Manage Release Environments and Applications in YAML

You can specify and maintain applications and environments in YAML, enabling you to manage these aspects of your Release configuration "as code". In the XL CLI, two flags allow you to manage applications and environments when using xl generate:

• -a --applications Add to the generated file all applications in the system
• -e --environments Add to the generated file all environments

These flags will generate YAML files which can be applied to applications or environments in your Release servers. They also allow you to define dashboard filters and task attributes (facets).

The following example will allow you to use the XL CLI to create new applications and environments in Release.

Note: The instructions in this topic use the default installation of Release. If you already have custom configurations, you can adapt the instructions for your setup.

Create YAML for applications and environments

Let's create a file export.yaml which will add the following new elements:

1. An environment named Environment1 and an application named Application1, with two labels, green Label1 and blue Label2.
2. A folder named Testfolder and a template named Template1.
3. A Current applications dashboard tile in the Template1 template with the following filters: a. Application matches Application1 b. Environment matches Environment1.
4. A Preparation phase in the Template1 template with a Planning task, with a Deployment attribute where Application is Application1, Version is 1, and Environment is Environment1.

apiVersion: xl-release/v1
kind: Environments
spec:
  labels:
  - name: Label1
    color: '#08b153'
  - name: Label2
    color: '#0099cc'
  environments:
  - name: Environment1
    description: Test environment 1
    stage: Acceptance
    labels:
    - Label1
    - Label2
---
apiVersion: xl-release/v1
kind: Applications
spec:
- name: Application1
  environments:
  - Environment1
---
apiVersion: xl-release/v1
kind: Templates
spec:
- directory: Testfolder
  children:
    - name: Template1
      type: xlrelease.Release
---
apiVersion: xl-release/v1
kind: Templates
metadata:
    home: Testfolder
spec:
- template: Template1
  phases:
  - phase: Preparation
    tasks:
    - name: Planning
      type: xlrelease.Task
      facets:
      - type: udm.DeploymentTaskFacet
        version: "1"
        application: Application1
        environment: Environment1
- type: xlrelease.Dashboard
  owner: admin
  tiles:
  - name: Current applications
    type: deployment.CurrentApplicationsTile
    row: 0
    col: 0
    filters:
    - type: xlrelease.ApplicationFilter
      application: Application1
    - type: xlrelease.EnvironmentFilter
      environment: Environment1
    - type: xlrelease.DateFilter
  parentTemplate: Template1

Now apply it: xl apply -f export.yaml -v

Log in to check the results in the UI.

Modify the YAML

Now let's change the YAML to add the following new elements:

1. A third label Newlabel1.
2. Change Environment1 so that it contains Newlabel1 and is used in the Test stage.
3. An environment Newenvironment2 which uses Label2 and Newlabel1.
4. An application Newapplication2 which uses Newenvironment2.
5. Modify the Planning task attribute so that it uses Newapplication2 and Newenvironment2.
6. Modify the Current applications tile so that the filters use Newapplication2 and Newenvironment2

Replace the contents of export.yaml with this specification:

apiVersion: xl-release/v1
kind: Environments
spec:
  labels:
  - name: Newlabel1
    color: '#991C71'
  environments:
  - name: Environment1
    description: Test environment 1
    stage: Test
    labels:
    - Label1
    - Newlabel1
  - name: Newenvironment2
    description: New test environment 2
    stage: Acceptance
    labels:
    - Label2
    - Newlabel1
---
apiVersion: xl-release/v1
kind: Applications
spec:
- name: Application1
  environments:
  - Environment1
- name: Newapplication2
  environments:
  - Newenvironment2
---
apiVersion: xl-release/v1
kind: Templates
metadata:
    home: Testfolder
spec:
- template: Template1
  phases:
  - phase: Preparation
    tasks:
    - name: Planning
      type: xlrelease.Task
      facets:
      - type: udm.DeploymentTaskFacet
        version: "1"
        application: Newapplication2
        environment: Newenvironment2
- type: xlrelease.Dashboard
  owner: admin
  tiles:
  - name: Current applications
    type: deployment.CurrentApplicationsTile
    row: 0
    col: 0
    filters:
    - type: xlrelease.ApplicationFilter
      application: Newapplication2
    - type: xlrelease.EnvironmentFilter
      environment: Newenvironment2
    - type: xlrelease.DateFilter
  parentTemplate: Template1

Now apply the YAML: xl apply -f export.yaml -v

Log into Release. You will see that your environments and applications have been changed to match the new specifications.

You will also see that the Current Applications dashboard tile and the Wait for dependencies task are now associated with the new environment and application.