Azure DevOps Pipeline Step print variable value - azure-devops

Is there any way to explicitly print the value of a variable in a pipeline step? All my attempts only display "***".
Tried with Bash, Command-Line, and Powershell. Same result for everyone.
The first variable comes from the previous step. The other two are settled in the "Variables" menu.
EDIT 1 ----------------
Variables definition. Not defined as Secret:
Where the IP Address comes from. An ARM Template:

DevOps will not output variables defined as "Secret" in the log.
You would have to go a somewhat roundabout way as described here: Get Azure Devops Secret Variable as Plain Text using Powershell
But: If you want to output the "Secrets" anyway in the log of your pipeline, then you don't need to define the variables as Secret but you can just use PlainText (simplest solution, screenshot).
However, I would recommend you to set up a KeyVault, store the secrets there and include a link to the secret in the log, so that the user can retrieve the access data via the link after the deployment.
Regarding the IP:
If you define a variable inside the pipeline (like with the IP) you have to make sure that you don't use "issecret" for
echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=secretVariable;issecret=true] ...".
Microsoft - SetVariable: Initialize or modify the value of a variable

I found the "problem". I don't know why, but the third (Parse ARM Deployment Outputs into variables) step was doing this with the variables.
After removing it, the values were shown as expected.

Related

Azure DevOps Pipeline using old connection string

I have an Azure DevOps pipeline which is failing to run because it seems to be using an old connection string.
The pipeline is for a C# project, where a FileTransform task updates an appsettings.json file with variables set on the pipeline.
The variables were recently updated to use a new connection string, however, when running a Console.PrintLn before using it and viewing it on the pipeline, it shows an outdated value.
Many updates similar to this have been run in the past without issue.
I've also recently added a Powershell task to echo what the value is in the variables loaded while the pipeline is running, which does display the new value.
I've checked the order of precedence of variables and there shouldn't be any other variables being used.
There is no CacheTask being used in this pipeline.
Does anyone have any advice to remedy this? It seems that the pipeline itself is just ignoring the variables set on the pipeline.
There is a problem with the recent File transform task version v1.208.0.
It will shows the warning message and not update the variable value correctly.
Warning example:
Resource file haven't been set, can't find loc string for key: JSONvariableSubstitution
Refer to this ticket: File transform task failing to transform files, emitting "Resource file haven't been set" warnings
The issue is from Task itself instead of the Pipeline configuration. Many users have the same issue.
Workaround:
You can change to use the File Transform task Version 2 to update the appsettings.json file.
Here is an example: Please remove the content in XML Transformation rules field and set the JSON file path

Access agent hostname for a build variable

I've got release pipelines defined that have worked. I've got a config transform that will write a API url to a config file (currently with a hardcoded api url).
What I'd like to do is be able to have the config be re-written based on the agent its being deployed on.
eg. if the machine being deployed to is TEST-1, I'd like to write https://TEST-1.somedomain.com/api into a config using that transform step.
The .somedomain.com/api can be static.
I've tried modifying the pipeline variable's value to be https://${{Environment.Name}}.somedomain.com/api, but it just replaces the API_URL in the config with that literal string (does not populate machine name in that variable).
Being that variables are the source of value that is being written to configs during the transform, I'm struggling to see another way to do this.
some gotchas
Using non yaml pipeline definitions (I know I saw people put logic in variable definitions within yaml pipelines)
Can't just use localhost, as the configuration is being read into a javascript rich app that would have js trying to connect to localhost vs trying to connect to the server.
I'm interested in any ways I could solve this problem
${{Environment.Name}} is not valid syntax for either YAML or classic pipelines.
In classic pipelines it would be $(Environment.Name).
In YAML, $(Environment.Name) or ${{ variables['Environment.Name'] }} would work.

Is there a way in Terraform Enterprise to read the payload from VCS?

