Managing configuration of applications, topology, and infrastructure

This topic explains the general procedure you might use to define and configure the building blocks for your release process, including the environments that support your release life cycle, applications supporting the release deployment, and, finally, routes and policies that enable you to coordinate the release workflow.

These sections provide information about managing configuration of applications, topology, and infrastructure for your release:

• Overview of applications, topology, and infrastructure
• Before you begin
• High-level steps for managing configuration of applications, topology, and infrastructure
• Use case 1: Add a hardware or virtual server involved in the release process
• Use case 2: Create an environment for release deployment
• Use case 3: Create components of the release
• Use case 4: Create properties configuration
• Use case 5: Create application for the release
• Use case 6: Create environment routes and promotion policies

Before you begin

• Plan your release life cycle. Consider the following stages:
  
  • Development
  • Quality assurance (QA)
  • User acceptance
  • Deployment to production
• Plan the necessary environment, including the hardware, software, and network components, that is sufficient for the successful release deployment.
• Ensure the integration of all external systems that you are planning to use such as as build server, bug tracking system, test management system, and other.
• Based on your release life cycle model, create plan templates for your continuous integration, deployment, and release plan.
• Plan roles for your project team members. For example:
  • Release manager—schedules, coordinates, and manages releases, including application updates, patches, and security improvements
  • Environment manager—manages processes for an application within a specific environment including strategies for moving the application to another environment
  • Test engineer—uses requests to test if the product meets applicable specifications
• Plan your product support and updating, including continuous building, deploying, and updating software and environments.

High-level steps for managing configuration of applications, topology, and infrastructure

1. Develop the release plan template with the necessary stages that match your release life cycle. For example, you might have the following stages: development > performance testing > regression testing > pre-release testing > user acceptance > deployment to production.
2. Create the infrastructure for every release stage. You might have several servers for front end, back end, database, and other. Add every server that you plan to use with your application to the BMC Release Process Management using the procedure described in the Use case 1: Add a hardware or virtual server involved in the release process.
3. Create software components that are necessary for release delivery and for the application operation in the target environment (use the procedure described in Use case 3: Create components of the release.
4. Create the environments to support your release lifecycle. You might need separate environment for development, quality assurance, user acceptance testing, and production.
   
   In BMC Release Process Management, an environment groups all the infrastructure elements required for the application deployment on the particular stage of the release life cycle.
   
   Your typical environment might contain several physical or virtual servers, hosted applications that are necessary for the successful deployment and operation of the released software (for example, web servers, application servers, database servers, and legacy applications), specific configuration settings for these servers and hosted applications, and, finally, the network infrastructure that enables connectivity between the servers and hosted applications (for example, firewalls, SAN Storage, or network switches). 
   
   You can assign opened or closed deployment policy to your environments. With opened deployment policy, you can access the environment at any time, except the time frame of the associated prevent deployment windows. With closed deployment policy, you can access the environment only during the time frame of the associated allow deployment window. For more information about managing the access to your environments with deployment windows, see Managing-deployment-windows.
   
   
5. Create the application and select the servers it should be deploy-able to.
6. Create deployment windows for the application environments.
   Deployment window is a calendar event that allows or prevents the application deployment to a particular environment based on the environment deployment policy. You can create single deployment window events or create series of deployment windows.

Use case 1: Add hardware servers or virtual server involved in the release process

Create all the servers necessary for your release process on all phases.

For more information, see Managing servers.

Use case 2: Create environments for release deployment

Create environments that you are planning to use during your product release life cycle.

For more information, see Managing environments.

Use case 3: Create components of the release 

1. Create all the components necessary for your release process on all phases.

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   To create components for an application

   1. In BMC Release Process Management, on the Applications tab, click the appropriate application name.
   2. Click add/remove components.
       The Add/Remove Components dialog box appears.
   3. Click create new component one time for each component that you want to add.
   4. Enter a name for each component in the displayed fields.
   5. Click Save.
       The new components are added to the list of components.

