[CI] Use ACES in CI builds

tests/common/TestRuntime.cs

@@ -299,12 +299,10 @@ public static void AssertSimulatorOrDesktop (string message = "This test only wo
 
 	public static void AssertNotVirtualMachine ()
 	{
-#if MONOMAC || __MACCATALYST__
 		// enviroment variable set by the CI when running on a VM
 		var vmVendor = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable ("VM_VENDOR");
 		if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty (vmVendor))
 			NUnit.Framework.Assert.Ignore ($"This test only runs on device. Found vm vendor: {vmVendor}");
-#endif
 	}
 
 	public static bool IsVSTS =>

tests/linker/link sdk/LinkSdkRegressionTest.cs

@@ -789,11 +789,11 @@ void SpecialFolderImpl ()
 #else
 			var myExists = false;
 #endif
-			path = TestFolder (Environment.SpecialFolder.MyMusic, exists: myExists);
+			path = TestFolderIfAvailableInCI (Environment.SpecialFolder.MyMusic, myExists);
 
-			path = TestFolder (Environment.SpecialFolder.MyVideos, exists: myExists);
+			path = TestFolderIfAvailableInCI (Environment.SpecialFolder.MyVideos, myExists);
 
-			path = TestFolder (Environment.SpecialFolder.DesktopDirectory, exists: myExists);
+			path = TestFolderIfAvailableInCI (Environment.SpecialFolder.DesktopDirectory, myExists);
 
 #if __TVOS__
 			path = TestFolder (Environment.SpecialFolder.Fonts, exists: null, supported: true);
@@ -811,7 +811,7 @@ void SpecialFolderImpl ()
 			path = TestFolder (Environment.SpecialFolder.Templates, exists: false);
 #endif
 
-			path = TestFolder (Environment.SpecialFolder.MyPictures, exists: myExists);
+			path = TestFolderIfAvailableInCI (Environment.SpecialFolder.MyPictures, myExists);
 
 #if __MACOS__
 			path = TestFolder (Environment.SpecialFolder.CommonTemplates, supported: false);
@@ -897,6 +897,17 @@ void SpecialFolderImpl ()
 			path = TestFolder (Environment.SpecialFolder.Resources, readOnly: tvos && device);
 			Assert.That (path.EndsWith ("/Library", StringComparison.Ordinal), Is.True, "Resources");
 #endif
+			// Some CI VM images don't initialize all standard user directories, so keep this
+			// tolerance limited to CI VMs and preserve the stricter check for other runs.
+			string TestFolderIfAvailableInCI (Environment.SpecialFolder folder, bool exists)
+			{
+#if __MACOS__
+				var path = Environment.GetFolderPath (folder);
+				if (string.IsNullOrEmpty (path) && TestRuntime.IsInCI && TestRuntime.IsVM)
+					return path;
+#endif
+				return TestFolder (folder, exists: exists);
+			}
 		}
 
 #if !__MACOS__

tests/monotouch-test/AudioToolbox/AudioQueueTest.cs

@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ public void Properties ()
 		[Test]
 		public void ChannelAssignments ()
 		{
+			TestRuntime.AssertNotVirtualMachine ();
+
 			var aq = new OutputAudioQueue (AudioStreamBasicDescription.CreateLinearPCM ());
 
 			var route = global::AVFoundation.AVAudioSession.SharedInstance ().CurrentRoute;

tests/monotouch-test/Metal/MTLDeviceTests.cs

@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ public void ReturnReleaseTest ()
 			if (device is null)
 				Assert.Inconclusive ("Metal is not supported");
 
+			TestRuntime.AssertNotVirtualMachine ();
+
 			// Apple claims that "Indirect command buffers" are available with MTLGPUFamilyCommon2, but it crashes on at least one machine.
 			// Log what the current device supports, just to have it in the log.
 			foreach (MTLFeatureSet fs in Enum.GetValues<MTLFeatureSet> ()) {

tests/monotouch-test/System.Net.Http/NetworkResources.cs

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ public static class NetworkResources {
 		public static string MicrosoftUrl => AssertNetworkConnection ("https://www.microsoft.com");
 		public static Uri MicrosoftUri => new Uri (MicrosoftUrl);
 		public static string MicrosoftHttpUrl => AssertNetworkConnection ("http://www.microsoft.com");
+		public static Uri MicrosoftHttpUri => new Uri (MicrosoftHttpUrl);
 		public static string XamarinUrl => AssertNetworkConnection ("https://dotnet.microsoft.com/apps/xamarin");
 		public static string XamarinHttpUrl => AssertNetworkConnection ("http://dotnet.microsoft.com/apps/xamarin");
 		public static Uri XamarinUri => new Uri (XamarinUrl);

