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Documentation
This Help Center provides documentation on all aspects of the HCL Commerce+ product, from installation and deployment to operating and customization.
Deploying
This section provides details on deploying HCL Commerce+. It explains how to download the Docker images and Git bundles that comprise the product, how to create a minimal environment, and how to plan for a full deployment. It details supported software versions, patches, and configurations to ensure the platform performs well.
References
The following topics contain information that you can use in planning and implementing custom production and development environments.
Startup logic
HCL Commerce+ uses an entrypoint.sh helper script when deploying containers from HCL-provided images. This script manages the startup process by handling configuration, license checks, and environment setup. Understanding this process is important for customizing deployments and building efficient CI/CD pipelines.
Startup with CONFIGURE_MODE=Vault
You can use Vault (CONFIGURE_MODE=Vault) as the configuration source and set your parameters in Vault. This method is best used in a multiple tenant environment by using an orchestration platform such as Kubernetes.

Documentation
This Help Center provides documentation on all aspects of the HCL Commerce+ product, from installation and deployment to operating and customization.
- Overview
  Welcome to the HCL Commerce+ overview. Explore these feature overviews to learn how Commerce+ operates. Refer to the related links listed at the end of each topic to access expanded product documentation.
- Deploying
  This section provides details on deploying HCL Commerce+. It explains how to download the Docker images and Git bundles that comprise the product, how to create a minimal environment, and how to plan for a full deployment. It details supported software versions, patches, and configurations to ensure the platform performs well.
  - Software stack
    The following table provides a list of generally available (GA) software levels, fixes, and settings for the latest HCL Commerce+ release.
  - Downloading
  - Minimal environment
    Best practice for installing HCL Commerce+ is to start with a preconfigured 'minimal environment.' To install Commerce+, first, set up and test the minimal environment, then plan for your production environment using your own organization's IT and business experts.
  - Commerce+ environment
    Kubernetes is the default tool for deploying a live HCL Commerce+ production site. HCL provides all the required applications as Docker images for you to use in a configuration of your choice. Also included are Kubernetes Helm Charts.
  - xC development environment
    HCL Commerce+ includes an xC service that you can use to create custom plugins .
  - References
    The following topics contain information that you can use in planning and implementing custom production and development environments.
    - Container roles
      The HCL Commerce+ application consists of a set of Docker containers, each of which serves a specific purpose within the application.
    - Port numbers
      Review this information for the default port numbers that are used by Commerce+ services or the component products.
    - Preparing the utility server
    - Vault as a Certificate Authority
      Vault can function as a Certificate Authority (CA) by enabling the VAULT_CA=true parameter. This optional configuration enhances security by handling internal certifications between containers. It integrates seamlessly with any supported configuration mode, making it suitable for diverse deployment scenarios.
    - Startup logic
      HCL Commerce+ uses an entrypoint.sh helper script when deploying containers from HCL-provided images. This script manages the startup process by handling configuration, license checks, and environment setup. Understanding this process is important for customizing deployments and building efficient CI/CD pipelines.
      - Startup with CONFIGURE_MODE=Vault
        You can use Vault (CONFIGURE_MODE=Vault) as the configuration source and set your parameters in Vault. This method is best used in a multiple tenant environment by using an orchestration platform such as Kubernetes.
        Core services
        Web and storefront
        Search-related services
        Learn about how to start Elastic, Zookeeper, Nifi, Registry, Ingest, Data Query and Query containers by specifying CONFIGURE_MODE=Vault.
      - Startup with CONFIGURE_MODE=EnvVariables
- Migrating
  The following topics show how to migrate an existing HCL Commerce Version 9.1 environment to Commerce+. The process consists of an initial migration of your database contents. This is followed by a code migration. Both are fully described.
- Operating
  The topics in this section focus on tasks that are performed by business users, marketers, and customer support representatives to connect with partners and attract and satisfy customers.
- Administering
  The site administrator performs the tasks needed to support day to day operations of the Commerce+ site.
- Extending
  Using Commerce+'s xC programming model, you can use HCL-provided extension points to extend existing Commerce logic. You can implement these extensions with the xC Customization toolkit provided by HCL. Commerce+ also provides Packaged Business Capability integrations that extend the product's reach and functionality.
- Securing
  These topics describe the security features of Commerce+ and how to configure these features.
- Performance
  Topics in the Performance section describe the means by which to plan, implement, test, and re-visit the optimization of Commerce+ site performance.
- Troubleshooting
  Topics in the Troubleshooting section highlight common issues that are encountered with Commerce+, and how they can be addressed or mitigated.
- Reference
  Topics in the Reference section contain all of the Commerce+ reference documentation.

Container startup with Vault parameter retrieval

You can use Vault (CONFIGURE_MODE=Vault) as the configuration source and set your parameters in Vault. This method is best used in a multiple tenant environment by using an orchestration platform such as Kubernetes.

Using Vault as the configuration source allows you to set and retrieve container parameters efficiently. particularly in multi-tenant environments orchestrated by Kubernetes. This approach streamlines the configuration process by automating hostname generation and connection setups, reducing the need for manual intervention.

How Vault stores your configuration data

When you use CONFIGURE_MODE=Vault, Vault acts as the central repository for all configuration parameters. The hostnames and connections for related components are configured automatically. This eliminates the need for manual configuration and ensures consistent service naming.

Unique naming patterns in Vault

In Vault, service names follow this pattern:

${TENANT}${ENVIRONMENT}${ENVTYPE}.${DOMAIN_NAME}

For example:

Component: ts-app
Tenant: demo
Environment: qa
Environment Type: auth
Domain Name: default.svc.cluster.local

The generated service name will be:

demoqaauthts-app.default.svc.cluster.local

notes:

Structure Vault data hierarchically to represent tenants, environments, and services.
Ensure Vault and Consul are installed and configured. For more details, refer to the Environment Data in Vault.
By leveraging Vault, Kubernetes deployments can achieve improved automation, streamlined configuration management, and enhanced scalability for multi-tenant applications.