Automating Deployment with TestStand Deployment Utility

Use the BuildTSD.exe executable to automate builds of TestStand Deployment Utility files and to make modifications to deployment utility files before the build occurs. BuildTSD.exe accepts a .tsd deployment configuration file and supports optional parameters for configuring properties of the build. It will also return a numeric code to provide information about whether the build completed successfully or failed due to an error.

Supported Command Line Arguments

BuildTSD.exe supports the <Optional Changes> with the following command line arguments:

  • Mode Tab
  • System Source Tab
  • Installer Options Tab
  • Advanced Options Dialog
  • Drivers and Components Dialog
  • Process Options
  • Patching Specific Options

Mode Tab

Option Type Notes
/outputMode Enumeration Possible values:
  • Image
  • MSIInstaller
  • PackageDistribution
/packageDistMode Enumeration Possible values:
  • SinglePackage
  • Repository
  • PackageInstaller

System Source Tab

Option Type Notes
/deployTSWorkspace Boolean
/workspacePath Absolute Path You must set the /deployTSWorkspace flag to include the specified workspace in the deployment.
/deployDirectory Boolean
/directoryToDeploy Absolute Path
/includeSubdirectories Boolean
/deployTSPublicDirectories Boolean
/deployTSCfgDirectory Boolean
/deployableImage Boolean
/ActiveEnvironmentFile Absolute Path
/DeployEnvironmentFile Boolean

Installer Options Tab

Option Type Notes
/createInstaller Boolean This flag is included for backwards compatibility. For new applications, use the /outputMode flag with the value MSIInstaller instead of this flag.
/installationName String
/installerDirectory String
/startMenuItemGroup String
/defaultInstallationBaseDir Enumeration Possible values:
  • WindowsVolume
  • Teststand
  • Windows
  • System
  • System32
  • ProgramFiles
  • StartMenu
  • Startup
  • Desktop
  • Personal
  • Temp
  • NationalInstruments
  • TSPublic
  • TSAppData
  • AbsolutePath
/doNotAskUserForInstallationDirectory Boolean
/defaultInstallationSubdirectory String
/installerLanguage Enumeration Possible values:
  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Japanese
  • Korean
/installTSEngine Boolean
/hideLicenseDialog Boolean

Advanced Options Dialog

Option Type Notes
/manufacturer String
/versionString String Use format #.#.#
/autoIncrementVersion Boolean
/upgradeCode String Use a GUID of the form {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
/readmeFile Path
/licenseAgreement Path
/mediaSizeMB Integer
/includeNetworkLicenseServerSettings Boolean
/specifyConfigurationDirectory Boolean
/configDestination Enumeration Possible values:
  • Installation
  • Teststand
  • Windows
  • System
  • System32
  • ProgramFiles
  • StartMenu
  • Startup
  • Desktop
  • Personal
  • Temp
  • NationalInstruments
  • TSPublic
  • TSAppData
/configSubDirectory Relative Path
/alternateAssociationSeqFiles Absolute Path
/processModel Enumeration Possible values:
  • NoChange
  • ForceDefaultModels
  • ForceLegacyModels
/installerExecutableName String If no value is specified, Deployment Utility uses the default value of install.exe.

Drivers and Components Dialog

Option Type Notes
/includeHardwareConfiguration Boolean
/hardwareConfigurationFile Absolute Path
/displayDialogDuringImport Boolean
/MAXImportOptions Enumeration Possible values:
  • Merge
  • Replace
  • Preserve

Process Options

Option Type Notes
/copyLogFiles <FilePath> Absolute Path Copies the log files from the build to the <FilePath> location. The path must be a directory.
/LoadTSDOnly - This option will just launch the TSDU and perform the operations specified without automatically performing the build and shutting down.This is useful for checking your command line parameters manually.
/SaveTSDFile <FilePath> Absolute Path Saves the .tsd file after the build to the <FilePath> location.
Note The /LoadTSDOnly argument should be used only without any extra arguments.

Patching Specific Options

Option Type Notes
/SetDistribution Enumeration Possible values:
  • Full
  • Patch
/UserFilesToInclude Enumeration Possible values:
  • IncludeChangedFiles
  • DoNotIncludeFiles
  • Manual
/UpgradesandPatchesToInclude Enumeration Possible values:
  • TSEngineandDrivers
  • TSEngine
  • Drivers
  • None
/DependOn Enumeration Possible values:
  • FullDeployment
  • BaselinePatchDeployment
Note For boolean options use the strings TRUE and FALSE.

BuildTSD.exe Exit Codes

The Deployment Utility returns one of the following return values after building a TSD:

Exit Codes

Number Result Definition
0 Success The build succeeded without errors or warnings.
1 Load failed The TSD file failed to load.
2 Aborted The TSDU was aborted while building, the installer was not built.
3 Fatal error The TSDU encountered a fatal error while building.
4 Built with errors The TSDU created an installer but there were some errors while building.
5 Built with warnings The TSDU created an installer but there were some warnings while building.
6 Could not start the TSDU The TSDU could not be found.
7 TSDU did not return a value This can happen if the TSDU crashes before being able to communicate the result to the caller process.
8 No build performed TSDU exited without performing a build.