tests/monotouch-test/VideoToolbox/VTCompressionSessionTests.cs

@@ -236,6 +236,9 @@ public void TestCallbackBackground (bool stronglyTyped)
 		public void TestMultiImage (bool stronglyTyped, bool customCallback)
 		{
 			TestRuntime.AssertXcodeVersion (26, 0);
+#if __MACOS__ || __MACCATALYST__
+			TestRuntime.AssertNotVirtualMachine ();
+#endif
 
 			if (!VTCompressionSession.IsStereoMvHevcEncodeSupported ())
 				Assert.Ignore ("Stereo MV-HEVC encoding is not supported on the current system.");

tests/monotouch-test/VideoToolbox/VTMotionEstimationSessionTest.cs

@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ public class VTMotionEstimationSessionTest {
 	public void CreateTest ()
 	{
 		TestRuntime.AssertXcodeVersion (26, 0);
+#if __MACOS__ || __MACCATALYST__
+		TestRuntime.AssertNotVirtualMachine ();
+#endif
 		// VTMotionEstimationSessionCreate just returns in the simulator (a single 'ret' instruction),
 		// which means it returns with status=VTStatus.Ok, but no session actually created. So ignore
 		// this test in the simulator.
@@ -49,6 +52,9 @@ public void CreateTest ()
 	public void CreateStronglyTypedTest ()
 	{
 		TestRuntime.AssertXcodeVersion (26, 0);
+#if __MACOS__ || __MACCATALYST__
+		TestRuntime.AssertNotVirtualMachine ();
+#endif
 		// VTMotionEstimationSessionCreate just returns in the simulator (a single 'ret' instruction),
 		// which means it returns with status=VTStatus.Ok, but no session actually created. So ignore
 		// this test in the simulator.

tests/xharness/AppRunner.cs

@@ -225,6 +225,13 @@ public async Task<int> RunAsync ()
 			if (harness.InCI) {
 				// We use the 'BUILD_REVISION' variable to detect whether we're running CI or not.
 				args.Add (new SetEnvVariableArgument ("BUILD_REVISION", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable ("BUILD_REVISION")));
+
+				// Forward VM_VENDOR (set by the pipeline when running on a VM-backed
+				// pool such as ACES) so TestRuntime.AssertNotVirtualMachine works
+				// inside the iOS/tvOS simulator process.
+				var vmVendor = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable ("VM_VENDOR");
+				if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty (vmVendor))
+					args.Add (new SetEnvVariableArgument ("VM_VENDOR", vmVendor));
 			}
 
 			if (!harness.GetIncludeSystemPermissionTests (TestPlatform.iOS, !isSimulator))

tools/devops/automation/build-pipeline.yml

@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ extends:
           forceInsertion: ${{ parameters.forceInsertion }}
           pushNugets: ${{ parameters.pushNugets }}
           pushNugetsToMaestro: ${{ parameters.pushNugetsToMaestro }}
+          useACES: true  # flip to false to opt CI out of ACES; see templates/variables/common.yml
 
       - template: localization/v1.yml@yaml-templates
         parameters:

tools/devops/automation/build-pull-request.yml

@@ -113,3 +113,4 @@ extends:
         forceInsertion: ${{ parameters.forceInsertion }}
         pushNugets: false
         pushNugetsToMaestro: false
+        useACES: false  # flip to true to opt PR into ACES; see templates/variables/common.yml

tools/devops/automation/run-ci-api-diff.yml

@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ extends:
   parameters:
     isPR: false
     pool: $(CIBuildPool)
+    useACES: true  # flip to false to opt CI api-diff out of ACES; see templates/variables/common.yml

tools/devops/automation/run-post-ci-build-tests.yml

@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ extends:
   template: templates/pipelines/run-tests-pipeline.yml
   parameters:
     isPR: false
+    useACES: true  # flip to false to opt CI simulator tests out of ACES; see templates/variables/common.yml

tools/devops/automation/run-post-pr-build-tests.yml

@@ -27,3 +27,4 @@ extends:
   parameters:
     isPR: true
     buildPackages: true
+    useACES: false  # flip to true to opt PR simulator tests into ACES; see templates/variables/common.yml

tools/devops/automation/run-pr-api-diff.yml

@@ -26,3 +26,4 @@ extends:
   parameters:
     isPR: true
     pool: $(PRBuildPool)
+    useACES: false  # flip to true to opt PR api-diff into ACES; see templates/variables/common.yml

tools/devops/automation/templates/api-diff-stage.yml

@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ parameters:
 - name: macOSName
   type: string
 
