Build pipeline does not delete - azure-devops

Question

In the Azure DevOps portal, I select a pipeline, then the [...] menu, then Delete.
I see a message asking:
Are you sure? This action cannot be undone. This will permanently
delete the pipeline 'vt3e (1)'. Deletion includes all builds and
associated artifacts.
I type in the pipeline name and click OK but the pipeline does not delete.
I have waited some hours.
[Update]
F12 in Chrome shows an error in the console:
ms.vss-build-web.common-library.__y__CePsj5f5zdcIK.min.js:18 Error:
One or more builds associated with the requested pipeline(s) are
retained by a release. The pipeline(s) and builds will not be deleted
[Update]
I am trying to follow the answer given by David D, but when I go to delete a release I get a message
VS402946: 'Release-8' cannot be deleted as it is currently deployed on
stage(s) Stage 1.
[update]
The issue is logged at Microsoft

Answer 1

If you have deleted the release in question, but you still get this error, the solve for it is:
Go to the build pipeline in question.
Under the 'Runs' tab, open each "run" individually
If a run is being retained, you'll see a white box at the top with verbiage like "This run has been retained forever by 82 (Pipeline)" and to right, you'll see a button "View Retention Releases". That's where you'll delete the one or more retention releases.
You'll have to go through each "run" and repeat this process
If that white box/button isn't visible, that particular run isn't retained. You can confirm so by clicking the three dots in the top right corner and selecting "view retention releases"

Answer 2

I was having the same problem and tried different browsers, platforms etc. I found that by removing each release manually under the releases tab, going back to build and then trying to delete the pipeline again worked for me.

Answer 3

I came on the same problem last week and I updated a script from someone to work with the 5.1 API. This script will run over all builds that are retained by a release pipeline. You will need some tweaking of you don't want that all your builds are removed from releases.
$tfsServerURL = "https://dev.azure.com/{organisation}"
$TFSProject = "{project}"
$AzureDevOpsPAT = "{token}"
$AzureDevOpsAuthenicationHeader = #{Authorization = 'Basic ' + [Convert]::ToBase64String([Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes(":$($AzureDevOpsPAT)"))}
#Set to $true to update builds by settingretainingByRelease= false
$CorrectError = $true
$URL = "$($tfsServerURL)/$($TFSProject)"
Write-Output $URL
#Get all builddefinitions in Project
$Buildefinitions = (Invoke-RestMethod -Uri ($URL + '/_apis/build/definitions?api-version=5.1') -Method GET -UseDefaultCredentials -Headers $AzureDevOpsAuthenicationHeader).value
foreach($Builddefiniton in $Buildefinitions)
{
Write-Output "Searching in $($Builddefiniton.name) with id $($Builddefiniton.id)"
#Get Builds with keepforever = false and retainedByRelease = true
$Builds = (Invoke-RestMethod -Uri ($URL + '/_apis/build/builds?definitions=' + $Builddefiniton.id + '&api-version=5.1') -Method GET -UseDefaultCredentials -Headers $AzureDevOpsAuthenicationHeader).value | where {$_.keepForever -eq $False -and $_.retainedByRelease -eq $true}
#Get releases linked to the build
foreach ($build in $Builds)
{
If ($CorrectError)
{
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri ($URL + '/_apis/build/builds/'+ $build.id + '?api-version=5.1') -Method Patch -Body (ConvertTo-Json #{"retainedByRelease"='false'}) -UseDefaultCredentials -Headers $AzureDevOpsAuthenicationHeader -ContentType "application/json" | Out-Null
Write-Output "`tFixed"
}
}
}
The PowerShell script will first fetch all build pipelines, then fetch all builds that are not kept infinitely and are retained by a release. If the CorrectError is set to true the script will then try to switch the retainedByRelease flag to false.
After I ran this script I was able to remove my build pipeline.

Answer 4

enter image description hereenter image description hereI have facing same below issue
One or more builds associated with the requested pipeline(s) are retained by a release. The pipeline(s) and builds will not be deleted.
It is simple to solve this, just open the pipeline which you want to delete and if you have seen this in your pipeline just click on three dots [View Retention leases]and open the View retention leases and click on Remove all option and close the pop-up.[Run retention]. Once you perform this action you're now free to go and delete the pipeline which you want.

