Unable to MSBUILD Multiple 'Target' parameters in Parallel

Question

When executing the solution build as follows, multiple worker nodes are created and the process finishes in 2 mins.

MSBuild.exe path\to.sln /p:OutDir=C:\out\ -m:4 /p:Configuration=QA /p:Platform="Any CPU"

However, when attempting to execute the SLN with specific targets (T1,T2,T3), these are built in series rather than parallel. Only the main msbuild.exe node is created; no workers

MSBuild.exe -target:Deployment\T1 -target:Deployment\T2 -target:Deployment\T3 path\to.sln /p:OutDir=C:\out\ -m:6 /p:Configuration=QA /p:Platform="Any CPU"

Despite the -m:6 parameter, only a single worker node is created; the process takes 2.5* longer to do the same thing.

Is there some limitation when specifying targets that prevent them being executed in parallel?
Any workarounds?

I didn't know of a limitation. But why are you specifying the Deployment\T1 target twice? — C.J.
– C.J., Commented Mar 6, 2019 at 19:12
Whoops - copy/paste issue. In my actual command those are project names — Jon Barker
– Jon Barker, Commented Mar 6, 2019 at 19:25

baruchiro · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-07 05:35:22Z

1

according to my understanding, parallel msbuild is only for "msbuild core tasks". I mean, there is an msbuild basic tasks: restore, build, test etc', and these tasks can run parallel.

But msbuild not try to parallel the targets. In this case, msbuild will run them sequencely.

The targets do for cases like /t:Restore,Build,Test, And it will never happen in parallel.

So, you can say this is limitation.

answered Mar 7, 2019 at 5:35

baruchiro

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Jon Barker Over a year ago

Thanks - that's what I feared. In the end (for anyone else looking for the solution) I just kicked off 6x simultaneous MSBUILD jobs, 1x per target, which ran in a total of a minute and a half! Fastest way possible.

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