Restarting failed build or release pipeline jobs and stages
Summarize
Summary of Restarting failed build or release pipeline jobs and stages
This feature enables ServiceNow customers to rerun failed or canceled Azure DevOps build or release pipelines, stages, or specific jobs within the same pipeline execution. Instead of creating new pipeline executions, reruns appear as continuous attempts in the DevOps pipeline UI, maintaining a consolidated view of all runs.
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Key Features
- Rerun Scope: Customers can rerun entire pipelines or targeted failed or canceled jobs and stages within Azure DevOps pipelines through ServiceNow DevOps integration.
- Attempt Tracking: An
attemptNumberparameter is included in the payload to track rerun attempts, with examples provided for build and release pipelines. This parameter must be correctly configured especially when using the Azure Invoke REST API for change control. - Change Request Reuse: When rerunning change-enabled jobs, customers have the option to reuse existing change requests or create new ones. The default logic reuses change requests if they are in the implement or post-implement states; otherwise, a new change request is created.
- Customizable Reusability Logic: Customers can customize the change request reuse logic by modifying and configuring subflows within ServiceNow, specifically the ‘DevOps Change Request Reusability Decision Subflow’ and ‘DevOps Change Request Reusability Model Subflow’.
- Pipeline UI Enhancements: The DevOps pipeline UI now consolidates all rerun attempts under the same pipeline execution. Users can view the latest attempt, all attempts, and the associated change requests directly from the UI.
- Important Considerations: The rerun functionality requires that jobs do not rely on the existing started and completed notifications to function correctly.
Practical Benefits
- Streamlines the process of handling failed builds or releases by avoiding redundant new pipeline executions.
- Improves traceability by associating rerun attempts, test summaries, scan results, commits, and work items with the original pipeline execution and change request.
- Offers flexibility to manage change requests efficiently by reusing approved changes or creating new ones as needed.
- Enhances visibility and control through the ServiceNow DevOps pipeline UI, simplifying monitoring and troubleshooting of rerun attempts.
Rerun or redeploy Azure DevOps build, release changes, or pipelines that are failed or canceled in that stage or pipeline. The reattempts display on the DevOps pipeline UI as continuous runs instead of creating new executions.
Rerun Azure DevOps pipelines or stages
You can rerun a failed or canceled build or release pipelines or change jobs in Azure DevOps. The reruns are processed as part of the same pipeline execution as the first run in ServiceNow DevOps. You can rerun entire pipelines or specific failed or canceled jobs and stages. You can now choose to reuse a change request instead of creating a new change request each time you restart a stage or a pipeline.
An attemptNumber parameter is added to the payload which helps us track reruns. Associated test summary, software quality scan results, commits, work items corresponding to every rerun attempt is also updated in ServiceNow DevOps.
If you are using the Configuring change control using the Azure Invoke REST API you must add the attempt number parameter to your payload body in the specified syntax format for build and release pipelines. If you do not specify the attempt number parameter, the default attempt number is set to 1.
"attemptNumber": "$(system.jobAttempt)""attemptNumber": "$(Release.AttemptNumber)"Reusing Change Requests
If a change enabled job is rerun, and a change request exists for the previous run/attempt, you can choose to reuse the previous change request or create a new change request, using the base system ‘DevOps Change Request Reusability Decision Subflow’. The default implementation of this subflow, allows you to reuse a change request from the previous attempt if the change request is in implement, or post-implement states. If the Change request is in any other state, by default, a new change request is created when you rerun the job. Per existing behavior, all associated details such as test summaries, and scans, are newly generated while commits and work items are retained unchanged for new change requests.
For example, when a pipeline fails at a specific stage after the change request is approved, and you rerun that stage. The change request is reused, the associated test summary and software quality scans, and the commits and work items associated to the artifact are associated with the same change request which you approved.
To apply a custom logic for reusability, you can copy the existing subflow, make the changes, publish it, and update the new subflow name under .
In the regular base system flow when a change is created, ‘ Customizing DevOps flows’ is used to update the State field of step execution record after a decision is taken on the change request. However, when you reuse a change, the first trigger condition of a change request being created is not met. A base system subflow ‘DevOps Change Request Reusability Model Subflow’ is triggered instead, whenever a change request is reused when a job is a rerun. The default implementation of this subflow is similar to the DevOps Model Change Request flow. You can create a custom subflow and update the subflow name at .
Pipeline UI changes
- Click a card to view the latest attempt of that stage.
- Click the View all attempts link to see all the step executions and related information associated to the step or stage that is run more than once.
- The View change link displays the change request associated with the latest attempt.