By Larry Barker
In the realm of HCL Domino application development, Teamstudio CIAO! has consistently been recognized as a premier tool for version management. At first glance, its foundational features indeed center around this function. However, what many may not realize is that CIAO! transcends mere version control.
Designed to complement our Build Manager release management solution, CIAO! is also capable of facilitating the deployment of HCL Domino applications. Over recent releases of CIAO!, we have strategically incorporated essential capabilities from Build Manager. This integration allows users to explore release management features without necessitating a full Build Manager deployment.
The promotion capabilities in CIAO! equip developers and administrators with tools for standardizing and automating the deployment of standard Domino applications. This ensures consistent builds while maintaining a streamlined configuration process.
Release Management Under CIAO!
CIAO! parallels Build Manager's methodology, guiding those overseeing HCL Domino application promotions into the realm of release management. Here, we establish what we term as 'Promotion Paths' or pipelines. These paths integrate multiple build steps, ushering our application seamlessly through different stages of the software development lifecycle. For a comprehensive grasp of our Domino Deployment Pipelines approach, we recommend a brief perusal of our previous Build Manager article on the subject: Building Pipelines for HCL Domino Application Deployment.
The key difference with the Build Manager features included within CIAO! are the limitation of which 'Build Steps' are available within Promotion Paths and the exclusion of advanced features such as Template Registry, Background Promotions, and API automation. Promotion Paths within CIAO! are used to transition and prepare applications for a specific operational environment, usually a target Domino server. They typically comprise steps orientated towards release tasks that ensure the application is properly prepared for and deployed within the target environment.
Creating a Promotion Path Within CIAO!
There are several steps involved with creating promotion paths within CIAO! You need to configure a promotion path document, create and name the promotion path, enter the copy settings, and select the promotion options.
Example CIAO! Promotion Path Document.
For detailed guidance, please consult: Building a Promotion Path.
For each of your monitored applications, you can design multiple promotion paths, tailoring pipelines for specific purposes. After establishing a promotion path document, you can then expand upon it using any of the eleven provided Build Manager build actions:
Design Audit – Calls Teamstudio Analyzer and checks the design of the source template against your coding and look-and-feel standards.
Make Version – Calls Teamstudio CIAO! and makes a controlled version of the design template.
ACL Settings – Sets the general ACL and specific ACL entries for the promoted template.
Database Properties – Allows the title, categories, inherited from template name and master template name to be set, cleared or left alone. Also, version information such as the Template Version, Name and Date as well as the $TemplateBuild shared field can be edited.
Copy Database – Allows another copy of the source template to be made and placed in a different location.
Search and Replace – Calls Teamstudio Configurator allowing a search and replace to be done as part of the build. This is an excellent way to stamp user-visible elements of the design with the version number and the date of creation.
Compile LotusScript – Allows the compilation of all LotusScript or specific LotusScript elements within a promoted template as part of the build.
Element Properties – Allows the Prohibit Design Refresh flag, Propagate Prohibition flag, Design Element Inheritance option and Design Element Comment field to be edited.
Sign Database – Allows the design (or database) to be signed with a specific or stored ID as part of the build.
Refresh/Replace Design – Allows one or more target databases to have their designs refreshed or replaced with the promoted template.
Email Notification – Can be used to send email messages to individuals and/or groups at one or more points in a promotion.
Considering the desired deployment actions, one can systematically configure the promotion paths with the requisite steps, sequenced based on specific objectives. This can be accomplished by selecting the 'Promotion Path' parent document and determining which build action is appropriate for inclusion in the pipeline. For instance, should there be a preference for an automated 'Make Version' during the promotion from the development environment, one can select the pertinent path and subsequently opt for the 'Make Version' step from the 'Create' action dropdown menu.
Establish CIAO! Build Steps via the 'Create' dropdown menu.
Once you have gone through the process of configuring any of your desired build steps you will be left with a fully structured promotion pipeline that may be used to perform an automated, one-click release. CIAO! will systematically initiate each of your preconfigured actions sending out notifications and logging all actions performed as part of the application release. For detailed instructions on the overall approach please refer to our CIAO! Promotion Path documentation.
Example of a fully configured CIAO! Promotion Path and related Build Steps.
If you've been using Teamstudio CIAO! primarily for version control, we earnestly encourage you to delve deeper into its capabilities. By doing so, you can explore automated DevOps release mechanisms and discover the convenience of “magical”, one-click builds. If your appetite grows for even more advanced features, hey presto, Build Manager awaits, boasting a richer set of functionalities!