Build Server Selection Influencing Factors Part 1

Build Server helps development team to do build automation. Build automation is the act of scripting or automating a wide variety of tasks that software developers do in their day-to-day activities including things like:

1. Compiling computer source code into binary code
2. Packaging binary code
3. Running tests
4. Deployment to production systems
5. Creating documentation and/or release notes

Thus I felt it helps in following attributes of a project team:

1. Increase Productivity
2. Reduce development cost
3. Increase development speed
4. Reduce re-work
5. Automate repeatable tasks.

In Microsoft Dot Net software development there are many Build server tools. Below mentioned are three tools on which I will do a comparative analysis:

1. Team Foundation Build Server by Microsoft
2. Team City by Jet brains
3. Cruise Control .Net by Thought works

The objective of this paper is to make it easier for the development team to select the build server on Windows OS. This paper will help the team aware for the kind of questions to be asked before selections and the kind of trade off to be made during selection process. This paper is based on Dot Net platform & languages. It can be used for any other platforms or languages. We will try to classify them based on below mentioned Influencing questions.

1. How quick and easy it to get started?
2. Which source control system can be integrated out of the box?
3. What about Test coverage?
4. What is the medium of build result notification?
5. How easy can we find help to troubleshoot?

In the future posts I will write about my findings on each tools. Read about Team Foundation Build Server here.