Release Management Dashboard Tool

Overview

The Release Management Dashboard tool makes promoting releases to different Unqork environments easy. You can take your creations from one environment to the next, whether you're moving from testing or staging to QA or preprod to prod. Before you start, take a look at the tool's features:

• The tool lets you create releases with one or more applications including their modules and data collections. That way, you can group releases and save yourself some time.

• Detailed release information makes it easier to search for your releases. With the Release Management Dashboard tool, you can keep your promotions organized.

• If your application breaks, the tool lets you roll back to a previous release. Then you can troubleshoot an issue without removing a working application from production.

Release Management Dashboard Tool Access

This tool requires Creators Also known as Unqork users; anyone who is inside the Unqork platform. to have specific role access in Environment Role RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) or WSRBAC (Workspaces Role-Based Access Control.

If using Environment Roles (not using WSRBAC):

• Creator roles can view all data in this tool.

If using WSRBAC:

• Creators must have at least Can View access to access this tool.

• Creators must have Can Manage access for the appropriate workspaces.

What You'll Learn

In this article, you’ll learn how to:

• Navigate the Release Dashboard.

• Use the Release Dashboard's filters.

• Navigate your release documentation.

• View the details of your release's applications, modules, and data collections.

• Create a release.

• Make changes to a release.

• Roll back a release to a previous version.

• Restore a release to a previous version.

Navigating the Release Dashboard

To view the details of a release, use the Release Dashboard. The table shows a maximum of 10 entries at a time. Click the pagination buttons below the table to see more entries. To the right of each table entry, you’ll see a View button. Clicking this button shows the release details, the release's applications, and lets you roll back the release.

You can see what the dashboard looks like below:

Using the Release Dashboard's Filters

The dashboard has 7 filters to help you find a release. You can use any or all these filters, depending on how specific you want to be. As you enter text into the fields, the results display automatically. To clear all fields, click the funnel icon to the far right. Here are the filters:

Filter	Description
Environment	This is the environment the release exists after promotion.
Version	The release's version number.
Name	The release's name.
User	The person who promoted the release.
Date	The date the release was promoted.
Applications	The release's applications.
Status	The release's status.

Navigating the Release Documentation

Once you find your release, click the View button to display your release's details. This page shows details like:

• Release client
• Release environment
• Release version
• Release name
• Release notes
• All applications in the release
• Release status of each application of the release
• Options to promote, roll back, or restore the release

Here's an example of what you'll see when you view your release details:

Viewing the Release Details

Each application in your release has a View Details button associated with it. Click this button and a pop-up displays. At the top of the pop-up, you'll see the name of your release and its path in brackets. In the pop-up, you'll also see a set of tables:

• The first table lists all the modules in your release.

• The second table lists all the data collections in your release.

The tables list modules and data collections by name. An (!) icon shows that changes were made to a module or data collection before promotion. Each table shows a maximum of 15 entries at a time. Click the pagination buttons below the table to see more entries.

The pop-up also includes 2 buttons:

• To the right of each table entry, you’ll see a View Diff button. Click this button to view the Module Revisions Dashboard tool.

• At the bottom of the pop-up, you'll see a View Full Details button. Click this button for detailed information about your release.

Here's a look at the View Details pop-up:

Viewing the Module Revisions Diff Dashboard

To view the changes made to a module, click the View Diff button. This button opens the Module Revisions Dashboard tool.

TIP  To learn more about the Module Revisions Dashboard tool, search Module Revisions Dashboard Tool in our In-Product Help.

Creating a Release

Now, create a release in one of Unqork's environments. This release holds the applications, workflows, or data collections you'll promote. You can promote as many applications as you want in a release. You can also promote an application's individual modules or data collections.

NOTE  Creating a release is also referred to as tagging a release.

This means you can also promote Life Cycle tools to production. Most of the tools rely on API modules that you can easily promote using the Release Management Dashboard tool.

WARNING  The UDLC Toolkit provides a powerful set of application life cycle tools. By default, these tools are available in staging and UAT environments. Customers may optionally promote UDLC tools to Production. Before doing so, we strongly recommend obtaining approval from your information security team. A tool, like the Flexible Data Manager, enables end-users to access and modify submissions data, which may include sensitive data or PII (personally identifiable information) in a Production environment. Unqork recommends following the principle of least privilege for all roles, especially Express and Designer admins and monitoring admin account activity.

When you create/tag a release, there are 4 sections of the dashboard that you complete in order:

1.

Add release information.

2.

Select applications and data collections.

3.

Finalize the release.

4.

Promote the release.

Next, take a look at each section of the dashboard.

Adding Release Information

For this example, you'll promote a new release from staging to the UAT (Usability Acceptance Testing) environment. This means your target environment is UAT.

NOTE  Promoting an environment is client specific. Only the next immediate environment is available for promotion.

To create a release:

1.

Click + Create New Release.

2.

From the drop-down, select the Client.

3.

From the Environment options, select UAT. This sets the environment where you send your application.

4.

In the Version field, enter a version number. You can follow any format that you want.

5.