   For more information, see  Managing components.

2. Create and then assign properties to the components

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   To create a property

   1. From the Environments tab, click Properties, and then click Create Property.
   2. In Name, enter a name for the property.
   3. In Default Value, enter a list of the property values separated by comma.
      • You can enter numbers as the property values.
      • If you want to leave the field blank, enter a comma.
   4. From the Components Assignment list, select the components to which to assign the property.

   5. (For a property that follows a server/server level only) Click show at the left of the Server Assignment and select the servers to which to assign the property.

      Note

      If your release requires server levels, select the check boxes of the required server levels from the Server Levels field.

   6. (To allow modification of the property value during task creation or execution) From the Property Entry Assignment pane:
      1. Click show at the left of the Property Entry Assignment pane
      2. From the Work Tasks for Creation list, select the work tasks for which you want to allow the property value changes during the request creation.
      3. From the Work Tasks for Execution list, select the work tasks for which you want to allow the property value changes during the request execution.
   7. Click Create.

   For more information, see Managing properties.

3. Map components to external objects.

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   To map a component to an external object

   1. On the Applications tab, click an application in the list.
   2. In the list of components, click the Map link next to the component that you want to map with an external object. 
   3. On the Map Component to an External Object dialog box, provide the following details:
      1. Select an integration server from the list available for Select Target Server.
          This list displays the integration servers that you created previously to integrate various external systems. You must select the integration server that you created to integrate with the external system to which you want to connect to perform this mapping.

      2. Select the resource automation script from the list.
         
          This list is available only after you select an integration server. You must select the resource automation script that you created for the purpose of mapping. For more information, see Creating-resource-automation-scripts.

          

         Notes

         • The resource automation script that you select must have its Maps to option set to Component.
         • You can use one integration server at a time to create a single mapping with an external object.

         While selecting the integration server and the resource automation script, you might see multiple objects that are automatically generated. The objects that you see and the output in which you see them (whether a tree or a list of objects) depends on the resource automation script that you selected. The resource automation script retrieves data about the external objects and provides it to you so that you can select one of them for mapping with a component.

   4. Click Save Mapping to save your changes.
   5. To modify or delete the mapping that you previously created, perform the following steps:
      1. Click Edit Map next to the component under the Actions column.
      2. On the Map Component to an External Object dialog box in the Select Target Server list, select the integration server for which you want to make changes or delete the mapping.
      3. Select the same resource automation script that you used to create the mapping.
         The current mapping is displayed.
      4. Modify your mapping and click Save Mapping.
      5. To delete the mapping, click Delete Mapping and then click OK.

   For more information about mapping components with component templates of BMC Application Automation, see Mapping-components-with-component-templates.

   For more information, see Managing components.

Use case 4: Create properties configuration

1. Create a property, and assign components or servers to the property

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   To create a property

   1. From the Environments tab, click Properties, and then click Create Property.
   2. In Name, enter a name for the property.
   3. In Default Value, enter a list of the property values separated by comma.
      • You can enter numbers as the property values.
      • If you want to leave the field blank, enter a comma.
   4. From the Components Assignment list, select the components to which to assign the property.

   5. (For a property that follows a server/server level only) Click show at the left of the Server Assignment and select the servers to which to assign the property.

      Note

      If your release requires server levels, select the check boxes of the required server levels from the Server Levels field.

   6. (To allow modification of the property value during task creation or execution) From the Property Entry Assignment pane:
      1. Click show at the left of the Property Entry Assignment pane
      2. From the Work Tasks for Creation list, select the work tasks for which you want to allow the property value changes during the request creation.
      3. From the Work Tasks for Execution list, select the work tasks for which you want to allow the property value changes during the request execution.
   7. Click Create.

   For more information, see Managing properties.

