Summary

Intershop will upgrade all Azure DevOps (ADO) build agents from Ubuntu 20 to Ubuntu 24 across all partner and project organizations. This upgrade ensures continued support, improved security, and access to the latest development tools.

Goal

What you need to know:
- All build agents will be upgraded to Ubuntu 24 on November 24, 2025
- Test build agents are available now for pipeline validation
- Most pipelines will continue to work without changes

What you need to do:
- Test your pipelines with the new Ubuntu 24 build agents before November 24, 2025
- Fix any compatibility issues identified during testing
- Contact support if you encounter unresolvable problems

Impact Assessment

Who is affected:
- All CI/CD pipelines using Intershop-provided build agents
- Pipelines using Microsoft-hosted agents (e.g., `pool: 'ubuntu-latest'`) are NOT affected by this change

For more information about Microsoft-hosted agents, see: Microsoft-hosted agents documentation

Potential impact:
- Pipelines may fail if they depend on specific Ubuntu 20 packages or configurations
- Minor adjustments may be required for pipelines with OS-specific dependencies

Consequences of no action:
- Your pipelines will automatically use Ubuntu 24 agents after November 24, 2025
- Untested pipelines may fail, causing deployment delays

Timeline

- Now – November 24, 2025: Testing period – temporary Ubuntu 24 build agents available
- November 24, 2025: Production rollout – all build agents upgraded and set as default in project libraries

How to Test Your Pipelines

Step 1: Find the New Build Agent

1. Navigate to your project overview page:
   ```
   https://dev.azure.com/<ADO-NAME>/<ADO-PROJECT-NAME>
   ```
2. View the list of available build agents
3. Identify the test build agent containing "ubuntu-24" in its name
4. Copy the full agent name – you will need to use this complete name as the agent pool name in the following test steps

Step 2: Test a Pipeline

1. Open your pipeline overview:
   ```
   https://dev.azure.com/<ADO-NAME>/<ADO-PROJECT-NAME>/_build
   ```
2. Select the pipeline you want to test
3. Click Edit to view the YAML pipeline code
4. Modify the agent pool reference:
   - Change `agentPool: $(BUILD_AGENT_POOL)` to `agentPool: '<NEW-BUILD-AGENT-NAME>'`
   - OR change `pool: $(BUILD_AGENT_POOL)` to `pool: '<NEW-BUILD-AGENT-NAME>'`
   - Note: Your pipeline may use different variable names or hardcoded agent pool names. Look for similar patterns (e.g., `$(AGENT_POOL)`, `$(BUILD_POOL)`, or hardcoded pool names) and replace them with `'<NEW-BUILD-AGENT-NAME>'`
5. Click Validate and Save
   - Enter a meaningful commit message (e.g., "Test pipeline with Ubuntu 24 agent")
   - Select "Create a new branch for this commit"
   - Uncheck "Start a pull request"
6. Run the pipeline on the new branch:
   - Navigate to `https://dev.azure.com/<ADO-NAME>/<ADO-PROJECT-NAME>/_build`
   - Select the pipeline you just edited
   - Click "Run Pipeline"
   - Under "Branch/tag", select the branch you created
   - Start the pipeline

Step 3: Review Results

If successful:
- Delete the test branch
- No further action required – your pipeline is compatible

If the pipeline fails:
- Investigate and resolve compatibility issues before November 24, 2025
- If you cannot resolve the issue, create a support ticket

Best Practice Reminder

Always use Intershop-provided libraries for build agent references in your pipelines. Avoid hardcoding build agent names directly in your YAML files. Using the provided library variables ensures smooth transitions during future updates and prevents pipeline failures.

For more information, see: Using Build Agents in Pipelines

Support and Documentation

- Build Agent Guide: Comprehensive documentation including installed software and configurations: Guide - DevOps Build Agents
- Support Contact: Create a Support Ticket for unresolvable issues