VSTS REST API Authentication & Trigger Release

vsts_trigger_release.ps1

Param(
   [string]$vstsAccount = "<VSTS-ACCOUNT-NAME>",
   [string]$projectName = "<PROJECT-NAME>",
   [string]$releaseDefinitionId = "<RELEASE-ID>",
   [string]$keepForever = "true",
   [string]$user = "",
   [string]$token = "<PERSONAL-ACCESS-TOKEN>"
)

Write-Verbose "Parameter Values"
foreach($key in $PSBoundParameters.Keys)
{
     Write-Verbose ("  $($key)" + ' = ' + $PSBoundParameters[$key])
}
 
# Base64-encodes the Personal Access Token (PAT) appropriately
$base64AuthInfo = [Convert]::ToBase64String([Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes(("{0}:{1}" -f $user,$token)))
 
# Construct the REST URL to trigger the release
# https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/vsts/release/releases/create?view=vsts-rest-4.1

$uri = "https://$($vstsAccount).visualstudio.com/DefaultCollection/$($projectName)/_apis/release/releases?api-version=4.1-preview.6"
$body = @{
  "definitionId" = $releaseDefinitionId;
  "description" = "Creating Sample release";
  "artifacts" = @(
    @{
      "alias": "Fabrikam.CI",
      "instanceReference": {
        "id" = "2";
        "name" = $null;
      }
    }
  );
  "isDraft" = $false;
  "reason" = "none";
  "manualEnvironments" = $null;
}

# Invoke the REST call and capture the results
$result = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $uri -Method POST -ContentType "application/json" -Body $body -Headers @{Authorization=("Basic {0}" -f $base64AuthInfo)}
 
# This call should only provide a single result
if ($result.count -eq 0)
{
     throw "Unable to locate Release Definition for the Id $($releaseDefinitionId)"
}
 
$releaseId = $result.value[0].id