COMPLETE TUTORIAL SERIES

TeamCity 2017.2.2 Tutorial

A complete, production-focused CI/CD guide — from first install to advanced build chains, GitHub integration, REST API automation, and enterprise-scale pipeline design.

15

Phases

220+

Pages

100+

Code Examples

20+

Exercises

Prerequisites

Basic Git knowledge

Commits, branches, push/pull. Phase 5 covers GitHub VCS integration in depth.

Java or any build tool

Maven, Gradle, or any CLI build. Phase 4 covers all runner types.

Command line comfort

Running commands on Windows or Linux. Phase 2 covers installation on both.

CI/CD concepts optional

Phase 1 covers all concepts from scratch — no prior CI experience needed.

Suggested Learning Paths

Choose the path that fits your goal:

Full course→Phase 1 → 2 → 3 → … → 15 → Appendix

DevOps fast-track→Phase 2 (install) → Phase 4 (builds) → Phase 5 (GitHub) → Phase 9 (chains) → Phase 15 (advanced)

Java/Maven path→Phase 4 (Maven runner) → Phase 5 (GitHub) → Phase 8 (parameters) → Phase 9 (dependencies)

API / automation path→Phase 14 (REST API) → Phase 8 (parameters) → Phase 15 (advanced)

Team lead setup→Phase 3 (projects) → Phase 6 (agents) → Phase 11 (templates) → Phase 13 (user management)

Core Phases

CI/CD Concepts & Architecture

What CI/CD solves, TeamCity vs Jenkins/CircleCI, server + agent + DB architecture, key terms, typical commit-to-artifact workflow

CI/CDArchitectureConcepts

Installation & Initial Setup

Windows + Linux install, setup wizard, database config (HSQL/MySQL/PostgreSQL), data directory, first agent, HTTPS, post-install verification

InstallDatabaseAgents

Projects & Project Hierarchy

Root project, parent/subproject model, creating from VCS URL, project parameters, connections, versioned settings, archiving and moving configs

ProjectsHierarchyStructure

Build Configurations & Steps

Build config anatomy, all runner types (Maven, Gradle, MSBuild, PowerShell, CLI), step execution policy, failure conditions, artifact paths, build numbers

MavenGradleRunnersArtifacts

VCS Roots & GitHub Integration

VCS Root setup, PAT vs SSH auth, branch spec syntax, Commit Status Publisher, Pull Request builds, GitHub webhooks, SSH deploy keys, troubleshooting

GitHubVCS RootWebhooksPRs

Agent architecture, installing agents, authorization, agent pools, requirements & compatibility matching, configuration file, parallel builds, troubleshooting

AgentsPoolsCompatibility

VCS trigger (quiet period, branch filters, trigger rules), Schedule trigger (cron), Finish Build trigger, Retry trigger, manual builds with custom params

VCS TriggerScheduleCron

Build Parameters

Config params, system properties, env vars, predefined params, password masking, typed/prompt parameters, dep.* cross-chain params, dynamic build numbers

ParametersSecrets%param%

Dependencies & Build Chains

Snapshot dependencies, artifact dependencies, build chain visualization, composite builds, passing params across chains, full CI/CD chain pattern

ChainsArtifactsSnapshot

All 15+ features: Commit Status Publisher, PR support, JaCoCo/dotCover coverage, inspections, File Content Replacer, SSH Agent, Docker Support, Swabra, Shared Resources

CoverageDockerInspections

Templates & Meta-Runners

Build config templates, applying/overriding templates, template parameters, meta-runner creation, sharing meta-runners, versioned settings (Kotlin DSL)

TemplatesMeta-RunnerKotlin DSL

Email SMTP setup, notification rules (failed/fixed/hung), branch filters, Freemarker templates, Slack integration via webhook, build status badge

EmailSlackNotifications

User Management & Security

Roles & permissions, LDAP/AD auth, user groups, 2FA (2017.2 feature), API tokens, guest user, project-level security, audit log, CSRF protection

RolesLDAP2FAAudit

API v9/v10, auth methods, projects/builds/agents endpoints, triggering builds, downloading artifacts, test results, practical: CI dashboard + auto-deploy script

REST APIcurlAutomation

Advanced Topics

Full CI/CD pipeline design, matrix builds, conditional steps, clean-up policies, server backup/restore, JVM tuning, Docker agents, Kotlin DSL, upgrade procedure

PipelinesDockerBackupTuning

Reference

Reference & Cheat Sheets

Top 20 gotchas · All runner types table · Predefined parameters cheat sheet · Branch spec cheat sheet · REST API quick reference · TeamCity vs Jenkins comparison

GotchasRunner ReferenceREST Cheat SheetBranch Spec