UrbanCode Deploy & ServiceNow integration Part 1

In this post I’m going to show you how to integrate UrbanCode Deploy and the cloud-based IT Service Management (ITSM) platform ServiceNow.

We can orchestrate deployments from ServiceNow by invoking outbound UCD REST services, as well as configure UCD to call ServiceNow to create, update changes, incidents, tasks, or other ServiceNow table records.

For my purpose, I’ve used the ServiceNow Developer Program who provides developers with resources to learn, build and deploy applications on the ServiceNow platform.

I’ve used “New York” ServiceNow version. Things can change if you use a different version.

Additionally, I’ve installed the ServiceNow plugin on UCD which allows to easily perform CRUD (create, read, update and delete) operations on records with convenient steps such as check and query records.

Continue readingUrbanCode Deploy & ServiceNow integration Part 1

UrbanCode Deploy Blueprint Designer Create and provision new environments in the cloud

The Blueprint Designer is a separately-installed component that is included with the UrbanCode Deploy product suite.

While UrbanCode Deploy drives deployment automation of applications into existing environments, Blueprint Designer creates and provisions new environments in the cloud.

Blueprint Designer Licensing
The UrbanCode Blueprint Designer does not require separate or extra licenses. It can be used with all UrbanCode Deploy license scenarios.

Blueprint Designer provides a design tool to create full-stack environments using standard orchestration technologies, including OpenStack Heat and Terraform.

This post shows the OpenStack Heat orchestration. Terraform will be discussed later. Continue readingUrbanCode Deploy Blueprint Designer Create and provision new environments in the cloud

Create a UrbanCode Deploy Cluster using AWS

Let’s see how to install and configure a 2 node uDeploy cluster with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

First of all create 2 Linux Instances (if you are asking why not Microsoft Windows Server you can stop reading and go for a walk).

Choose your region and click on EC2, then “Launch Instance”:

Click next until “Configure Security Group”, then choose a name for your group like “uDeploy” and add rules to open inbound ports: 22, 8443, 7918, 7919 and 2049 like fig. below:

Continue reading “Create a UrbanCode Deploy Cluster using AWS”

Safe Edit in UrbanCode Deploy by Steve Boone

In this video Steve Boone, Product Owner and Development Manager for IBM Urban Code Deploy, show us a new useful feature of uDeploy:

To enable this feature go to Settings -> System Settings -> Component Settings and turn on:

Enable Safe Edit of Component Processes

and

Require Approval to Promote Component Process

Have a nice day!

Acquire Lock with UrbanCode Deploy on IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment Environment

Who works everyday with IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment knows a state of facts: Different users cannot make changes on a WAS DM Cell at the same time.

Let’s look at how it can be possible acquire an exclusive lock on a WAS DM Cell with IBM UrbanCode Deploy.

We have two different applications on the same WAS DM Cell and we want to deploy both without worrying about which deploy start first.

Create everything you need on uDeploy: Applications, Components, Component Process, Application Process, Resources and Environments as in the figures below:

Environment Name: WAS85 STAGING
First Application: Pet Store

Pay Attention: The environment name is: WAS85 STAGING. I’ll put this name for every application is running into my WAS DM Cell of Staging.

Continue readingAcquire Lock with UrbanCode Deploy on IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment Environment

UrbanCode Deploy & JIRA Integration Part Two

In the first part of “UrbanCode Deploy & JIRA Integration” post we left us with an unsolved question.

How to pass a Jira issue nr. (issue_id) to the application process flow?

Application Process Properties is the solution.

Go to Applications -> “Your Application” -> Processes -> “Your Application Process” -> Configuration -> Application Process Properties

Create the property: issue_id

Now run the process:

Continue readingUrbanCode Deploy & JIRA Integration Part Two

UrbanCode Deploy & JIRA Integration Part One

Today I’m going to show you how to integrate UrbanCode Deploy with the well-known Atlassian Issue Tracking System Jira.

First of all we need the UrbanCode Deploy JIRA plugin .

Once downloaded and installed we will find a new menu item:  Issue tracking ->Jira Plugin into our step palette:

We will use, in particular, the Transition Issue step to put “IN PROGRESS” an open task and then, at the end of our Application Process flow, put the task in “DONE” status.

Continue readingUrbanCode Deploy & JIRA Integration Part One

Export and Import uDeploy Component or Application

Sometimes it might be useful to export resources like Components or Applications from a uDeploy installation and import to another one.

Let’s see how to do it and what problem we could deal with:

First of all let’s export our Component.

Click “Actions” beside the Component, then  click “Export“.

Save your .json file

In the other uDeploy installation,  go to Components, click  the “Import Components” button and upload the .json file exported before.

At this point you could receive an import error.

Watch the uDeploy Server log. Can you see something like this?

2018-02-22 15:52:43,956 CET ERROR https-jsse-nio-0.0.0.0-8444-exec-9 com.urbancode.commons.util.crypto.algs.Crypt1Alg - Did not find any decoding key for name abc123keyxxx
2018-02-22 15:52:43,956 CET ERROR https-jsse-nio-0.0.0.0-8444-exec-9 com.urbancode.ds.web.util.UCDExceptionMapper - The import data contains encrypted values which could not be decrypted. Please ensure that the encryption key from the server which created this file has been added to this server.
com.urbancode.air.i18n.TranslatableException: The import data contains encrypted values which could not be decrypted. Please ensure that the encryption key from the server which created this file has been added to this server 

Continue reading “Export and Import uDeploy Component or Application”