Working with Deployment Targets

As an Administrator you set up Deployment Targets to deploy Application Components.

As an Operator, the Installations list helps you track the installation status of your Applications by providing an overview of the Components that are installed on the Deployment Targets, the Artifacts deployed (if any), and other entities used for the deployment.

As an Application Developer, you can use the Auto-Discovering Custom Properties of Deployment Targets feature to save time and effort when working with Application servers, because you do not have to wait for the Application server administrator to provide configuration information.

Important! The actions that you can perform depend on your folder permissions. See: Assigning Release Automation Permissions.

This page includes the following:

Viewing Deployment Targets

Deployment Targets are managed within the Deployment Target section of the Release Automation perspective.

From the Deployment Targets list you can:

Also, the Related tab of an Application displays its related Environments and Deployment Targets.

Tip: For more information about how search for entities and narrow down the results, see Advanced Search.

Viewing Deployment Target Installations

Accessing Installations

  1. Open the Release Automation perspective.
  2. Click the Deployment Targets tab.
  3. Right-click a Deployment Target and select Go to details > Installations.

Installations List

The view presents the following columns:

Defining Custom Views

You can define custom views for Deployment Targets as described in the Custom Views section. Beside the custom properties; depending on the Deployment Target type, you can select different system properties to be used in the filters (for example, name, type, status...).

Creating Deployment Targets

You can create single and multiple Deployment Targets from the Deployment Targets list. This topic describes both methods.

Creating a Single Deployment Target

  1. There are three starting points to create Deployment Targets:
    • From the Deployment Targets tab In the Navigator pane.
    • From the Deployment Targets tab of a Stack. In this case, the Deployment Target is associated with the Stack. For more information, see: Working with Stacks
    • From the Deployment Target Templates tab of a Stack Template. In this case, the Deployment Target is associated with the Stack Template. For more information, see: Working with Stack Templates
  2. Click the Create button in the toolbar. The Create Deployment Target dialog is displayed.
  3. Enter a unique Deployment Target name. The name can only contain alphanumeric characters, blanks, ".", "-", "_", "@", "$", "#".
  4. Select the Deployment Target type.

    Note: You can set the type only during creation. It is not possible to change it afterwards.

  5. Select the folder where you want to save the Deployment Target.

    Note: Avoid folder names containing a period character. Period characters may cause ambiguity in Application Workflows.

  6. Select the owner of the Deployment Target.
  7. Click Assign Agent to select an agent or agent group from the list.

    Note: This field is only visible if the Deployment Target is created from the Navigator Pane or from a Stack.

    Important! Application Workflows can be executed on Agents and Agent Groups. General Workflows, however, can only run on Agents. For more information, see: Workflows.

  8. Click Create.

Creating Multiple Deployment Targets

For the process of creating multiple deployment targets an existing deployment target is used as template. The created deployment targets are of the same type as the template and may copy properties, dynamic properties and deployment handler. All agent information will not be carried over. Status, ownership, and environment assignments will not be copied from the template but set during Step 3.

  1. Click the Deployment Targets tab in the Navigator pane.
  2. Click the Create Multiple button in the toolbar. The Create Multiple Deployment Targets - Select Template wizard is displayed.
  3. Click Select template and select the deployment target that will serve as template. Once the deployment target has been selected, the type is automatically selected.
  4. Click Next to navigate to step 2.

    The Copy From Template screen shows properties that may be carried over from the template. The user is free to choose whether all or no properties and dynamic properties should be copied. By default, all options are checked. Property values of the type Identity will not be copied.

  5. Clear the entities which shall not be copied.
  6. Click Next to navigate to Step 3.

    In the Settings screen, set the properties that are to be used for every deployment target created at the end of the process.

  7. Set the status the deployment targets are to be created with.
  8. Select a destination folder.
  9. Assign an owner for the deployment targets.
  10. To assign an Environment, click Add To Environment. Select the Environment in the popup.

