Pipe ARM template outputs into build variables so that I can use them for later steps

[piquet-h]

I have two subscriptions I wish to join with n vpn gateways. I wish to take the output from the first resource group deployment which lists the names of the vpn gateways as an output, and pass that as a template parameter override into the next resource group deployment.

Can we use the ##[vso.setVariable] per the command authoring to pump it out? There's a related issue about persisting output variables which doesn't really complete the job

[chshrikh]

@piquet-h as of now Deploy Azure RG does not support to take its output as a output variable. But you can do

1. Use Azure RG task to deploy RG
2. Write your own powershell script to get all required details for RG creates in above step and set it as output variable. Please refer https://github.com/Microsoft/vsts-tasks/blob/6b049dab46f49f0ed29534f5b3c7557afe96f041/docs/authoring/commands.md how to set output variable.
3. Use next Azure RG task and consume the output variable created at step -2 as a input for template parameter

[alexmarshall132]

This is all well and good if you have a simple string field that you want to pass along, but what about if you want to pass things like connection strings and keys to later steps for populating items that are released on-premise where there's no app service override of System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager to manager your appSettings and connectionStrings in a secure way ?

[keesschollaart81]

I've created a VSTS extension which does exactly this... Hope it helps!

[thesattiraju]

#4772 I am working on it.

[sachinma]

See #5351 for latest on this topic

[thesattiraju]

I have added an outputs section in the task definition, where you can provide a name for the variable for the output variable which will contain the outputs section of the current deployment object in string format. You can use the “ConvertFrom-Json” PowerShell cmdlet to parse the JSON object and access the individual output values in the further steps of your build/release.

You'll start seeing this change within next 3 weeks.