Register-Environment Failing - azure-devops

Question

I am having trouble creating a release definition on Azure DevOps. I believe the Register-Environment function in PowerShellOnTargetMachines.ps1 is failing:
try
{
$connection = Get-VssConnection -TaskContext $distributedTaskContext
Write-Verbose "Starting Register-Environment cmdlet call for environment : $environmentName with filter $machineFilter"
$environment = Register-Environment -EnvironmentName $environmentName -EnvironmentSpecification $environmentName -UserName $adminUserName -Password $adminPassword -WinRmProtocol $protocol -TestCertificate ($testCertificate -eq "true") -Connection $connection -TaskContext $distributedTaskContext -ResourceFilter $machineFilter
Write-Verbose "Completed Register-Environment cmdlet call for environment : $environmentName"
Write-Verbose "Starting Get-EnvironmentResources cmdlet call on environment name: $environmentName"
$resources = Get-EnvironmentResources -Environment $environment
if ($resources.Count -eq 0)
{
Write-Telemetry "Input_Validation" "No machine exists for given environment"
throw (Get-LocalizedString -Key "No machine exists under environment: '{0}' for deployment" -ArgumentList $environmentName)
}
$resourcesPropertyBag = Get-ResourcesProperties -resources $resources
}
With the following error (I have omitted some of my organization's information, but it is there and looks right):
2019-09-04T12:34:55.6886629Z ##[debug]VssConnection created
2019-09-04T12:34:55.7518340Z ##[debug]Starting Register-Environment cmdlet call for environment : [machine] with filter [machine]
2019-09-04T12:34:55.7843531Z ##[debug]Begin Create-Environment cmdlet
2019-09-04T12:34:55.7872731Z ##[debug]UserName=[username]
2019-09-04T12:34:55.7878292Z ##[debug]WinRmProtocol=HTTP
2019-09-04T12:34:55.7878658Z ##[debug]TestCertificate=False
2019-09-04T12:34:55.7878965Z ##[debug]Unable to create a environment object for given json - Unexpected character encountered while parsing value: A. Path '', line 0, position 0.
2019-09-04T12:34:55.7879241Z ##[debug]projectName=[projectName]
2019-09-04T12:34:55.7879517Z ##[debug]Getting environment [machine] from DTL Service
2019-09-04T12:34:55.8485808Z ##[debug]Processed: ##vso[task.logissue type=error;code={"Task_Internal_Error":Page not found.};]
And I do not know what to do. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read my question.

Answer 1

Based on the details which from comment that Mike left, the issue should caused by the the task version you are using and its feature script we defined.
According to the ticket description you raised in DC ticket:
I am trying to use V2 of the following 'PowerShellOnTargetMachines'
PowerShell script for a release on azure devops, from
azure-pipeline-tasks.
the version of PowerShellOnTargetMachines you are using is 2.*.
We can get the Register-Environment cmdlet script with decompile tool follow the method I showed in this case.
You can see the parameters this cmdlet supported in 'PowerShellOnTargetMachines V2.*' does not include TaskContext and Connection. That's why you receive the error message "Unable to create a environment object for given json - Unexpected character encountered while parsing value". Because the parameter you input in the task does not match the configuration of Register-Environment cmdlet.
You can try with PowerShellOnTargetMachines V1.*. In 1.* we support the parameters TaskContext and Connection.