2. Allow to modify property value during the work task or request creation or execution.
   
   

   (click here to expand):

   To create a property

   1. From the Environments tab, click Properties, and then click Create Property.
   2. In Name, enter a name for the property.
   3. In Default Value, enter a list of the property values separated by comma.
      • You can enter numbers as the property values.
      • If you want to leave the field blank, enter a comma.
   4. From the Components Assignment list, select the components to which to assign the property.

   5. (For a property that follows a server/server level only) Click show at the left of the Server Assignment and select the servers to which to assign the property.

      Note

      If your release requires server levels, select the check boxes of the required server levels from the Server Levels field.

   6. (To allow modification of the property value during task creation or execution) From the Property Entry Assignment pane:
      1. Click show at the left of the Property Entry Assignment pane
      2. From the Work Tasks for Creation list, select the work tasks for which you want to allow the property value changes during the request creation.
      3. From the Work Tasks for Execution list, select the work tasks for which you want to allow the property value changes during the request execution.
   7. Click Create.

   For more information, see Managing properties.

Use case 5: Create application for the release

1. Create application for the release

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   To create an application

   1. In the BMC Release Process Management user interface, click Dashboard > My Applications.
   2. Click Create Application.
   3. On the Applications page, enter the name of your application in the Name field
   4. (Optional) Enter the version number of your application in the App version field.
   5. Click Create.

   To see the new application, click the Applications tab.

   For more information about applications, see Managing applications.

2. Add environments that the application will go through during the release process

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   To create a new environment

   1. Go to Environment > Environments, and click the Add a new environment on the right.
   2. Enter a name for the new environment.
   3. From the Environment type list, select the environment type.
   4. From the Deployment policy list, select the deployment policy for the environment.
      • Select Opened to create an environment with opened deployment policy.
      • Select Closed to create an environment with closed deployment policy.
   5. Add servers and server groups that you want to associate with your environment.
   6. Click Create.

   Note

   Alternatively, you can add environments under Dashboard > My Applications, by clicking the application name to which you want to add a new environment. Click the add/remove environments link, and then click the create new environment link. However, in this case you cannot assign the environment to the desired environment type.

   For more information about environments, see Managing environments.

3. Add components

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   To create components for an application

   1. In BMC Release Process Management, on the Applications tab, click the appropriate application name.
   2. Click add/remove components.
       The Add/Remove Components dialog box appears.
   3. Click create new component one time for each component that you want to add.
   4. Enter a name for each component in the displayed fields.
   5. Click Save.
       The new components are added to the list of components.

   For more information about components, see Managing components.

4. Associate components with the environments

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   To associate components with environments

   1. From Dashboard > My Applications or from the Applications tab, click the relevant application name.
   2. To copy all component associations from one environment to any number of target environments, perform the following actions:
      1. Click the source environment to expand it and display its list of associated components.
      2. Click Clone Environment Components under the list of components.
      3. Select the target environments (to which to copy component associations), and then click Save.
   3. To associate individual components with a single environment, perform the following actions:
      1. Click the target environment to expand it and display its list of associated components.
      2. Drag each component that you want to associate from the components list on the right, and drop it on the list of environment components on the left.
   4. To remove a component from the list of components associated with an environment (in the environment's expanded display), click the Remove installed component icon in the right-most column, and then click OK.

   For more information, see Associating-components-with-environments.

An application might have a three-tier architecture. In this case, an example of a component could be an application server, a database, and a load balancer.

Use case 6: Create environment routes, promotion policies, and deployment windows 

1. Create routes to determine the order in which environments are accessed by the application.

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   To create a route

   1. Open the Applications tab.
   2. Click Create Application to create a new application, or click the name of the existing application for which you want to create a route.

   3. Open the Routes tab.

      Note

      The default route is created automatically. It contains environments which are associated with the application. You can view it by clicking either the Edit link, or the default route name.

   4. To create a new route, click the Create Route button located to the right. 
   5. Enter the route name and description, and then click Create.
   6. From the Available Environments table, select the environments which you want to assign to the route, and then click Add Selected.

