Using the launchpad

With the system launchpad, you can manage and deploy content at a high-level view, not exposing the details unless you choose to do so. The launchpad provides easy access to all parts of the system with a drag-and-drop interface.

To access the launchpad:

1. Click the Deploy tab.
2. Click Launchpad in the left menu.

The following image shows the Launchpad screen:

Launchpad screen on the Deploy tab

Most of the sections on the launchpad support interactions between each other. The Statistics section is the only static section. You can drag and drop images between the sections. When you click and hold an image, the sections where you can drop the image are highlighted in green.

The Current Deployments section shows all active deployments. This section shows all instances currently in a route. This list also includes any instances that have completed their routes and which are completed in the last 30 days by default. You can change the default setting by navigating to System > Settings > Dashboard Instance Age and changing the default setting value. This section also shows the current environment, the status, and the next environment (if any) for that instance. The instance names are links to their deployment results pages. You can drag and drop an instance image to the Inspector section to examine that deployment.

The Repositories section lists all current repositories. When you select the image for a repository, you can:

• Create a manageable instance from that repository by dragging it to the Instances tab.
• Drop that repository straight to a route.
• Inspect the contents of that repository by dropping it in the Inspector section.

The Packages section lists all current packages. When you select the image for a package, you can:

• Create a manageable instance from that package by dragging it to the Instances tab.
• Drop that package straight to a route (in which case, an instance is created, and when it completes, is queued for deployment).
• Inspect the contents of that package by dropping it in the Inspector section.

The Instances section lists all current manageable instances or instances that have not yet entered a deployment route. This section has an Instance image and a Cloned Instance image. You can drop either image into the Routes section or Inspector section:

• When you drop an Instance image into the Routes section onto a route's drop target (discussed below), the instance is no longer manageable.
• When you drop a Cloned Instance image into the Routes section onto a route's drop target, the system clones the associated instance, deploys the clone, and leaves the instance manageable.

The Routes section shows all available routes. Each route has a drop target image (to the left of the route) and a Route image (to the right of the route) you can drag to the Inspector section. Dropping an item from the Packages, Repositories, or Instances sections to a route's drop target deploys that item to the route automatically. Dragging the Route image to the Inspector section displays information about each environment in that route currently, including the deployment success rate, average deployment time, and the number of deployments currently in that environment.

The Statistics section displays information that includes:

• Total average deployment time
• Total success rate
• Total deployments with the number of active deployments in parentheses
• Number of deployment log records
• Number of instances
• Average instance size

The Inspector section, on the right of the launchpad, is an all-purpose drop target for content from the other sections. You can drag and drop items from any of the tabs here to view details about that tab. The only images you cannot drag-and-drop to the Inspector section are the route drop targets (the blue and white images to the left of the routes). Dropping an Instance image from the Current Deployments section displays links for lower-level pages, as well as more information about that deployment (such as start time, duration, owner, current route, and whether it is a deployment or removal process). It also shows progress through the route. Depending on the status of the current deployment, different links are displayed.