Bamboo 4.2 : build strategy

The build strategy for a plan determines how a build is triggered.

This table lists Bamboo's available 'build strategies', which determine how the execution of a plan (i.e. a build) is triggered. You set a Build Strategy option on the Plan Details tab of the plan configuration.

Build strategy option

Description

Reason for choosing

Code is updated

Polling the Repository for changes

Bamboo will 'poll' the source code repository for changes based on either of the following:

  • set intervals (periodically)
  • a schedule.

If Bamboo detects a change to any code in this repository, a build of this plan will be triggered.

See Polling the repository for changes.

  • This is a 'pull strategy'.
  • This is the simplest option.
  • But it does mean that your SCM must service a 'check out' or 'update' command whenever it is polled, even if no code has changed in the repository.

Repository triggers the build when changes are committed

Bamboo will wait to receive a message from the source code repository (specified above) about any code changes in this repository. When Bamboo receives such a message, Bamboo will trigger a build of this plan.

See Repository triggers the build when changes are committed.

  • This is a 'push strategy'.
  • This option minimises server load as message events are sent only when code changes to this repository are committed.
  • But you must configure your source code management system to send message events to Bamboo about code changes in this repository.
Scheduled

Cron Based Scheduling

Bamboo will trigger a build of this plan based on a cron expression.

See Cron-based scheduling.

  • Allows you to run builds based on a schedule.
  • This option allows you to schedule builds when server load is likely to be minimal, for example, outside office hours.
  • Scheduled builds are triggered irrespective of any code changes in the source code repository.

Single daily build

Bamboo will trigger a build of this plan once per day at a specified time.

See Single daily build.

  • Can be set up to run at a time of you choice.
  • This option is suitable if a build of this plan takes a long time to complete.
  • Scheduled builds are triggered irrespective of any code changes in the source code repository.
Manual

Manual

Bamboo only triggers a build of this plan when the user chooses this function manually or through a build dependency.

See Triggering a plan build manually.

  • This option is suitable if a build of this plan will fail, perhaps due to source code problems of failing tests.
  • This frees up Bamboo agents to build other plans which are less likely to fail.