+- name: useACES
+  type: boolean
+  default: false
 
 
 stages:
@@ -69,3 +72,4 @@ stages:
       gitHubToken: $(Github.Token)
       xqaCertPass: $(xqa--certificates--password)
       pool: ${{ parameters.pool }}
+      useACES: ${{ parameters.useACES }}

tools/devops/automation/templates/build/api-diff-stage.yml

@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ parameters:
 - name: macOSName
   type: string
 
+- name: useACES
+  type: boolean
+  default: false
+
 jobs:
 # Detect changes
 - job: api_diff
@@ -44,13 +48,19 @@ jobs:
     # set the branch variable name, this is required by jenkins and we have a lot of scripts that depend on it
     BRANCH_NAME: $[ replace(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/heads/', '') ]
     XHARNESS_LABELS: $[ stageDependencies.configure_build.configure.outputs['labels.xharness_labels'] ]
-  pool:
-    name: ${{ parameters.pool }}
-    demands:
-    - Agent.OS -equals Darwin
-    - Agent.OSVersion -gtVersion $(minimumMacOSVersion)
-    - macOS.Name -equals ${{ parameters.macOSName }}
-    - XcodeChannel -equals ${{ parameters.xcodeChannel }}
+  ${{ if parameters.useACES }}:
+    pool:
+      name: $(CIBuildPoolACES)
+      demands:
+      - ImageOverride -equals $(CIBuildPoolACESImage)
+  ${{ else }}:
+    pool:
+      name: ${{ parameters.pool }}
+      demands:
+      - Agent.OS -equals Darwin
+      - Agent.OSVersion -gtVersion $(minimumMacOSVersion)
+      - macOS.Name -equals ${{ parameters.macOSName }}
+      - XcodeChannel -equals ${{ parameters.xcodeChannel }}
   workspace:
     clean: all
 

tools/devops/automation/templates/build/build-mac-tests-stage.yml

@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ parameters:
 - name: macOSName
   type: string
 
+- name: useACES
+  type: boolean
+  default: false
+
 jobs:
 
 # This job builds the macOS tests.
@@ -49,14 +53,21 @@ jobs:
     BRANCH_NAME: $[ replace(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/heads/', '') ]
     RUN_MAC_TESTS: $[ stageDependencies.configure_build.configure.outputs['decisions.RUN_MAC_TESTS'] ]
   condition: ne(stageDependencies.configure_build.configure.outputs['decisions.RUN_MAC_TESTS'],'')
-  pool:
-    os: macOS
-    name: ${{ parameters.pool }}
-    demands:
-    - Agent.OS -equals Darwin
-    - Agent.OSVersion -gtVersion $(minimumMacOSVersion)
-    - macOS.Name -equals ${{ parameters.macOSName }}
-    - XcodeChannel -equals ${{ parameters.xcodeChannel }}
+  ${{ if parameters.useACES }}:
+    pool:
+      os: macOS
+      name: $(CIBuildPoolACES)
+      demands:
+      - ImageOverride -equals $(CIBuildPoolACESImage)
+  ${{ else }}:
+    pool:
+      os: macOS
+      name: ${{ parameters.pool }}
+      demands:
+      - Agent.OS -equals Darwin
+      - Agent.OSVersion -gtVersion $(minimumMacOSVersion)
+      - macOS.Name -equals ${{ parameters.macOSName }}
+      - XcodeChannel -equals ${{ parameters.xcodeChannel }}
 
   steps:
   - template: build-mac-tests.yml

tools/devops/automation/templates/build/build-stage.yml

@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ parameters:
   - name: use1ES
     type: boolean
 
