dotnet · mdaigle · Sep 9, 2026 · Aug 7, 2026 · Aug 8, 2026 · Aug 10, 2026
@@ -71,12 +71,17 @@ parameters:
   - name: sqlSetupStep
     type: step
 
-  # The pool VM image to use.  Both the internal (ADO-1ES-Pool) and public (ADO-CI-1ES-Pool) pools
-  # must provide an image with this name.
+  # The name of the pool to run in.
   #
-  # NOTE: This value is evaluated at template-expansion (compile) time to select the pool, so it
-  # must be a literal and must not contain any runtime expressions (e.g. $(...) macros or
-  # $[...] runtime expressions).
+  # Supplied by the caller so that the pool name flows down from the pipeline root.
+  #
+  # NOTE: This value is compared at template-expansion (compile) time to choose between 'vmImage'
+  # and an imageOverride demand, so the Microsoft-hosted 'Azure Pipelines' pool must be named by
+  # that exact literal, not by a $(...) macro or $[...] runtime expression.
+  - name: poolName
+    type: string
+
+  # The pool VM image to use, which must exist in the specified pool.
   - name: vmImage
     type: string
 
@@ -89,11 +94,6 @@ jobs:
 
     variables:
 
-      # Whether this is an internal (ADO.Net project) or public (Public project) build.  Evaluated
-      # at compile time so it can drive template expressions below.
-      - name: isInternalBuild
-        value: ${{ eq(variables['System.TeamProject'], 'ADO.Net') }}
-
       # Import the variable group that provides SQL Server build properties used by the
       # shared configure-sql-server-*-step.yml templates (e.g. x64AliasRegistryPath,
       # x86AliasRegistryPath, SQLAliasName, SQLAliasPort).
@@ -162,18 +162,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: stressTestOpts
         value: --assembly SqlClient.Stress.Tests --console
 
-    # Select the pool based on the requested image:
-    #   - macOS images run on the Microsoft-hosted 'Azure Pipelines' pool (no 1ES macOS images).
-    #   - All other images run on the 1ES pool for the current ADO project, matched via imageOverride.
     pool:
-      ${{ if startsWith(parameters.vmImage, 'macos') }}:
-        name: 'Azure Pipelines'
+      name: ${{ parameters.poolName }}
+
+      # Images provided by Azure Pipelines must be selected using 'vmImage'.
+      ${{ if eq(parameters.poolName, 'Azure Pipelines') }}:
         vmImage: ${{ parameters.vmImage }}
+      # Images provided by 1ES must be selected using a demand.
       ${{ else }}:
-        ${{ if eq(variables.isInternalBuild, true) }}:
-          name: ADO-1ES-Pool
-        ${{ else }}:
-          name: ADO-CI-1ES-Pool
         demands:
           - imageOverride -equals ${{ parameters.vmImage }}
 

@@ -89,17 +89,23 @@ parameters:
       - detailed
       - diagnostic
 
+variables:
+  - template: /eng/pipelines/libraries/ci-build-variables.yml@self
+
 # The stages to run.
 stages:
 
   # Generate secrets.  We use these for the local SQL Server 'sa' logins.
   - template: /eng/pipelines/stages/generate-secrets-ci-stage.yml@self
     parameters:
       debug: ${{ parameters.debug }}
+      poolName: $(ci_var_defaultPoolName)
+      vmImage: ADO-UB24
 
   # Run the stress tests.
   - template: /eng/pipelines/ci/stress/sqlclient-ci-stress-stage.yml@self
     parameters:
+      poolName: $(ci_var_defaultPoolName)
       buildConfiguration: ${{ parameters.buildConfiguration }}
       debug: ${{ parameters.debug }}
       warnOnTestFailure: ${{ parameters.warnOnTestFailure }}

@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@
 
 parameters:
 
+  # The name of the pool to use for jobs that require customized VM images.
+  #
+  # Supplied by the caller so that the pool name flows down from the pipeline root.
+  - name: poolName
+    type: string
+
   # The type of build to produce (Debug or Release)
   - name: buildConfiguration
     type: string
@@ -89,6 +95,7 @@ stages:
           template: /eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/configure-sql-server-linux-step.yml@self
           parameters:
             saPassword: $(saPassword)
+        poolName: ${{ parameters.poolName }}
         vmImage: ADO-UB24-SQL25
 
     # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -112,6 +119,7 @@ stages:
             saPassword: $(saPassword)
         # The Windows images include a suitable .NET Framework runtime, so we don't have to install
         # one explicitly.
+        poolName: ${{ parameters.poolName }}
         vmImage: ADO-MMS25-SQL25
 
     # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -133,5 +141,7 @@ stages:
           template: /eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/configure-sql-server-macos-step.yml@self
           parameters:
             saPassword: $(saPassword)
-        # A macOS vmImage name routes this job to the Microsoft-hosted 'Azure Pipelines' pool.
+        # Our 1ES pools do not offer macOS images, so this job runs on the Microsoft-hosted
+        # 'Azure Pipelines' pool.
+        poolName: Azure Pipelines
         vmImage: macos-latest
@@ -19,15 +19,18 @@ parameters:
       # Reference sibling packages as C# projects.
       - Project
 
