Jenkins - Running a common task on Multiple Agents

Sometimes we may want to run similar set of tasks on a list of computers. Jenkins Multi-Configuration Projects will help you to achive this.

Assume a scenario where you wanted to configure.bat on the computers PC1A, PC2A, PC3A and PC4A.

Steps:

1. Jenkins - New Job ->Enter a name "ConfigureAll", Select "Build multi-configuration project" radio button and click "OK"
2. Go to Configuration Matrix in ConfigureAll job, Select Slaves drop down from "Add Axis" drop down
   
3. Node/Label filed will list all the nodes that are added to the Jenkis Server.
4. Select the nodes PC1A, PC2A, PC3A and PC4A.
5. Add a Build Step to "Execute Windows batch command" and enter <path>\configure.bat.

With this approach, you can have one job to perform a common action on n slave agents.

Silent install / uninstall command for Slik SVN 1.7.8

The following post discusses about the Silent installation / uninstallation command for Slik SVN 1.7.8m - 64-bit installer and the same applies to 32-bit installer as well.

Installation:

               msiexec /i "Slik-Subversion-1.7.8-x64.msi" /qn /norestart INSTALLLOCATION="D:\Software\SlikSVN" /l* "svninstall.log"
                      /qa -> optional parameter to run the installer in silent mode
                        INSTALLLOCATION -> Custom Installation directory
                        /l* "svninstall.log" -> optional parameter for logging the installation to svninstall.log

Uninstallation:              
·         Silent Uninstall command with Product Code:
                msiexec /x {D0BD7396-3187-48FE-8327-C27385275D18}

·         Silent Uninstall command with installer name:
                msiexec /x "Slik-Subversion-1.7.8-x64.msi"
 

For locked down environments like Vista, Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 (when UAC is turned ON), do the following

·         Launch the command prompt with elevated privileges (i.e. Right Click cmd.exe and say “Run as administrator”), otherwise the installer will fail.

·         If you get the following error message while running msiexec from the command prompt, append “C:\Windows\System32” to the PATH variable

                                'msiexec' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
                                operable program or batch file.