+  - name: useACES
+    type: boolean
+    default: false
+
 jobs:
   # This job performs the build of the nuget pkgs and the framework pkgs. There are two interesting dependencies in this job:
   - job: build
@@ -66,14 +70,21 @@ jobs:
       BRANCH_NAME: $[ replace(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/heads/', '') ]
       XHARNESS_LABELS: $[ stageDependencies.configure_build.configure.outputs['labels.xharness_labels'] ]
       RUN_MAC_TESTS: $[ stageDependencies.configure_build.configure.outputs['decisions.RUN_MAC_TESTS'] ]
-    pool:
-      os: macOS
-      name: ${{ parameters.pool }}
-      demands:
-        - Agent.OS -equals Darwin
-        - Agent.OSVersion -gtVersion $(minimumMacOSVersion)
-        - macOS.Name -equals ${{ parameters.macOSName }}
-        - XcodeChannel -equals ${{ parameters.xcodeChannel }}
+    ${{ if parameters.useACES }}:
+      pool:
+        os: macOS
+        name: $(CIBuildPoolACES)
+        demands:
+          - ImageOverride -equals $(CIBuildPoolACESImage)
+    ${{ else }}:
+      pool:
+        os: macOS
+        name: ${{ parameters.pool }}
+        demands:
+          - Agent.OS -equals Darwin
+          - Agent.OSVersion -gtVersion $(minimumMacOSVersion)
+          - macOS.Name -equals ${{ parameters.macOSName }}
+          - XcodeChannel -equals ${{ parameters.xcodeChannel }}
 
     steps:
       - template: build-pkgs.yml

tools/devops/automation/templates/main-stage.yml

@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ parameters:
     type: string
     default: ''
 
+  - name: useACES
+    type: boolean
+    default: false
+
 stages:
 
   - stage: configure_build
@@ -103,6 +107,7 @@ stages:
           xqaCertPass: $(xqa--certificates--password)
           pool: ${{ parameters.pool }}
           use1ES: true
+          useACES: ${{ parameters.useACES }}
 
   # .NET Release Prep and VS Insertion Stages, only execute them when the build comes from an official branch and is not a schedule build from OneLoc
   # setting the stage at this level makes the graph of the UI look better, else the lines overlap and is not clear.

tools/devops/automation/templates/pipelines/api-diff-pipeline.yml

@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ parameters:
   type: boolean
   default: false
 
+- name: useACES
+  type: boolean
+  default: false
+
 resources:
   repositories:
   - repository: self
@@ -49,3 +53,4 @@ stages:
     isPR: ${{ parameters.isPR }}
     provisionatorChannel: ${{ parameters.provisionatorChannel }}
     pool: ${{ parameters.pool }}
+    useACES: ${{ parameters.useACES }}

tools/devops/automation/templates/pipelines/run-tests-pipeline.yml

@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ parameters:
     type: boolean
     default: false
 
+  - name: useACES
+    displayName: Use ACES shared pool for simulator tests
+    type: boolean
+    default: false
+
 resources:
   repositories:
     - repository: self
@@ -62,3 +67,4 @@ stages:
       runTests: ${{ parameters.runTests }}
       runWindowsIntegration: ${{ parameters.runWindowsIntegration }}
       buildPackages: ${{ parameters.buildPackages }}
+      useACES: ${{ parameters.useACES }}

tools/devops/automation/templates/tests-stage.yml

@@ -125,6 +125,10 @@ parameters:
   type: boolean
   default: false
 
+- name: useACES
+  type: boolean
+  default: false
+
 stages:
 
 - template: ./build/linux-build-verification.yml
@@ -234,6 +238,7 @@ stages:
     xqaCertPass: $(xqa--certificates--password)
     condition: ${{ parameters.runTests }}
     postPipeline: ${{ not(parameters.buildPackages) }}
+    useACES: ${{ parameters.useACES }}
 
 - template: ./tests/publish-results.yml
   parameters:
@@ -282,6 +287,7 @@ stages:
       gitHubToken: $(Github.Token)
       xqaCertPass: $(xqa--certificates--password)
       pool: $(PRBuildPool)
+      useACES: ${{ parameters.useACES }}
 
 - ${{ each config in parameters.macTestsConfigurations }}:
   - template: ./mac/stage.yml

tools/devops/automation/templates/tests/build.yml

@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ steps:
     provisioning_script: $(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/$(BUILD_REPOSITORY_TITLE)/tools/devops/build-provisioning.csx
     displayName: 'Provisionator dependencies'
     provisionatorChannel: $(PROVISIONATOR_CHANNEL)
+    retryCount: 3
 
 - bash: |
     set -x

tools/devops/automation/templates/tests/run-tests.yml

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ parameters:
 
 - name: retryCount
   type: number
-  default: 3
+  default: 0
 
 steps:
 - bash: |