    Note: Environment assignments are optional.

  11. Click Next to navigate to Step 4.
  12. Select all agents or agent groups for which deployment targets should be created.

    Note: All available agents and agent Groups which are not connected to deployment targets yet are displayed in the list.

    Important! Application Workflows can be executed on Agents and Agent Groups. General Workflows, however, can only run on Agents. For more information, see: Workflows.

  13. Click Next to navigate to Step 5.

    The Names table displays all agents that were selected in the previous step. The Deployment Target Name column shows the name of the agent that is inserted per default.

  14. If you want the deployment target to be named differently than the agent, you can simply type the requested deployment target name.
  15. If you want to create more deployment targets without any agents, click the Add additional deployment targets link. A text box is shown where deployment target names can be entered.
  16. When clicking the create button two possible outcomes may occur:
    • A warning icon and a list of deployment target names is shown. In this case, some deployment target names are not unique. Rename the affected deployment targets and click Create again.
    • The deployment targets are created. Agents are automatically assigned to the deployment targets from the table, deployment target names that are inserted in the text box are created without any agents.
  17. Click Create to create the new deployment targets.

Editing the Properties of Deployment Targets

Defining Dynamic Properties

Deployment targets allow you to define dynamic properties that can be used in deployments in the General / Dynamic Properties section. See About Properties for details.

The following system defined dynamic properties are available in addition to the custom dynamic properties and the custom properties (in the /custom namespace):

Deleting Deployment Targets

Right-click the entity and select Delete.

Note: You may only delete the entity when you have the appropriate permission on the containing folder (see Security Concept in CDA) and all of the listed conditions are met.

Conditions to delete entities of type DeploymentTarget

Note: Entities provisioned via a Blueprint cannot be deleted independently. This action can only be triggered if the related Environment is deprovisioned.

Duplicating Deployment Targets

  1. Execute the Duplicate Deployment Target action in the toolbar.
  2. Optionally, enter a new name for the Deployment Target.
  3. Select a folder to store the target.
  4. Select an owner.
  5. Check whether you want to carry over environment assignments (preselected by default)

    A deployment target name can only contain alphanumeric characters, blanks, ".", "-", "_", "@", "$", "#".

Note: In case an agent is set, a warning is shown, which informs you that this data will not be copied. You have to set it manually after duplication.

The following information is copied:

Information that won't be copied:

After creation, you are redirected to the properties page of the new deployment target.

Auto-Discovering Custom Properties of Deployment Targets

The custom properties of a specific Deployment Target type (for example: home directory, ports or management connections) can be automatically identified and imported into a new Deployment Target definition, which helps you save time and manual effort. These properties can be edited at a later point in time.

Requirements

To Auto-Discover Custom Properties of Deployment Targets

  1. Execute the Discover action in the toolbar.
  2. Enter the Deployment Target type for which you want to discover the custom properties.
  3. Assign a Login Object and one or more Agents (HOST) or Agent Groups (HOSTG).

    Important! Application Workflows can be executed on Agents and Agent Groups. General Workflows, however, can only run on Agents. For more information, see: Workflows.

  4. Click Start Discovery to start the discovery process.
  5. Optionally, open the notification to follow the process in the Process Monitoring perspective (for multiple agents) or Workflow Monitor (for one single agent).
  6. When the process is completed, you are prompted to select one or more Deployment Targets that match with the type you have previously selected.
  7. Click Create Targets.

Depending on the server selected, different values are added to the new Deployment Target.

Deployment Target Best Practices

Users should be able to identify which agent/server, environment, and optionally component the deployment target is assigned to. It should also have a short description of the technology deployed to this node.

Naming Conventions

All deployment targets must have a unique name. The following naming conventions are recommended:

Viewing Environments to Which a Deployment Target is Assigned

In the General / Environments view, all Environments to which the current Deployment Target is assigned are displayed.

For each Environment the following information is displayed:

Notes: