Continuous integration, deployment, and release management using VSTS/TFS, Xamarin Test Cloud, and HockeyApp

Utilizing the comprehensive yet easy-to-use continuous integration (CI) support in VSTS and TFS,
developers can set up and maintain an automated build and test server for any mobile platform,
without needing to write hundreds of lines of custom script code. This means that you can spend
more of your time building high-quality mobile apps instead of creating the infrastructure to make
them operational. The completely revamped core of VSTS and TFS is fully cross-platform and adopts a lightweight task framework with a library of prebuilt tasks and an entire new marketplace of extensions. For the first time, builds can run on Windows, Linux, or Mac machines, opening up mobile device and server-based scenarios like never before.

To facilitate better release agility, the new Release Management (RM) capability in VSTS/TFS makes it possible for you to set up a continuous delivery (CD) server that streamlines the process of publishing updates to beta and public stores while giving you the control and visibility needed to match your organizational needs.

Key benefits include the following:
 Continuous integration Provides a simplified, task-based experience for setting up a CI server for both native (Android, iOS, and Windows) and cross-platform (Xamarin, Cordova, and React Native) mobile apps, in addition to Microsoft and non-Microsoft (Node.js, Java)–based server technologies.

 Continuous testing Builds display integrated test results, which you can run by using Grunt, Gulp, xctool, and Gradle, among others, and which allow for automatic work item creation when failures occur.

 Test clouds Build/test pipeline integrations with Xamarin Test Cloud or with partners like Perfecto Mobile, Sauce Labs, and Keynote to run your integration and UI automation tests as part of your CI builds.

 Build agents Use the cloud-hosted build machines provided by VSTS (Windows) and MacinCloud (OS X), or configure a self-hosted build agent running on your own infrastructure that integrates with on-premises TFS or cloud-hosted Team Services instances.

 Continuous delivery Automate the deployment of your mobile apps, regardless of whether you’re publishing to HockeyApp (for beta), Google Play, or the App Store (for production). Continuously deploy the service side of your mobile apps by using Azure deployment tasks, along with Chef, Docker, and more.

 Release management Configure multiple environments for your app (QA, staging, production), each of which can have pre- and post-approvers to help ensure that updates aren’t unintentionally released.

 Marketplace The rich ecosystem of first- and third-party services extensions facilitates further customization of your CI and CD experience.

Source Of Information : Microsoft Platform and Tools for Mobile App Development