I have configured a webhook between github and terraform enterprise correctly, so each time I push a commit, the terraform module gets executed. Why I want to achieve is to use part of the branch name where the push was made and pass it as a variable in the terraform module.
I have read that the value of a variable can be a HCL code, but I am unable to find the correct object to access the payload (or at least, the branch name), so at this moment I think it is not possible to get that value directly from the workspace configuration.
if you get a workaround for this, it may also work from me.
At this point the only idea I get is to call the terraform we hook using an API Call
Thanks in advance
Ok, after several try and error I found out that it is not possible to get any information in the terraform module if you are using the VCS mode. So, in order to be able to get the branch, I got these options:
Use several workspaces
You can configure a workspace for each branch, so you may create a variable a select that branch in each workspace. The problem is you will be repeating yourself with this option
Use Terraform CLI and a GitHub action
I used these fine tutorial from Hashicorp for creating a Github action that uses Terraform Cloud. It gets you done the 99% of the job. For passing a varible you must be aware that there are two methods, using a file or using an enviromental variable (check that information on the Hashicorp site here). So using a:
terraform apply -var="branch=value"
won't work. In my case I used the tfvars approach, so in my Github Action I put this snippet:
- name: Setup Terraform variables
id: vars
run: |-
cat > terraform.auto.tfvars <<EOF
branch = "${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}"
EOF
I defined a variable within terraform called branch, I was able to get and work with this value

What does the "One of the deployment parameters has an empty key" mean in VSTS ARM release

My ARM template resource group deployment fails in VSTS.
I get an error without any specific reference to parameter that has an issue: "One of the deployment parameters has an empty key. Please see https://aka.ms/arm-deploy/#parameter-file for details."
The referenced url contain general information, with one comment asking the same question, but no answer to it.
Person asking it alluded that it may have something to do with the version of the deployment step (2.*) and it not using Powershell anymore. I went though the template back and forth comparing parameters in BeyondCompare and nothing sticks out...
Does anyone know what does this error mean?
I had the same issue and found out that some parameters has a space in their values.
So you should write -adminUsername "$(vmuser)".
This works for me
Check Your parameter key or value does not have space in between.
if your value required space then, use "".
check this link.
Example,
direct value -param1 "Value with Space"
value from pipeline variables -param1 "$(valueFromVariables)".
It means you've got a parameterkey in your deployment template without a name. For example "-" instead of "-parametername" or "- parametername" (notice the space).
It can also happen if you manage to paste an 'em-dash' (e.g. from a web browser) instead of a standard dash.
We had the same as matendie; a space between the dash and the parameter name:
- pricingTier "standard"
^ note the space
So, I'm not sure what the issue was, but I gave up on trying to identify the problem, and I deleted the release definition. Recreating it from scratch using the same template, works fine now...
Maybe the definition got some how corrupted.
Not sure, but new one is not having this issue.
Thanks
In my case the problem was with template parameters override. I needed to put parameter value in quotes - "DEV" on screenshot below.
Ran into this the other day. The release pipeline used to be working, and it suddenly started failing continuously with this error:
Error text:
##[error] One of the deployment parameters has an empty key. Please see https://aka.ms/resource-manager-parameter-files for details.
##[warning] Validation errors were found in the Azure Resource Manager template. This can potentially cause template deployment to fail. Task failed while creating or updating the template deployment.. Please follow https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/templates/template-syntax
Starting Deployment.
Deployment name is TemplateDeployment-20220504-******-****
There were errors in your deployment. Error code: InvalidDeploymentParameterKey.
##[error] One of the deployment parameters has an empty key. Please see https://aka.ms/resource-manager-parameter-files for details.
##[error] Check out the troubleshooting guide to see if your issue is addressed: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/deploy/azure-resource-group-deployment?view=azure-devops#troubleshooting
##[error] Task failed while creating or updating the template deployment.
Change that caused the error
I had changed the build pipeline such that the build numbers would now have spaces in it: so it changed from my-build-number to my build number. I was still using template param overrides this way: -buildNumber $(Build.BuildNumber):
this would expand to -buildNumber my build number, which breaks the command line processing of the ARM template deployment release task.
Solution
Used quotes for my build number variable: -buildNumber "$(Build.BuildNumber)":
Now this would expand to -buildNumber "my build number", and the Azure Resource Manager (ARM) template deployment release task is happy:

Bluemix Continuous Delivery deploy script pass env variables

I need to pass some environment variables to the deploy script like user names and spaces, service plans, etc. The idea was to use env in the manifest.yml file, but I can't get that working - seems like I can only use the predefined CF_APP etc.
Any tips on passing stuff to the deploy script?
Espen
You can define your own environment variables in manifest.yml file.
env:
<var-name>: <value>
<var-name>: <value>
Checkout this link https://docs.cloudfoundry.org/devguide/deploy-apps/manifest.html to see in details the fields available in manifest.yml.