Creating a service blueprint

Sample blueprint for the Kubernetes applications

The sample blueprint, Kubernetes Infrastructure Blueprint, represents the Kubernetes infrastructure. You can use this blueprint to create business services to monitor Kubernetes applications, for example, Train Ticket Management System. This application is used to manage train reservations. See the following sample blueprint for the Kubernetes infrastructure:

The sample blueprint for the Kubernetes applications contains the following information:

• Start node—Is a node of Namespace type. 
• Default CI rule on the start node—Contains the following information:
  • Default filter criteria set on the start node—Indicates that the name of the namespace is added as a variable.
    This variable provides you the flexibility to specify the namespace name while creating a service by using the blueprint. According to the specified name, the entire service topology is populated.
  • Content of the namespace is required and must be included while creating a service by using this blueprint.
• Link rules—Indicate the relationship rules between different CI kind nodes.
  For example, the Collection rule between the Namespace and Deployment nodes indicates that only those deployments that are members of the namespace are considered when a service is created by using the blueprint.
• Traversal path and connected nodes—Are associated clusters, deployments, software pods, and hosts.

Use the steps described in the following procedure to create this blueprint.

Before you begin

• Understand the CIs and their relationships in the infrastructure for which you want to create a blueprint.
  For example, if you want to create a blueprint for a Kubernetes-based application, understand the namespaces, clusters, and deployments, and relationships between them.
• Identify the start node for the blueprint.
  For example, determine if the blueprint starts at the hosts, applications, ESXi servers, or network devices.

To create a blueprint by using the available CIs and their relationships

1. Log in to BMC Helix Portal and click the BMC Helix Service Modeling tile.
2. On the BMC Helix Service Modeling homepage, click Blueprints.
3. On the Service Blueprints page, click Create Service Blueprint.
4. Specify the name, description (optional), and provider (domain) details for the blueprint.
   For example, Kubernetes Infrastructure Blueprint, v1, itbiz.com or com.example.
   
5. To add the CIs, perform the following steps:
   1. On the Select CIs tab, click + Add CIs.
   2. The Add CIs page displays a list of categories and subcategories, by which you can easily search for the CIs that you want to add.
      By default, CIs are displayed for the Host and Host Containers category and the Hosts subcategory.
   3. Search for the required CIs by performing one of the following actions:
      
      • Type the name of the CIs (minimum three characters).
      • Select a category and a subcategory.
        For example, select the Cloud & Container Orchestration category and the Namespace subcategory to add a namespace CI.
   4. Select one or more CIs to add them to the blueprint.
   5. To include the CIs that are related to the selected CI, use the Include Related CIs check box.
      If you select only one CI, the check box is selected by default, which indicates that all the related CIs of the selected CI are added.

   6. (Optional) Clear the check box if you don't want to add the related CIs.
      

      Important

      • If you select multiple CIs, the Include Related CIs check box is disabled.
      • If you want to add multiple CIs with their related CIs, add one CI at a time and select the Include Related CIs check box separately for each CI.
   7. Click Add and then click Close.
   8. (Optional) Set the blueprint display option to Organic. The default setting for this option is Hierarchic.
      In the organic view, nodes are placed close to their adjacent nodes, thus saving space. In the hierarchic view, the nodes are distributed into layers. This view facilitates the identification of dependencies and relationships among the nodes.

6. Click Next Step.
   Based on the selected CI in step 5, its CI kind (Namespace) is displayed as the start node. If you have selected the Include Related CIs check box in step 5, its relationship with other CI kinds, which are represented by other nodes, is also displayed.

   A default rule is added to the start node and link rules are added between different nodes.

   • A default CI rule on the start node contains the following information:
     • Default filter criteria set on the start node indicates that the name of the namespace is added as a variable.
       This variable provides you the flexibility to specify the namespace name while creating a service by using the blueprint. According to the specified namespace, the entire service topology is populated.
     • Content of the namespace is required and must be included while creating a service by using this blueprint.
   • Link rules indicate the relationship rules between different CI kind nodes.
     For example, the Collection rule between the Namespace and Deployment nodes indicates that only those deployments that are members of the namespace are considered when a service is created by using the blueprint.

7. (Optional) Edit the default CI rule, or add more CI kinds, CI rules, and link rules if this blueprint does not meet your blueprint requirements.
   For information about adding CI kinds, CI rules, and link rules, see To create a service blueprint from CI kinds.

1. To preview the blueprint, click Next Step and select the name for the namespace in the right pane.
   The left pane shows the blueprint preview according to the selected namespace. By default, nodes of the same CI kind are grouped.
2. (Optional) Click Disable grouping by CI Kind  to ungroup the nodes.
3. Click Save to save the blueprint.
   By default, the newly created blueprint is disabled. To create a service by using a blueprint, you need to enable it.

1. To enable the blueprint preform the following steps:
   1. On the Service Blueprints page, click Show disabled.
   2. Click Actions on the blueprint that you created, and then click Enable.
      For more information, see Actions available on service blueprints.

Sample blueprint for the AppDynamics applications

The following figure illustrates a sample blueprint for an AppDynamics application infrastructure. You can use this blueprint to create business services to monitor AppDynamics applications, for example, Retail Outlet. This application is used to manage outlets in a retail chain of restaurants:

The sample blueprint for the AppDynamics applications contains the following information:

For information about creating this sample blueprint for the AppDynamics applications, see To create a service blueprint by using CI kinds and establishing relationships between them.

Blueprints user interface elements

The following image gives an overview of the key user interface elements on the Service Blueprints page:

Actions available on Service Blueprints page

On the Service Blueprints page, use buttons such as the Show disabled, Import, and Action to perform actions on the blueprints. The following table provides information about these buttons:

Where to go from here

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