1

Recently when we tried to run test with MSTest from Jenkins we received a 'TargetInvocationException' error. Today I switched from MSTest to VsTest.Console.exe and although I was able to get a more detailed error message, the problem is the same.

I couldn't find any indication on Google what can cause this exception. If I understand it right then the exception does not come from our tests rather from the MSTest Framework.

TpTrace Warning: 0 : 10032, 3, 2018/10/31, 15:22:23.137, 54721019933, testhost.x86.exe, TestSettings will soon be deprecated for automated unit and functional testing scenarios. It is recommended that you use RunSettings. To learn more, see http://aka.ms/runsettings
    TpTrace Verbose: 0 : 10032, 3, 2018/10/31, 15:22:23.137, 54721020301, testhost.x86.exe, TestRequestHandler.SendData:  sending data from testhost: {"Version":2,"MessageType":"TestSession.Message","Payload":{"MessageLevel":1,"Message":"TestSettings will soon be deprecated for automated unit and functional testing scenarios. It is recommended that you use RunSettings. To learn more, see http://aka.ms/runsettings"}}
    TpTrace Error: 0 : 10032, 3, 2018/10/31, 15:22:23.256, 54721419216, testhost.x86.exe, TmiDiscoveryRequest: Error occured while discovering tests from source F:\Jenkins\Workspace\[...]\My.dll. System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestTypes.Unit.UnitTestExtensionInfo' threw an exception. ---> System.TypeLoadException: Could not load type 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.Common.TestTypesXml' from assembly 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.QualityTools.Common, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a'.
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestTypes.Unit.UnitTestExtensionInfo..cctor()
       --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestTypes.Unit.UnitTestExtensionInfo.GetExtensionNames(IWarningHandler warningHandler)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestTypes.Unit.UnitTestTip.InitializeExtensions()
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestTypes.Unit.UnitTestTip..ctor(ITmi tmiInstance)
       --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
       at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor)
       at System.Reflection.RuntimeConstructorInfo.Invoke(BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
       at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceImpl(BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object[] args, CultureInfo culture, Object[] activationAttributes, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
       at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object[] args, CultureInfo culture, Object[] activationAttributes)
       at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Object[] args)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestManagement.TipDelayLoader.LoadTip()
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestManagement.TipDelayLoader.GetTip()
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestManagement.Tmi.GetTipsFromTestTypeInfos(IList`1 infos)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestManagement.Tmi.LoadTestsFromTipsHelper(IEnumerable`1 locations, ProjectData projectData)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestManagement.Tmi.LoadTests(IEnumerable`1 locations, ProjectData projectData, TestConflictHandler vetoingHandler)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestManagement.Tmi.LoadTests(String location, ProjectData projectData, TestConflictHandler vetoingHandler)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.TestManagement.Tmi.LoadTests(String location, ProjectData projectData)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestPlatform.Extensions.TmiHelper.TmiDiscoveryRequest.DiscoverTests(String source, Tmi tmi)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestPlatform.Extensions.TmiHelper.TmiDiscoveryRequest.DiscoverTests(IEnumerable`1 sources, Tmi tmi)
TpTrace Information: 0 : 10032, 3, 2018/10/31, 15:22:23.257, 54721419815, testhost.x86.exe, TestDiscoveryManager.RunMessage: calling TestRunMessage(Warning, Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.) callback.
TpTrace Warning: 0 : 10032, 3, 2018/10/31, 15:22:23.257, 54721420131, testhost.x86.exe, Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.

My idea is that this error came after a Visual Studio update, but I cannot certainly confirm it. We use Visual Studio Community 2017 15.8.8 on our Jenkins machine. Running the tests from VS isn't a problem. Also worth mentioning that we still use TestSettings and we receive the following warning message at the start:

Test run will use DLL(s) built for framework .NETFramework,Version=v4.5 and platform X86. Following DLL(s) do not match framework/platform settings.
SPManagerTests.dll is built for Framework 4.5.2 and Platform AnyCPU.

But I found that these are not that really important.

Any idea how to proceed to the solution?

Attila Szobonya
  • 75
  • 7

2 Answers2

1

Today I went back to the problem and found the following:

  • VsTest.Console.exe could execute tests when I did not specify a .testsettings file
  • While I tried to migrate to .runsettings I received a similar error message that I googled:
Method not found: 'Void Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.Common.TestRunConfiguration.AddTestSettingsProperties(System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2<System.String,System.Object>)'.

If you are facing the same issue you, then just uninstall the Visual Studio Remote Tools. This solves both problems. Until then I try to reopen the issue with MS.

Attila Szobonya
  • 75
  • 7
1

For anyone who needs to be able to remote debug and run tests on the target machine, performing the steps below will get past this error:

  1. Remove the entry for the entry for Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.Common from KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Assemblies\Global

  2. run 'gacutil /u Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.Common'

Step 1 is required to allow it to be removed from the GAC. The installation of VS Remote Tools 2017 adds the offending dll to the GAC which is a different version that the one needed for tests to run.

Michael Thurston
  • 11
  • 1