If you have a large code base, you can optimize your build time for Integration Builds by building only the class libraries that have changed since the last build.
This is done by editing the build project file for your incremental builds.
1. Locate your build project file in Team Foundation Version Control:
<Server Name> - <Project Name> - TeamBuildTypes - <Build Definition Name> - TFSBuild.proj
2. Add the following lines to the end:
<PropertyGroup>
<SkipClean>true</SkipClean>
<SkipInitializeWorkspace>true</SkipInitializeWorkspace>
<ForceGet>false</ForceGet>
</PropertyGroup>
SkipClean: When true, skips the clean of a solution before building it.
SkipInitializeWorkspace: When true, skips the deletion and recreation of the workspace
ForceGet: Gets all files from source control regardless of status. Set to false to retrieve only the changed files.
If you are doing incremental builds for your continuous integration builds, it is good practice to have another build definition that rebuilds your entire solution run for the Daily Build.