Possible Virtual Machine Images for Microsoft-Hosted Agents in Azure DevOps

BC

The Microsoft-hosted agent pool provides 7 virtual machine images to choose from:

-> Ubuntu 16.04 (ubuntu-16.04)

-> Windows Server 1803 (win1803) - for running Windows containers

-> Visual Studio 2019 Preview on Windows Server 2019 (windows-2019)

-> Visual Studio 2017 on Windows Server 2016 (vs2017-win2016)

-> Visual Studio 2015 on Windows Server 2012R2 (vs2015-win2012r2)

-> macOS X Mojave 10.14 (macOS-10.14)

-> macOS X High Sierra 10.13 (macOS-10.13)

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/agents/hosted?view=azure-devops

Sure, I'd be happy to provide a detailed explanation!

When configuring a YAML pipeline in Azure DevOps to build container images for hosting .NET Framework apps, you have the option of using Microsoft-hosted agents. Microsoft-hosted agents are pre-configured virtual machines that are managed and maintained by Microsoft, and they can be used to run pipeline jobs without requiring you to manage and maintain your own infrastructure.

To select the appropriate virtual machine image for the Microsoft-hosted agent pool, you'll want to consider a few factors:

• The operating system (OS) and software versions required to build your app
• The requirements of any dependencies your app has
• The availability of any specific tools or features required for your pipeline

With these considerations in mind, let's look at the five virtual machine image options listed in the question:

A. vs2017-win2016 This image includes Visual Studio 2017 and Windows Server 2016. It's a good option if your .NET Framework app requires Visual Studio 2017 and runs on Windows Server 2016.

B. ubuntu-16.04 This image runs Ubuntu 16.04, a Linux-based OS. It's a good option if your .NET Framework app is compatible with Mono, an open-source implementation of the .NET Framework that runs on Linux.

C. win1803 This image includes Windows 10, version 1803. It's a good option if your .NET Framework app requires a specific version of Windows 10 for compatibility or testing purposes.

D. macOS-10.13 This image runs macOS 10.13, also known as High Sierra. It's a good option if your .NET Framework app is cross-platform and needs to be tested on macOS.

E. vs.2015-win2012r2 This image includes Visual Studio 2015 and Windows Server 2012 R2. It's a good option if your .NET Framework app requires Visual Studio 2015 and runs on Windows Server 2012 R2.

Based on these considerations, two possible virtual machine images that could be used for building container images to host .NET Framework apps in a YAML pipeline in Azure DevOps are:

A. vs2017-win2016, if your app requires Visual Studio 2017 and Windows Server 2016 E. vs.2015-win2012r2, if your app requires Visual Studio 2015 and Windows Server 2012 R2

Note that these are just examples, and the specific image(s) you choose will depend on the requirements of your app and pipeline.