关于TFS Build Controller定义及TFS2017中其与Pools关系的问询

Hey there, let's break these questions down clearly for you:

Think of the TFS Build Controller as the "traffic manager" for your build tasks in the older TFS build ecosystem (pre-TFS 2015). Its core responsibilities included:

• Receiving build requests from your TFS server (whether triggered manually via the UI, automatically on code check-in, or on a schedule)
• Assigning those incoming requests to available Build Agents—the actual machines that execute the build steps like compiling code, running tests, or packaging artifacts
• Monitoring the entire build process: tracking progress, handling agent availability, managing build queue priorities, and reporting status updates back to the TFS server
• Acting as the middle layer between your TFS server and the build agents, ensuring build tasks are distributed efficiently

This ties into the major overhaul Microsoft made to the build system starting in TFS 2015, and here's how it applies to TFS 2017:

• For modern, non-XAML build pipelines: The Build Controller has been fully replaced by Build Pools. Build Pools are a far more flexible and scalable model—they let you group Build Agents by purpose (e.g., "Windows Desktop Builds" or "Linux CI Tests") and assign specific pipelines directly to the appropriate pool. This is the standard system for all new build definitions using task-based or YAML configurations in TFS 2017.
• For legacy XAML builds: If you're still running older XAML-based build definitions (a holdover from pre-TFS 2015 workflows), the Build Controller does still exist in TFS 2017. Microsoft maintained compatibility for these legacy pipelines, but they've been officially deprecated—you'll see system warnings encouraging you to migrate to the newer pool-based system for better scalability and maintainability.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Bill Greer