-  # The name of Azure Pipelines pool to use.
+  # The name of the 1ES pool to use.
+  #
+  # Supplied by the caller so that the pool name flows down from the pipeline
+  # root, rather than being read from a variable group at this depth.
+  #
   - name: poolName
     type: string
-    default: $(ci_var_defaultPoolName)
 
-  # The name of the Azure Pipelines image to use within the pool.
+  # The imageOverride capability required from the 1ES pool.
   - name: imageOverride
     type: string
-    default: ADO-MMS22-SQL19
+    default: ADO-Win25
 
   # The name of the Abstractions pipeline artifact to download when referenceType is 'Package'.
   - name: abstractionsArtifactsName

@@ -19,13 +19,28 @@ parameters:
   - name: upload
     type: boolean
 
+  # The name of the 1ES pool to run in.
+  #
+  # Supplied by the caller so that the pool name flows down from the pipeline
+  # root, rather than being read from a variable group at this depth.
+  #
+  - name: poolName
+    type: string
+
+  # The name of the VM image to run on, within the pool.
+  - name: vmImage
+    type: string
+    default: ADO-UB24
+
 jobs:
   - job: publish_code_coverage
     displayName: Publish Code Coverage
 
     pool:
-      name: Azure Pipelines
-      vmImage: ubuntu-latest
+      name: ${{ parameters.poolName }}
+
+      demands:
+        - imageOverride -equals ${{ parameters.vmImage }}
 
     variables:
       # Use a temp directory that is cleaned up after each job runs.  This helps

@@ -56,12 +56,6 @@ parameters:
     type: boolean
     default: false
 
-  # True if this job will run in a generic Azure Pipelines hosted pool; false to run in a custom 1ES
-  # pool.
-  - name: hostedPool
-    type: boolean
-    default: false
-
   # The VM image to use, which must exist in the specified pool.
   - name: image
     type: string
@@ -110,6 +104,10 @@ parameters:
       - Release
 
   # The name of the Azure Pipelines pool to use.
+  #
+  # NOTE: This value is compared at template-expansion (compile) time to choose between 'vmImage'
+  # and an imageOverride demand, so the Microsoft-hosted 'Azure Pipelines' pool must be named by
+  # that exact literal, not by a $(...) macro or $[...] runtime expression.
   - name: poolName
     type: string
 
@@ -157,8 +155,11 @@ jobs:
 
   pool:
     name: '${{ parameters.poolName }}'
-    ${{ if eq(parameters.hostedPool, true) }}:
+
+    # Images provided by Azure Pipelines must be selected using 'vmImage'.
+    ${{ if eq(parameters.poolName, 'Azure Pipelines') }}:
       vmImage: ${{ parameters.image }}
+    # Images provided by 1ES must be selected using a demand.
     ${{ else }}:
       demands:
       - imageOverride -equals ${{ parameters.image }}

@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ stages:
                   referenceType: ${{ parameters.referenceType }}
                   timeout: ${{ parameters.testJobTimeout }}
                   poolName: ${{ config.value.pool }}
-                  hostedPool: ${{ eq(config.value.hostedPool, true) }}
                   image: ${{ image.value }}
                   jobDisplayName: ${{ format('{0}_{1}_{2}', replace(targetFramework, '.', '_'), platform, testSet) }}
                   configProperties: ${{ config.value.configProperties }}
@@ -137,7 +136,6 @@ stages:
                     referenceType: ${{ parameters.referenceType }}
                     timeout: ${{ parameters.testJobTimeout }}
                     poolName: ${{ config.value.pool }}
-                    hostedPool: ${{ eq(config.value.hostedPool, true) }}
                     image: ${{ image.value }}
                     ${{if eq(usemanagedSNI, 'true') }}:
                       jobDisplayName: ${{ format('{0}_{1}_{2}_{3}', replace(targetFramework, '.', '_'), platform, 'ManagedSNI', testSet) }}

@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 # See the LICENSE file in the project root for more information.                #
 #################################################################################
 
-# This step configures an existing SQL Server running on the local Linux host.  For example, our 1ES
-# Hosted Pool has images like ADO-UB20-SQL22 that come with SQL Server 2022 pre-installed and
+# This step configures an existing SQL Server running on the local Linux host.  For example, our
+# 1ES pools have images like ADO-UB24-SQL25 that come with SQL Server 2025 pre-installed and
 # running.
 
 parameters:

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #################################################################################
 
 # This step configures an existing SQL Server running on the local Windows host.  For example, our
-# 1ES Hosted Pool has images like ADO-MMS25-SQL25 that come with SQL Server 2025 pre-installed and
+# 1ES pools have images like ADO-MMS25-SQL25 that come with SQL Server 2025 pre-installed and
 # running.
 
 parameters: