Using MSDeploy for deploy of console application to a DMZ server - tfs

Question

I am trying to deploy a console application to a folder on a DMZ server using autodeploy with MSBuild and Team Foundation Server.
I am already deploying multiple sites to that same server and it works great. I have tried multiple ways but the files are not deployed.
First, I tried to deploy the console app in the same way as i do for my web site, ie:
<MSBuild
Projects="$(SolutionRoot)\MySolution.sln"
Properties="AllowUntrustedCertificate=True;AuthType=Basic;
Configuration=DEBUG;CreatePackageOnPublish=True;
DeployIisAppPath=Default Website/dummy.dev.myapp;
DeployOnBuild=True;DeployTarget=MsDeployPublish;
MSDeployPublishMethod=WMSvc;
MsDeployServiceUrl=https://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:8172/MsDeploy.axd;
UserName=userid;Password=password;UseMsdeployExe=True"
/>
Without success.
EDIT: No error message is returned. It all seems to go well.
Then, I also tried to deploy the console app as follows:
<Exec Command=""C:\Program Files\IIS\Microsoft Web Deploy V2\MSDeploy.exe"
-verb:sync
-source:contentpath="$(OutDir)\MyApp.Precompiled"
-dest:contentpath="D:\dev.myapp",computername=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx,username=userid,password=password"
ContinueOnError="false" />
I actually also tried with computername as https://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:8172/MsDeploy.axd.
EDIT: The following is what I got.
EXEC: FileOrFolderNotFound
EXEC: Object of type 'contentPath' and path 'E:\Builds\1...\dev.myapp' cannot be created.
EXEC: The path '\?\E:\Builds\1...\dev.myapp' is not valid.
EXEC: 1.
E:\Builds\1...\BuildType\Targets\Deploy.targets (142): The command ""C:\Program Files\IIS\Microsoft Web Deploy V2\MSDeploy.exe" -verb:sync -source:contentpath="E:\Builds\1...\dev.myapp" -dest:contentpath="D:\dev.myapp",computername=https://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:8172/MsDeploy.axd,username=userid,password=password" exited with code -1.
I realize I haven't read all of the error, Do I really need an UNC path?
Does anyone know how to do this?

Answer 1

I finally found out how to make it work.
<Exec Command=""C:\Program Files\IIS\Microsoft Web Deploy V2\MSDeploy.exe"
-verb:sync
-source:contentpath="$(OutDir)\MyApp.Precompiled"
-dest:contentpath="D:\dev.myapp",computername=https://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:8172/MsDeploy.axd,username=userid,password=password,authtype=Basic
-allowUntrusted=True"
ContinueOnError="false" />
I changed computername to computername=https://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:8172/MsDeploy.axd, added authtype=Basic and allowUntrusted=True and voila it worked.
It was quite frustrating not having any kind of feedback of what went wrong with the first option. But when I was using the second alternative I got feedback to work with.
If anyone know how to make this work using the MSBuild task, please feel free to enlighten me.

Answer 2

Try dirPath provider instead of contentPath, it'll behave more like a folder sync rather than IIS web site deployment.

Answer 3

Considering the sync worked using the EXEC task, did you make sure you have the Microsoft.WebApplication.targets in your csproj (or vbproj) file? I could see it just ignoring that msbuild task without the correct targets file included.
For example in my web service project files, I have this towards the bottom of my csproj file
<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v10.0\WebApplications\Microsoft.WebApplication.targets" />