In the Name field, enter a release name. Again, this is a format that works best for you.

6.

In the Notes field, enter any notes or comments.

Here's an example of what your release information looks like:

Selecting Applications and Data Collections

Next, select the applications and data collections you want to promote in this release. Select as many as you want.

NOTE  If there are more than 125 modules in your application, a warning displays. It is best practice to reorganize your promotion into smaller applications. Applications with more than 125 modules can cause timeouts and failures of promotion.

The table shows a maximum of 10 entries at a time. Click the pagination buttons below the table to see more entries. You can also search the Applications table by the following fields:

• Workspace

• Application

• Last Promotion

• Promoted By

• Modified

NOTE  To filter by the Modified field, type exclamation.

When you make selections, applications automatically populate in the Applications Selected table and individual modules automatically populate in the Modules Selected table. Here are the steps for selecting your release's applications and data collections:

1.

Use the Applications table to find applications and data collections you want in this release.

2.

Next to the application(s) or data collection(s) you want to include in the release, click the Select Modules to Promote button. A pop-up displays allowing you to select modules to promote or view the Module Revisions Diff Dashboard.

3.

Select the module(s) you want to add to your release. Your applications automatically populate in the Applications Selected table. By default, all module(s) are automatically selected to be included in your release.

4.

Click Add.

Before you finalize your release, scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll see 2 panels:

• Modules Without Applications

• Data Collections Without Applications

Open these panels to see a list of modules and data collections that won't be part of your release. These panels are a final check before you complete the release.

Finalizing Your Release

The last section asks if you've run a configuration analysis on your applications. It's best practice to submit your applications for analysis before promoting them. This avoids issues in production. You can use our Config Analysis Dashboard tool to submit a request to our Data Analytics team. They'll ensure you're using Unqork's best practices when building your applications.

TIP  To learn more about config analysis, search Config Analysis Dashboard Tool in our In-Product Help.

Now, finalize your release:

1.

Click Create New Release. A pop-up displays.

2.

Click OK to create/tag your release in preparation for promoting it to your target environment.

Great job, you created/tagged your first release! The Release Dashboard displays and you can click the View button next to your release to view the release details.

Promoting Your Release

If you are happy with your release, you can promote it from the Release Dashboard:

1.

From the Release Dashboard, use the filters to find your release.

2.

Click View.

3.

Under the Options section, click Promote. A pop-up displays.

4.

Click OK. A pop-up displays.

5.

Click Finish.

If you promote your release beyond the UAT environment, the procedure is the same. The only way to travel through Unqork environments is in sequence. So, you only have one target environment with each promotion. Also, as you promote your release further, keep the release name and version number the same. That way, you save yourself the confusion when updating versions.

Making Changes to a Release

No matter what environment you promote your release to, you can always find it in staging. This lets you continue to perfect your applications without affecting those in production. Now, let's say you made some updates and you're ready to promote a new version of the release to UAT. You'll follow the exact same steps as before. The only difference is that you'll create a new version number and maybe leave some release notes.

To promote changes to your release:

1.

Access the Release Management Dashboard tool.

2.

Click + Create New Release.

3.

From the drop-down, select the Client.

4.

From the Environment options, select UAT.

5.

In the Version field, enter a new version.

6.

In the Name field, enter a name.

7.

In the Notes field, enter any notes or comments.

8.

From the Applications table, locate the appropriate application(s), then click Select Modules to Promote. A pop-up displays.

9.

Select the module(s) to promote, then click Add.

10.

Confirm that you've run Config Analysis on your application(s).

11.

Click Create New Release.

12.

Click OK to promote your applications and data collections to your target environment.

Rolling Back a Release

Imagine a scenario where you have an application in production that breaks. It's not a pleasant thought, but it's something to consider. Now your end-users can't use your application. You need to act quickly to get it back online. Thankfully, you know that your previous release worked without a hitch. The best solution is to replace the broken release in production with the previous one. Then you have time to work on the issue while your end-user keeps using your application. This is where the Rollback feature comes into play.

NOTE  Only applications can roll back to a previous release version. Data collections can't roll back.

To roll back a release:

1.

Access the Release Management Dashboard tool.

2.

Use the dashboard's filters to find a release.

3.

To the right of your release, click the View button.

4.

Click Rollback. A pop-up displays.

5.

Click OK.

Great job! Now you can troubleshoot and repromote your fixes when you're ready.

Restoring a Release

The Restore feature is another way to return to a previous release version. But this feature works a little differently. When you click this button, you restore an earlier version in the environment you are currently in. It's best to treat this feature as a last resort when a serious issue occurs. Typically, the Rollback feature is the preferred route.

After you make updates or fixes, you can repromote your changes back to production.

NOTE  Only applications restore to a previous release version. Data collections don't restore.

Restoring the Application

To restore a previous release to your current environment:

1.

Access the Release Management Dashboard tool.

2.

Use the dashboard's filters to find a release.

3.

To the far right of your release, click the View button.

4.

Click Restore. A pop-up displays.

5.

Click OK.

6.

After the restoration completes, click Finish.