Snapshot Dependencies
By setting a snapshot dependency of a build (e.g. build B) on other build's (build A's) sources, you can ensure that build B will start only after the one it depends on (build A) is run and finished. We call build A a dependency build, whereas build B is a dependent build.
To add a snapshot dependency, on the Dependencies page of the build configuration settings, click Add new snapshot dependency and specify the following options:
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Depend on | Specify the build configuration for the current build configuration to depend on. |
If the option is enabled, TeamCity will not run a dependency build, if another running or finished dependency build with the appropriate sources revision exists. See also #Suitable Builds below. However, when a dependent build is triggered, the dependency build will also be put into the queue. Then, when the changes for the build chain are collected, this dependency build will be removed from the queue and the dependency will be set to a suitable finished build. | |
Only use successful builds from suitable ones | A new triggered build will only "use" successfully finished suitable builds as dependencies. If the latest finished "suitable" build is failed, it will be re-run. |
Run this build if dependency has failed | If this option is enabled and the dependency build fails, the build of this build configuration will still be run. The build status will be set to "failed". If the option is not set, the build on the build configuration will fail with the "failed to start" error without running. |
Run build on the same agent | When enabled, and B snapshot-depends on A, then builds of B are run on the same agent where the build of A from the same build chain was run. |
Suitable Builds
A "suitable" build in terms of snapshot dependencies is a build which can be used instead a queued dependency build within a build chain. That is, a queued build which is a part of a build chain can be dropped and the builds depending on it can be made dependent on another queued, running or already finished "suitable" build. This behavior only works when "Do not run new build if there is a suitable one" option of a corresponding snapshot dependency is selected.
For a build to be considered "suitable", it should comply with all of the conditions below:
use the same sources snapshot as the entire queued build chain being processed. If the build configurations have the same VCS settings, this basically means the one with the same sources revision. If the VCS settings are different (VCS roots or checkout rules), then "same sources snapshot" revisions means revisions taken simultaneously at some moment in time.
be successful (if "Only use successful builds from suitable ones" snapshot dependency option is set)
be a usual, not a personal build
have no customized parameters (see also TW-23700)
have no VCS settings preventing effective revision calculation, see below
there is no another snapshot dependencies path with "Do not run new build if there is a suitable one" option set to "off"
the running build is not "hanging"
settings of the build configuration were not changed since the build (that is, the build was run with the current build configuration settings). You can check if the settings were changed between several builds by comparing
.teamcity/settings/digest.txtfile in the hidden build's artifactsif there is also an artifact dependency in addition to snapshot one, the suitable build should have artifacts
all the dependency builds (the builds the current one depends on) are "suitable" and are appropriately merged
Some settings in VCS roots can effectively disable builds reusing. These settings are:
Subversion: Checkout, but ignore changes mode
CVS: Checkout by tag mode
Perforce: Checkout by label set to Client instead of Client mapping
Starteam: checkout mode option set to view label or promotion date