   • Based on the environment type, environments are automatically assigned to the appropriate route via the route gates. For more information, see Managing-environment-types. You can rearrange the route gates by dragging the environmnents and dropping them in the desired order.

   • If in the Available Environments table there are no environments to select, return to the application details page under Applications > Apps, and click the add/remove environments link to add the environments to your application.
     
     

     Note

     • Based on the environment type, environments are automatically assigned to the appropriate route via the route gates. For more information, see Managing-environment-types. You can rearrange the route gates by dragging the environmnents and dropping them in the desired order.
     • If in the Available Environments table there are no environments to select, return to the application details page under Applications > Apps, and click the add/remove environments link to add the environments to your application.

   For more information, see Managing routes.

2. Create a plan template to structure the release plan of your software.

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   To create a plan template

   1. Click Environment > Metadata > Manage Plan Templates.
   2. Click the Create Plan Template link on the right.
   3. In the Name field, enter the name of your template.
   4. From the list in the Template type field, select the template type.
   5. Click Create.
   6. To complete the plan template formation, click the Add stage link below the plan and add as many stages as required.

   For more information, see Managing plans.

3. Add stages (Development, QA, Staging, Production etc.) to the plan template

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   For more information, see Managing plans.

4. Create plan to organize the software release process
   
   

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   To create a plan

   1. From the Plans page, click Create Plan.
   2. From the Plan Template list, select a template, depending on the type before creating a plan.
   3. In the Plan Name field, type a plan name.
   4. From the Release Manager list, select the release manager name.
   5. Select the required check boxes from the Teams field.
   6. Select release tag from the Release tag list.

   7. Select a release date from the Release Date field.

      Note

      If you click Edit Plan Details after you have created the plan, the release tag and the release date that you select appear as defaults. They also appear as defaults when you want to add a request to the plan.

   8. Enter a release description in the Release Description field.

   For more information, see Managing plans.

5. Add routes to a plan.

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   1. Click Create Plan to create a new plan, or click the name of the existing plan to which you want to add a route.
   2. Click the Assign App Route button located to the right.
   3. Select the desired application from the *App list.
   4. Select the desired route from the *Route list.

   5. Click Add.
      The Routes tab opens, with the plan stages mapped with the application route environments.

      
      

      Note

      Route gate constraints validate the compliance of the request environments to the plan stage route gates. Route gates are mapped to the plan stages according to the environment types of the route gate environments. For more information about route gates, see Managing-routes.

   6. You can change the default (automatic) route gate assignment to plan stages.
      
      

   Warning

   After adding a route to a plan you cannot reopen the completed request, if the environment of the request does not match the environment specified in a route.

   For more information, see Managing plans.

6. Create a plan run to assemble requests from different applications and different environments in an executable flow

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   To create a plan run

   1. Click the Plans tab.
       The plans list opens.
   2. Click the plan to open it.
   3. Select the stage containing requests for which you need to create the run.
   4. Click Create Run.
       The Create Run dialog box opens.

   5. Enter the details in the fields.

      Note

      Only the Name and Owner fields are required. The rest of the fields are optional. 

   6. (Optional) Enable the automatic promotion of run to the next plan stage. To make the run promote automatically after successful completion of all the requests in the run, select the Auto promote check box. Otherwise, you can promote the run manually.
   7. Click Create.
   8. After you create the run, you can perform the following tasks (the buttons are associated with each stage):
      • Reorder run (Click the Reorder run tab and then drag and drop the requests.)
      • Plan run
      • Cancel run
      • Hold a run
      • Delete a run
      • Add and remove a request from a run

      • System can automatically put run in problem or complete status based on child request status

        Note

        When all the requests go into the Complete state, the run is finished.

   For more information, see Managing-plan-runs.

7. Create deployment windows or deployment windows series to manage the access to the environments.