Answer 5

February 2022 Version of Script to delete a Build Pipeline including all Builds and Leases:
#Azure DevOps Personal Access Token
# https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/organizations/accounts/use-personal-access-tokens-to-authenticate?view=azure-devops&tabs=Windows
$personalAccessToken = "<Enter your personal access token here>"
$token = [System.Convert]::ToBase64String([System.Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes(":$($personalAccessToken)"))
$header = #{authorization = "Basic $token"}
$organization = "<Enter your Azure DevOps Organization here>"
$project = "<Enter your Project Name here>"
$pipelineName = "<Enter the Build Pipeline Definition Name to be deleted here>"
#Get all build definitions
# API: GET https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/build/definitions/{definitionId}?api-version=6.0
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/definitions?api-version=6.0"
$allBuildDefinitions = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Get -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
$allBuildDefinitions.value | Where-Object {$_.name -eq $pipelineName} | ForEach-Object {
Write-Host $_.id $_.name $_.queueStatus
# For debugging reasons, just to be sure that we don't delete the wrong build pipeline
if ( $_.name -ne $pipelineName ) {
return;
}
#Get all Builds for a Definition
# API: GET https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/build/builds?definitions={definitions}&queues={queues}&buildNumber={buildNumber}&minTime={minTime}&maxTime={maxTime}&requestedFor={requestedFor}&reasonFilter={reasonFilter}&statusFilter={statusFilter}&resultFilter={resultFilter}&tagFilters={tagFilters}&properties={properties}&$top={$top}&continuationToken={continuationToken}&maxBuildsPerDefinition={maxBuildsPerDefinition}&deletedFilter={deletedFilter}&queryOrder={queryOrder}&branchName={branchName}&buildIds={buildIds}&repositoryId={repositoryId}&repositoryType={repositoryType}&api-version=6.0
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/builds?definitions=" + $_.id + "&api-version=6.0"
$allBuildsOfDefinition = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Get -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
#Process each Build of Definition
$allBuildsOfDefinition.value | Where-Object {$_.retainedByRelease -eq "True"} | Sort-Object id | ForEach-Object {
#Report on retain status
Write-Host "Build Id:" $_.id " retainedByRelease:" $_.retainedByRelease
#Get all Retention Leases for this Build
# API: GET https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/build/builds/{buildId}/leases?api-version=7.1-preview.1
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/builds/" + $_.id + "/leases?api-version=7.1-preview.1"
$allLeasesOfBuild = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Get -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
#Delete each Lease of Build
$allLeasesOfBuild.value | ForEach-Object {
#Delete Lease
# API: DELETE https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/build/retention/leases?ids={ids}&api-version=7.1-preview.2
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/retention/leases?ids=" + $_.leaseId + "&api-version=7.1-preview.2"
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Delete -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
#Report on Lease deleted
Write-Host "Lease Id:" $_.leaseId " deleted"
}
#Delete Build
# API: DELETE https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/build/builds/{buildId}?api-version=7.1-preview.7
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/builds/" + $_.id + "?api-version=7.1-preview.7"
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Delete -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
#Report on Build deleted
Write-Host "Build Id:" $_.id " deleted"
}
#Delete the Build Definition
# API: DELETE https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/build/definitions/{definitionId}?api-version=6.0
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/definitions/" + $_.id + "?api-version=6.0"
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Delete -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
Write-Host "Build Definition:" $pipelineName " (" $_.id ") deleted"
}
Write-Host "Habe fertig!"

Answer 6

I get the same error if I try to delete a pipeline:
One or more builds associated with the requested pipeline(s) are retained by a release. The pipeline(s) and builds will not be deleted.
On the pipelines page go to the Runs tab, should see a list of records. If you click on the three dots to the right of the row you should see an option to View retention leases. If you Remove All you should then be able to remove that row. You will then need to repeat this step for every row in the the runs tab until all runs have been deleted.
Only then will you be able to delete the parent pipeline.

Answer 7

Microsoft now has an api to delete leases directly.
DELETE https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/build/retention/leases?ids={ids}&api-version=6.0-preview.1
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/azure/devops/build/leases/delete?view=azure-devops-rest-6.0
How to:
Enumerate build definitions
Delete leases for each desired build definition
Delete the build definition
Example:
$organization = "flintsones"
$project = "feed-dino"
$personalAccessToken = "****************"
$token = [System.Convert]::ToBase64String([System.Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes(":$($personalAccessToken)"))
$header = #{authorization = "Basic $token"}
function DeleteLease($definitionId) {
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/retention/leases?api-version=6.0-preview.1&definitionId=$definitionId"
$leases = (Invoke-RestMethod -Method GET -Uri $url -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header )
foreach ($lease in $leases.value) {
$leaseId = $lease.leaseId
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/retention/leases?ids=$($leaseId)&api-version=6.0-preview.1"
$ignore = Invoke-RestMethod -Method DELETE -Uri $url -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
}
}
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/definitions?api-version=3.2"
Write-Host $url
$buildDefinitions = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Get -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
foreach ($def in $builddefinitions.value) {
Write-Host $def.id $def.queueStatus $def.name
DeleteLease $def.id
}

Answer 8

Go to pipeline runs and click on 3 dots when you hover across each run. You will see an option for view retention leases. Click on that and then click on remove all.
You have to do it for all the runs.
Once deleted then try to delete the build pipeline.

Answer 9

I used powershell to delete just my own build (instead of looping through all the build definitions)
$organization = "YourOrganization"
$project = "YourProject"
$personalAccessToken = "GetTokenFromAzureDevops"
$token = [System.Convert]::ToBase64String([System.Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes(":$($personalAccessToken)"))
$header = #{authorization = "Basic $token"}
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/definitions?api-version=3.2"
Write-Host $url
$buildDefinitions = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Get -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
function DeleteLease($definitionId) {
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/retention/leases?api-version=6.0-preview.1&definitionId=$definitionId"
$leases = (Invoke-RestMethod -Method GET -Uri $url -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header )
foreach ($lease in $leases.value) {
$leaseId = $lease.leaseId
$url = "https://dev.azure.com/$organization/$project/_apis/build/retention/leases?ids=$($leaseId)&api-version=6.0-preview.1"
$ignore = Invoke-RestMethod -Method DELETE -Uri $url -ContentType "application/json" -Headers $header
}
}
DeleteLease "yourBuildDefinitionId"
Note :
The PAT token can be created from Azure Devops Portal using below
Sign in to your organization in Azure DevOps (https://dev.azure.com/{yourorganization})
From your home page, open your user settings, and then select Personal access tokens.
To get the build definition Id- see the URL of build , it will have the ID in the URL itself.

Answer 10

To fix that problem you can:
clone failed stage in the current release pipeline configuration
delete the original stage and use a clone instead of a deleted stage with a different name.
delete the previous failed release (*it will be possible)
after deleting you can rename the copied stage again.
enjoy

Answer 11

Go to the pipeline, and check retention for each run, and if found delete them.
This did solve my problem of deleting a pipeline.

Answer 12

You can also just temporarily choose to retain nothing, then delete what you want, then revert.

Answer 13

You just need to click on three dots menu button and select delete then it will make sure that you know what you are actually doing, check the "
Automatically cancel any in-progress release deployments" and remove it