From 1289122e6b24867359f5c5e1cb394d5e8c02f298 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Nigusu Yenework <nyenework@microsoft.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:01:20 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 1/4] Add test Gate drops

---
 build/runsettings.proj                            |  7 +++++++
 eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml                   | 15 +++++++++++++++
 .../NuGetEndToEndTests/IVsServicesTestCase.cs     |  1 +
 3 files changed, 23 insertions(+)

diff --git a/build/runsettings.proj b/build/runsettings.proj
index 46f4d2bb0c5..51d1235f12c 100644
--- a/build/runsettings.proj
+++ b/build/runsettings.proj
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@
             Properties="RunName=NuGet.Tests.Apex;
             FileName=NuGet.Tests.Apex.dll;" />
 
+        <!-- NuGet.Tests.Apex.Canary.runsettings. use Category=Canary -->
+        <MSBuild
+            Projects="template.runsettingsproj"
+            Properties="RunName=NuGet.Tests.Apex.Gate;
+            FileName=NuGet.Tests.Apex.dll;
+            TestCaseFilter=TestCategory=Gate;" />
+
         <!-- NuGet.Tests.Apex.Daily.runsettings -->
         <MSBuild
             Projects="template.runsettingsproj"
diff --git a/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml b/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
index 41704439700..0afc07c567a 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
@@ -225,6 +225,11 @@ steps:
           Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=RunSettingsDrop]$runSettingsDrop"
           Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=RunSettingsDrop;isOutput=true]$runSettingsDrop"
 
+          # Drop tests with build number instead of build ID to make it easier to find the drop
+          $testsDrop = "Tests/${env:System_TeamProject}/${env:Build_Repository_Name}/${env:Build_SourceBranchName}/${env:Build_BuildNumber}"
+          Write-Host "Tests Drop: $testsDrop"
+          Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=TestsDrop]$testsDrop"
+
           $vsBootstrapperBranch = dotnet msbuild -getProperty:VsTargetBranch build\config.props
           Write-Host "VS Bootstrapper Branch: $vsBootstrapperBranch"
           Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=VsBootstrapperBranch;isOutput=true]$vsBootstrapperBranch"
@@ -306,6 +311,16 @@ steps:
       usePat: true
       dropMetadataContainerName: "DropMetadata-RunSettings"
 
+  - task: artifactDropTask@0
+    displayName: "Publish mirrored test drop"
+    inputs:
+      dropServiceURI: "https://devdiv.artifacts.visualstudio.com"
+      buildNumber: "$(TestsDrop)"
+      sourcePath: '$(Build.StagingDirectory)\RunSettings'
+      toLowerCase: false
+      usePat: true
+      dropMetadataContainerName: "DropMetadata-Tests"
+
   - task: PublishPipelineArtifact@1
     displayName: "Publish E2E tests"
     inputs:
diff --git a/test/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGetEndToEndTests/IVsServicesTestCase.cs b/test/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGetEndToEndTests/IVsServicesTestCase.cs
index 6b76e5caa91..d7764207d34 100644
--- a/test/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGetEndToEndTests/IVsServicesTestCase.cs
+++ b/test/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGetEndToEndTests/IVsServicesTestCase.cs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ public class IVsServicesTestCase : SharedVisualStudioHostTestClass
 
         [TestMethod]
         [Timeout(LongerTimeout)]
+        [TestCategory("Gate")]
         public void SimpleInstallFromIVsInstaller()
         {
             // Arrange

From 320f420cdbd3ceaeb56fe15716d88221b94a7e69 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Nigusu Yenework <nyenework@microsoft.com>
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:01:26 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 2/4] clean up

---
 build/runsettings.proj          |  2 +-
 eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml | 12 +++++++++---
 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/build/runsettings.proj b/build/runsettings.proj
index 51d1235f12c..c97dc1eaff8 100644
--- a/build/runsettings.proj
+++ b/build/runsettings.proj
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
             Properties="RunName=NuGet.Tests.Apex;
             FileName=NuGet.Tests.Apex.dll;" />
 
