How to Make CruiseControl Only Build One Project at a Time

If you’re just starting with CruiseControl.NET on your build server, you might encounter a common challenge: wanting to limit concurrent builds to a single project. This can be crucial for maintaining stability and preventing resource collisions during the build process. Here, I’ll guide you through the steps to configure CruiseControl.NET for efficient build management, ensuring that only one project builds at any given time.

Understanding the Need for Single Project Builds

The primary reason to limit concurrent builds is to enhance stability and focus resources on a single project. When multiple projects are building simultaneously, they may compete for system resources such as CPU and memory, leading to increased build times and potential issues in the build output. By controlling the build queue, you can ensure better performance and reliability.

Setting up Integration Queues

To make CruiseControl build one project at a time, you can utilize the Integration Queue feature, especially if you are using CruiseControl 1.3 or later. Below, I’ll break down the steps on how to set it up properly:

Step 1: Locate the Configuration File

1. Find the CruiseControl.NET configuration file (ccnet.config), which is typically located in the installation directory of CruiseControl.

Step 2: Enable Integration Queues

1. Open the ccnet.config file in a text editor.
2. Look for the <project> settings for the specific project you wish to control.
3. You can define the build concurrency settings as follows:

<project name="YourProjectName">
    ...
    <integrationQueue>
        <queuingStrategy>Serial</queuingStrategy>
    </integrationQueue>
    ...
</project>

Step 3: Verify Your Changes

1. Save the changes you’ve made to the ccnet.config file.
2. Restart the CruiseControl service to apply the new settings.

Additional Configuration Options

• Group Projects: If you have multiple projects that must be built sequentially, you can group them under the same integration queue.
• Custom Queues: You can also create custom queues for specific scenarios, defining different queuing strategies tailored to your needs.

Conclusion

Limiting CruiseControl.NET to build only one project at a time can significantly improve your build process. By using the Integration Queue feature, you can effectively manage your project builds, ensuring stability and efficient use of resources.

For further details, you can check out the official documentation on Integration Queues.

With these steps, you’ll have a well-functioning build server that meets your project requirements without the hassle of simultaneous builds. Happy building!