Deployment of Diagrams, Modules, Metadata, and Repository Files

Overview

The deployment allows to roll out a completely tested and approved workflow system without any manual changes. When deploying selected diagrams, modules, and repository files, they are copied to one or more remote INUBIT Process Engines.

Before deploying, you can change the configuration of system connectors as well as variables mappings at modules, if these refer to static assignments.

When deploying diagrams, the variables mapping of static multi-line variables values is supported no matter if you are using the Workbench or the command line interface.

When deploying, selected diagrams, modules, and repository files are copied to one or more remote INUBIT Process Engines. When deploying diagrams and modules, all repository files referenced in the diagrams or modules are also automatically deployed, e.g. XML Schemas referenced at the diagram or module or graphics from the Repository.

More information regarding the source system and deployment is available in the deployment comment. This can be used during analysis, similar to the deploy comment of diagrams & modules.

If desired, you can deploy further linked diagrams, Unit Tests or Technical Workflows linked by Workflow Connectors during the deployment of diagrams.

You can deploy a single metadata item or all metadata in the Metatdata Manager.

Deploying via the INUBIT Workbench

Requirements

Between source and target systems, an HTTP(S) connection must exist.
On the target system, you need an account for the user (or user group) whose rights are used for the deployment procedure.
Diagrams or modules must already have been published.
Metadata must be saved.
The diagrams, modules, and repository files must belong to the same version.

Duplicate static variable mappings are not displayed in the deployment table. However, these are successfully deployed to the target system.

Proceed as follows

Depending on which objects you want to deploy, display one of the following tabs in the Designer:

Diagrams including their modules: Designer > Server
Modules: Module Editor > Server
Metadata: Administration > Metadata Manager

Repository files: Repository

Files stored in the Global directory can neither be tagged nor exported or deployed together with a special workflow tag. Furthermore, you cannot set access rights for these files. Do not store costumer- or workflow-specific data into the Global directory.

Select the directory or the object to be deployed.

For deploying all metadata, choose the menu Edit > Deploy metadata entry. Via the context menu, only the currently selected metadata is deployed.

Deploying Repository data

When selecting a group or a user node, all the tags related to the group or the user are available for deploying.
When selecting a directory node and selecting one or more files in this directory, all tags assigned to the file(s) is/are available for deploying.
When selecting a directory node and not any file, only the HEAD tag is available for deploying.
When selecting one or more files inside a directory node, all the tags corresponding to the file(s) is/are available for deploying.

Open the context menu and select Deploy. A dialog is displayed.
For deploying a selected tagged version, select the corresponding tag. By default, the head version is selected.

Only for modules:
If desired, select the following option in the Settings area:

Deploy linked repository objects
In order to deploy linked repository objects.

Selection of Deploy linked repository objects is being saved when leaving the wizard page individually for each Workbench user. The selection happens independent for each wizard (Designer, Module Editor).

Only for diagrams:
If desired, select the following options in the Settings area:

Deploy linked repository objects
In order to deploy linked repository objects.

Deploy unit tests (available only if Deploy linked repository objects is selected)
In order to deploy all Unit Tests referenced in the diagram.

Deploy linked diagrams
In order to deploy, for example, Business Process Diagrams or System Diagrams those are linked to Technical Workflows.
Deploy workflows that are connected by Workflow Connectors
In order to deploy sub-workflows.

Click Next.
→ The next dialog is displayed.

Defining Deployment Targets and Starting the Deployment

Proceed as follows

Selecting a remote INUBIT Process Engine:
1. Select the target system(s) to which the selected diagrams are to be deployed.
2. Optionally: Add further target systems with the Add Process Engine button.
3. For each system, provide the login details of a user who has read and write access rights on the target system.
4. Specify to which directory the diagrams/modules are to be deployed. You can select the user specified in step 1c, its group, its higher-level group, or one of its additional user groups on the target system. The additional user groups are displayed indented and in italic type.
5. The deployed workflows and modules are activated by default. If this should not be the case, select the option Always deactivate workflows and modules.
6. Rename deploying modules which are having the same name but different case
  If this checkbox is checked, a deploying non-system connector module is renamed by adding a hyphen and a consecutive number if a module with the same name already exists on the target system and if both names differ only by their spelling with uppercase/lowercase letters.
  Otherwise, a deploying module name is overwritten by the existing module name on the target system.
Click Next. The objects to deploy are searched. The next dialog is displayed:
- No configurable modules or variables were found:
  In the dialog, a corresponding note is displayed. Click Finish.
  The dialog closes and the diagrams are deployed. This process can take some time, depending on the number and complexity of the diagrams and the transfer rate.
- There are configurable modules or variables:
  
  You can define yourself which properties should be configurable.
  Refer to Configuring Module and System Connector Deployment.
  
