jobs.job.strategy definition

Execution strategy for this job.

Definitions that reference this definition: pipeline, jobs.job

Implementations

Implementation	Description
strategy: matrix, maxParallel	Matrix job strategy.
strategy: parallel	Parallel job strategy.

strategy: matrix, maxParallel

Use of a matrix generates copies of a job, each with different input. These copies are useful for testing against different configurations or platform versions.

strategy:
  matrix: # Matrix defining the job strategy; see the following examples.
    { string1: { string2: string3 }
  maxParallel: string # Maximum number of jobs running in parallel.

Properties

matrix { string1: { string2: string3 }.
Matrix defining the job strategy; see the following examples.

maxParallel string.
Maximum number of jobs running in parallel.

Remarks

strategy:
  matrix: { string1: { string2: string3 } }
  maxParallel: number

For each occurrence of string1 in the matrix, a copy of the job is generated. The name string1 is the copy's name and is appended to the name of the job. For each occurrence of string2, a variable called string2 with the value string3 is available to the job.

Note

Matrix configuration names must contain only basic Latin alphabet letters (A-Z and a-z), digits (0-9), and underscores (_). They must start with a letter. Also, their length must be 100 characters or fewer.

The optional maxParallel keyword specifies the maximum number of simultaneous matrix legs to run at once.

If maxParallel is unspecified or set to 0, no limit is applied.

Note

The matrix syntax doesn't support automatic job scaling but you can implement similar functionality using the each keyword. For an example, see expressions.

Examples

Build on multiple platforms

This example uses a matrix job strategy to build on multiple platforms.

# Build NodeJS Express app using Azure Pipelines
# https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/devops/pipelines/ecosystems/javascript?view=azure-devops
strategy:
  matrix:
    linux:
      imageName: 'ubuntu-latest'
    mac:
      imageName: 'macOS-latest'
    windows:
      imageName: 'windows-latest'

pool:
  vmImage: $(imageName)

steps:
- task: NodeTool@0
  inputs:
    versionSpec: '8.x'

- script: |
    npm install
    npm test

- task: PublishTestResults@2
  inputs:
    testResultsFiles: '**/TEST-RESULTS.xml'
    testRunTitle: 'Test results for JavaScript'

- task: PublishCodeCoverageResults@1
  inputs: 
    codeCoverageTool: Cobertura
    summaryFileLocation: '$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/**/*coverage.xml'
    reportDirectory: '$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/**/coverage'

- task: ArchiveFiles@2
  inputs:
    rootFolderOrFile: '$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)'
    includeRootFolder: false

- task: PublishBuildArtifacts@1

This pipeline uses script to run in each platform's integral script interpreter: Bash on macOS and Linux, CMD on Windows. See multi-platform scripts to learn more.

Build on multiple platforms using self-hosted and Microsoft-hosted agents

The following example builds on both a self-hosted agent and a Microsoft-hosted agent, by specifying both a vmImage and a Pool variable, like the following example. For the hosted agent, specify Azure Pipelines as the pool name, and for self-hosted agents, leave the vmImage blank. The blank vmImage for the self-hosted agent may result in some unusual entries in the logs but they won't affect the pipeline.

strategy:
  matrix:
    microsofthosted:
      poolName: Azure Pipelines
      vmImage: ubuntu-latest

    selfhosted:
      poolName: FabrikamPool
      vmImage:

pool:
  name: $(poolName)
  vmImage: $(vmImage)

steps:
- checkout: none
- script: echo test

Build using different Python versions

jobs:
- job: Build
  strategy:
    matrix:
      Python35:
        PYTHON_VERSION: '3.5'
      Python36:
        PYTHON_VERSION: '3.6'
      Python37:
        PYTHON_VERSION: '3.7'
    maxParallel: 2

This matrix creates three jobs: "Build Python35," "Build Python36," and "Build Python37." Within each job, a variable named PYTHON_VERSION is available. In "Build Python35," the variable is set to "3.5". It's likewise set to "3.6" in "Build Python36." Only two jobs run simultaneously.

strategy: parallel

The parallel job strategy specifies how many duplicates of a job should run.

strategy:
  parallel: string # Run the job this many times.

Properties

parallel string.
Run the job this many times.

Remarks

The parallel job strategy is useful for slicing up a large test matrix. The Visual Studio Test task understands how to divide the test load across the number of scheduled jobs.

Examples

jobs:
- job: SliceItFourWays
  strategy:
    parallel: 4