MSBuild Release Checklist {{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}}

At any time

Create a new issue to track the release checklist, with this checklist copied into the issue.
- Replace {{PREVIOUS_RELEASE_VERSION}} with the previous release version, for example 17.9
- Replace {{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} with the current release version, for example 17.10
- Replace {{NEXT_VERSION}} with the next release version, for example 17.11
Create vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} branch
Create darc channel for VS {{NEXT_VERSION}} if it doesn't already exist
darc add-channel --name "VS {{NEXT_VERSION}}"
Ping internal "First Responders" Teams channel to get the new channel made available as a promotion target (e.g. dotnet/arcade#12150): {{URL_OF_CHANNEL_PROMOTION_PR}}

At release time

Before starting the process:

If the release is being cut more than a few days before the VS-side snap, run insertions manually OR redirect MSBuild release branch
- Disable scheduled run of MSBuild VS Insertion pipeline (our {{NEXT_VERSION}} builds don't have a place to go in VS yet) by: Edit -> ... -> Triggers -> add a schedule on a dead branch (this overrides the YAML defined once-per-day schedule for main). Manual pipeline run: select as input resource the to-be-inserted "MSBuild" pipeline run on branch vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} and VS TargetBranch main. OR
- If the release is being cut more than couple of weeks modify YAML (and merge to affected MSBuild branches) of the VS insertion pipeline so that it schedules insertions from MSBuild vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} to VS main. Keep scheduled daily insertions to simplify your workflow and exclude vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} from triggering insertion on each commit.

Branching from main

Adjust DARC channels and subscriptions

Adjust pipelines / releases

Fix OptProf data flow for the new vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} branch
- Run the official build for vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} without OptProf (set SkipApplyOptimizationData variable in 'Advanced options' section of the 'Run pipeline' menu to true) or alternatively with the latest Opt-Prof collected for the main branch (set Optional OptProfDrop Override to the drop path of the collected data, which could be found in the logs of the pipeline: Windows_NT -> Build -> search for OptimizationData).
- Check that the OptProf data collection pipeline run is triggered for vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}}. If not, run manually ('Run pipeline' in upper right)
- Run the official build for vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} with no extra customization - OptProf should succeed now
Restore MSBuild VS Insertion pipeline to the default YAML defined schedule, by removing all triggers from Edit -> ... -> Triggers.

Configure localization

Create {{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} localization ticket: https://aka.ms/ceChangeLocConfig (requesting to switch localization from {{PREVIOUS_RELEASE_VERSION}} to {{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}}): {{URL_OF_LOCALIZATION_TICKET}}
Enable {{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} localization - by setting EnableReleaseOneLocBuild to true
Disable {{PREVIOUS_RELEASE_VERSION}} localization - by setting EnableReleaseOneLocBuild to false. Update the comment on the same line.
Create and merge a PR in main to update a localization version comment in setting EnableReleaseOneLocBuild to set up the merge conflict when this line will be updated in the release branch.