-        <!-- NuGet.Tests.Apex.Canary.runsettings. use Category=Canary -->
+        <!-- NuGet.Tests.Apex.Gate.runsettings (VS test gate - runs only [TestCategory("Gate")] tests) -->
         <MSBuild
             Projects="template.runsettingsproj"
             Properties="RunName=NuGet.Tests.Apex.Gate;
diff --git a/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml b/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
index 0afc07c567a..1d28e1bace6 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
@@ -225,8 +225,14 @@ steps:
           Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=RunSettingsDrop]$runSettingsDrop"
           Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=RunSettingsDrop;isOutput=true]$runSettingsDrop"
 
-          # Drop tests with build number instead of build ID to make it easier to find the drop
-          $testsDrop = "Tests/${env:System_TeamProject}/${env:Build_Repository_Name}/${env:Build_SourceBranchName}/${env:Build_BuildNumber}"
+          # Publish test binaries under a Tests/ drop path for VS test gate consumption
+          $manifestDropName = "${env:MicroBuild_ManifestDropName}"
+          if ($manifestDropName -and $manifestDropName -match '^Products/') {
+              $testsDrop = $manifestDropName -replace '^Products/', 'Tests/'
+          } else {
+              # Fallback for PR/dev builds where MicroBuild.ManifestDropName may not be set
+              $testsDrop = "Tests/${env:System_TeamProject}/${env:Build_Repository_Name}/${env:Build_SourceBranchName}/${env:Build_BuildNumber}"
+          }
           Write-Host "Tests Drop: $testsDrop"
           Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=TestsDrop]$testsDrop"
 
@@ -312,7 +318,7 @@ steps:
       dropMetadataContainerName: "DropMetadata-RunSettings"
 
   - task: artifactDropTask@0
-    displayName: "Publish mirrored test drop"
+    displayName: "Publish test gate drop"
     inputs:
       dropServiceURI: "https://devdiv.artifacts.visualstudio.com"
       buildNumber: "$(TestsDrop)"

From 4b880803f42a776111fb15c551744e4a45431a9c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Nigusu Yenework <nyenework@microsoft.com>
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:08:01 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 3/4] rename

---
 eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml b/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
index 1d28e1bace6..3b14917c3bd 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ steps:
       sourcePath: '$(Build.StagingDirectory)\RunSettings'
       toLowerCase: false
       usePat: true
-      dropMetadataContainerName: "DropMetadata-Tests"
+      dropMetadataContainerName: "DropMetadata-TestGate"
 
   - task: PublishPipelineArtifact@1
     displayName: "Publish E2E tests"

From 2198599ab43f672deb166ada8d95d1efee89d5d0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Nigusu Yenework <nyenework@microsoft.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:49:42 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 4/4] cleanup

---
 eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml | 10 ++--------
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml b/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
index 3b14917c3bd..08b66984453 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/vs-test/build.yml
@@ -225,14 +225,8 @@ steps:
           Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=RunSettingsDrop]$runSettingsDrop"
           Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=RunSettingsDrop;isOutput=true]$runSettingsDrop"
 
-          # Publish test binaries under a Tests/ drop path for VS test gate consumption
-          $manifestDropName = "${env:MicroBuild_ManifestDropName}"
-          if ($manifestDropName -and $manifestDropName -match '^Products/') {
-              $testsDrop = $manifestDropName -replace '^Products/', 'Tests/'
-          } else {
-              # Fallback for PR/dev builds where MicroBuild.ManifestDropName may not be set
-              $testsDrop = "Tests/${env:System_TeamProject}/${env:Build_Repository_Name}/${env:Build_SourceBranchName}/${env:Build_BuildNumber}"
-          }
+          # Test gate drop — mirrors the product drop path with Tests/ prefix so the VS gate can find it by NuGet version
+          $testsDrop = "${env:MicroBuild_ManifestDropName}" -replace '^Products/', 'Tests/'
           Write-Host "Tests Drop: $testsDrop"
           Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=TestsDrop]$testsDrop"