  For a deployment on several target INUBIT Process Engines that only differ in their port, the respective port per target system is displayed.
  In the dialog, the module properties and variable assignments can be configured for the target system.
  If there are configurable modules (e.g. in case of configurable system connector properties), names and IDs of these are displayed in the section Module properties.
  A module which is used multiple times in the deployed workflow(s) is listed in the table only once along with the ID of the latest instance of this module.
  
  Changes to this entry will affect all other instances of this module that are deployed.
  
  Variables with static assignments that can be configured are listed in the section Variables.
  The color coding has the following meaning:
  - Black: The property is present on the target system with the same values.
  - Green: The property is not yet present on the target system.
  - Blue: The property is present on the target system with different values.
    
    Additionally, the differences between the source and target systems’ values are highlighted.
    
    You can change the font colors and the color used for highlighting. Refer to Changing INUBIT Workbench Settings.
- Changing module properties and variables for target systems
  
  To change the values of module properties and variables for a target system double-click the desired field. Additionally, you can use the following functions via the fields’ context menu:
  - Paste source system value: Copies the original value from the source system into the selected field of the target system.
  - Compare with source system value: Compares a value on the target system with the original value on the source system. This function is available if you select a target field. The result of the comparison is displayed in another dialog.
  - Set source value on all target systems: Applies the source system value to all deployment targets once you confirm the appearing dialog.
  - Compare values: Compares the field values of two systems. This function is available if you select a target system field.
Click Finish to start the deployment.
→ The dialog closes and the diagrams are deployed. This process can take some time, depending on the number and complexity of the diagrams and the transfer rate.

→ After the deployment, a deployment protocol is displayed.

Refer to Protocols.

Saving Deployment Artifacts

If the Save deployment artifacts option is activated, you can store diagrams and modules that were just deployed into the file system. If you have deployed diagrams and modules to multiple target systems, you can define for each target system individually where to store the deployed artifacts.

Refer to Allow Saving Deployment Artifacts.

Proceed as follows

After a successful deployment, a dialog opens.
Click Download.
→ A file explorer opens.
Select a target directory and a name for the zip file to be saved.
Click Save to save the artifacts.
Repeat the procedure for all target INUBIT Process Engines, which have been used for a deployment.
If all deployment artifacts for the different deployment INUBIT Process Engines have been saved, click OK to close the dialog.

Automated Deployment Using StartCLI

As an alternative to the interactive graphical deployment in the INUBIT Workbench you can use the command line tool StartCLI to let diagrams and modules deploy in an automated and script-controlled way. The automated deployment offers the same range of functions like the graphical deployment.

Refer to Automated Deployment

The automated deployment is especially useful in the following scenarios:

If many workflows/modules and settings should be deployed.
If there is no direct connection between the source server and the target server because they are located in separate networks and mutual access is not wanted.
If the persons responsible for source and target system are not identical because, for example, the development server is looked after by development and the test and production server by operations.

If needed, Virtimo AG will be happy to make example scripts available for you.

Configuring Module and System Connector Deployment

Usage

You can define which module and system connector properties should be configurable on deployment.

Refer to Changing module properties and variables for target systems

Prerequisites

You have not yet started the INUBIT Process Engine for the first time. Afterwards, you can only configure the deployment settings using the Workbench, refer to Editing Configuration Files.

Adding properties

Proceed as follows

Open the file <inubit-installdir>/server/ibis_root/conf/ibis_deploy.xml. This file lists all configurable properties.
Add the desired properties. You can add all properties which are displayed in the module’s or system connector’s Properties tab.
Save the changes and restart the INUBIT Process Engine.

Removing properties

Proceed as follows

Open the file <inubit-installdir>/server/ibis_root/conf/ibis_deploy.xml.
Remove the properties from the file which should not be configurable on deployment.
Save the changes and restart the INUBIT Process Engine.