the build agent Windows service to allow the build agent to run without any user logged on.

tip

Since version 1.2, Build Agents are using a new Windows Service Library: Java Service Wrapper. The old service name, agentd, is no longer used in fresh installations. Agents that were already installed will continue to use old service until explicit installation. (Upgrade)

To install the service:

1. Make sure there is no TeamCity Build Agent Service <build number> or agentd service already installed.

2. Run the <agent>/bin/service.install.bat file.

To start the service:

• Run <agent>/bin/service.start.bat

To stop the service:

• Run <agent>/bin/service.stop.bat

The new service wrapper allows to change agent JVM parameters via standard way of Java Service Wrapper library. The configuration is located at <agent>\launcher\conf\wrapper.conf

tip

The agent process name is TeamCityAgentService-windows-x86-32.exe. To work with net.exe utility, use TCBuildAgent name. For example:

net start TCBuildAgent

warning

To run builds, the build agent should be started under a user with enough rights for performing a build. By default, Windows service in started under SYSTEM ACCOUNT. To change it, use the Services applet (Control Panel|Administrative Tools|Services)

Installing Several Build Agents on the Same Machine



Several agents can be installed on a single machine. They function as separate agents and TeamCity works with them as different agents, not utilizing the fact that they share the same machine. After installing one agent you can install additional one, providing the following conditions are met:

• the agents are installed in the separate directories

• they have distinctive "work" and "temp" directories

• buildAgent.properties is configured to have different values for name and ownPort properties

Make sure, there are no build configurations that have absolute Build Checkout Directory specified (alternatively, make sure, such build configurations have "clean checkout" option turned ON.

Under Windows, to install the additional agents as services, modify <agent>\launcher\conf\wrapper.conf to change wrapper.console.title, wrapper.ntservice.name, wrapper.ntservice.displayname and wrapper.ntservice.description properties to have distinct name within the machine.