Final branding

Prepare final branding PR for vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}}: {{URL_OF_FINAL_BRANDING_PR}}
Run scripts/Stabilize-Release.ps1 to update eng/Versions.props (adds <DotNetFinalVersionKind>release</DotNetFinalVersionKind> on same line as VersionPrefix and changes PreReleaseVersionLabel to servicing). Use -DryRun to preview changes.
e.g.: #11130, #10697
Merge final branding to vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} branch
Update perfstar MSBuild insertions configuration: example PR: {{URL_OF_PERFSTAR_PR}}
Get M2 or QB approval as necessary per the VS schedule
Merge to VS (babysit the automatically generated VS insertion PR https://devdiv.visualstudio.com/DevDiv/_git/VS/pullrequests for the MSBuild commit noted in above step): {{URL_OF_VS_INSERTION}} The PR will be helpful for requesting nuget packages publishing - as it contains the inserted packages versions
- Respond to the 'VS xyz package stabilization' email - with the merged insertion PR (as nowVS is on stable version).
Update the PackageValidationBaselineVersion to the latest released version ({{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}}.0) - this might require temporary addition of the build artifacts feed as the new version is not yet added to the official feeds (this is post release). This can trigger a high severity CG error (https://eng.ms/docs/cloud-ai-platform/devdiv/one-engineering-system-1es/1es-docs/secure-supply-chain/how-to-securely-configure-package-source-files) - however it should be fine to keep this temporary feed untill the release.
Update the requested SDK version for bootstrap folder (the BootstrapSdkVersion property in Versions.props) if a fresh sdk was released (released runtimes and associated sdk versions can be checked here - https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/visual-studio-sdks - make sure to always check the details of the appropriate targeted version of .NET for the matching latest version of SDK).
Update VisualStudio.ChannelName (and VisualStudio.MajorVersion if applicable) of Windows_NT build step for our build pipeline in a newly created branch - it should point to the matching VS release branch and make sure the change is not automatically mergable with the interbranch flow (example: #11246): {{URL_OF_PR}}

ASAP On/After GA:

Timing based on the (Microsoft-internal) release schedule.

Push packages to nuget.org (not currently automated, contact dnceng - search "Publish MSBuild 17.6 to NuGet.org" email subject for template).

Following packages should be published (THIS_RELEASE_EXACT_VERSION is equal to VersionPrefix that comes form the eng\Version.props, that were part of the build we are trying to get published, it is as well part of the VS insertion PR noted above):
- Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core.{{THIS_RELEASE_EXACT_VERSION}}.nupkg
- Microsoft.Build.{{THIS_RELEASE_EXACT_VERSION}}.nupkg
- Microsoft.Build.Framework.{{THIS_RELEASE_EXACT_VERSION}}.nupkg
- Microsoft.Build.Runtime.{{THIS_RELEASE_EXACT_VERSION}}.nupkg
- Microsoft.Build.Tasks.Core.{{THIS_RELEASE_EXACT_VERSION}}.nupkg
- Microsoft.NET.StringTools.{{THIS_RELEASE_EXACT_VERSION}}.nupkg
- Microsoft.Build.Templates.{{THIS_RELEASE_EXACT_VERSION}}.nupkg
Note: Microsoft.Build.Conversion.Core and Microsoft.Build.Engine are not part of the list. Microsoft.Build.Templates is part of the list. Those 3 packages are a difference to the historic publishing list.
Publish docs: submit reference request at https://aka.ms/publishondocs
- Click on the link labeled Request – Reference Publishing
- You can use existing ticket as a reference
Remove the temporarily added build feed from nuget.config if it was added in the Update the PackageValidationBaselineVersion step
Update main subscriptions to the new channel (this can be done before or after release - depending on when the source repos from our previous - VS {{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} - channle start to publish in the next - VS {{NEXT_VERSION}} - channel)
darc get-subscriptions --exact --target-repo https://github.com/dotnet/msbuild --target-branch main
Create the {{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} release
- Create tag (can be done upfront)
```
git checkout <commit noted above>
git tag v{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}}.3
git push upstream v{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}}.3
```
- Create Release in Github with Create Release from Tag GH option (https://github.com/dotnet/msbuild/releases/new?tag=v17.9.3) - the release notes can be prepopulated (Generate Release Notes)
Extend the expiration date of the latest Opt-Prof data for vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}} branch.
- Identify the location of the latest Opt-Prof data in VS Drop. The path should follow the format OptimizationData/DotNet-msbuild-Trusted/vs{{THIS_RELEASE_VERSION}}/.... It can be found in the MSBuild CI logs of the "Build" task or alternatively, in the Opt-Prof pipeline logs under the "Publish OptimizationInputs drop" task.
- Get drop.exe CLI tool.
- Use this instruction to set the new expiration to (End of support date for the corresponding Visual Studio version) plus 3 months.

After release

If v{{NEXT_VERSION}} is a new major version

do Major version extra update steps from release.md