This section describes the initial configuration required to run pipelines that leverage the synchronization and build capabilities of GeneXus and GeneXus Server.
Azure pipelines trigger jobs that are executed by agents, which are computing resources with installed software that run one job at a time. Agents are organized into pools, based on their capabilities and installed software.
For GeneXus pipelines, you need to create an Agent pool that includes agents with GeneXus and its installation requirements.
You can use the same machine that a developer already uses for working with GeneXus, as long as it has GeneXus installed and access to GeneXus Server.
During the day, the developer uses the machine for regular development tasks; at night, the same machine acts as an agent to run Azure pipelines.
Creating and managing Agent pools requires an Administrator account. After logging into Azure DevOps, select your organization and click on "Organization settings" at the bottom of the page.
Next, in the Pipelines section, click on the "Agent pools" option. A list of existing agent pools for this organization, if any, will be displayed on the right.
Click on the "Add pool" button.
In the pop-up window, complete the following steps:
- Select the "Self-hosted" option.
- Enter a name for the pool. Keep in mind that this pool name might be used later in your pipeline scripts.
- (Optional) Enter a description.
- Under "Pipeline permissions", make sure the checkbox is selected by default.
- Click on "Create".
Once the pool is created, you need to register a machine in the pool that will act as the pipeline executor. This machine must have GeneXus installed, along with the specific requirements needed to generate an application according to the generator configuration defined in the Knowledge Base.
If GeneXus is already installed on the machine, you can proceed with the agent software installation. If not, refer to the hardware and software requirements, and follow the instructions for installing and configuring GeneXus.
Click on the newly created agent pool, and then click on "New agent" in the upper right corner.
You will then see all available system options for the new agent. Select "Windows" and "x64".
Download the agent to the machine you plan to use and follow the instructions to complete the setup.
During the process, you will be prompted to use a Personal Access Token (PAT), which can be obtained from the menu shown in the image below.
Store the PAT securely for future use—it may be required to register agents in the same pool.
You can verify that the agent has been successfully configured if it appears in the "Agents" tab of the newly created agent pool.
It is recommended to install the agent as a Windows service.
The agent should run under a system administrator account to ensure it has the necessary execution permissions.
Additionally:
- Using the same Windows user, make sure to run the following command at least once from the Command Prompt:
genexus /install
- For a better experience, it is recommended that the SQL Server instance used by GeneXus has Windows Authentication enabled.
Ensure that the same administrator user running the agent also has administrator privileges on SQL Server.