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Modeling software deployment
Modeling software deployment in HCL Launch includes configuring components and component processes and adding those components to applications. Then, you use processes to deploy the components to environments.
Resources
A resource is a logical deployment target that typically resolves to an agent and a user-defined construct that is based on the architectural model of HCL Launch.
Agents
An agent is a lightweight process that runs on a deployment-target host and communicates with the HCL Launch server.
Compact agents
Starting with V7.2.1, the agents are installed as compact agents.

Modeling software deployment
Modeling software deployment in HCL Launch includes configuring components and component processes and adding those components to applications. Then, you use processes to deploy the components to environments.
- Components
  Components represent deployable items along with user-defined processes that operate on them, usually by deploying them.
- Resources
  A resource is a logical deployment target that typically resolves to an agent and a user-defined construct that is based on the architectural model of HCL Launch.
  - Getting started with creating resources
    Resources associate agents with components and, after they are mapped to an application environment, provide deployment targets.
  - Modifying the resource tree
    You can create, delete, and modify the contents of the resource tree.
  - Importing resources from WebSphere® Application Server
    Use the WebSphere® Application Server - Deploy plug-in to import information about an IBM® WebSphere Application Server system into a collection of resources. Typically, importing information by using the plug-in takes less time than manually creating resources to match the IBM WebSphere Application Server.
  - Importing resources from WebSphere® Portal
    With the WebSphere® Portal plug-in, you can discover resources for a portal cell and use plug-in steps to deploy artifacts.
  - Defining default user impersonation credentials
    You can define default user impersonation credentials for a resource.
  - Resource templates
    A resource template is a model for a group of resources. The template contains a hierarchy of resources, groups, and agent prototypes that is a starting point for creating new resources.
  - Agents
    An agent is a lightweight process that runs on a deployment-target host and communicates with the HCL Launch server.
    - Compact agents
      Starting with V7.2.1, the agents are installed as compact agents.
    - Compact agent changes: Summary
    - Agent executable command-line commands
  - Agent relays
    Agent relays coordinate communication between agents and the HCL Launch server. Agent relays improve the performance of communication between the server and agents. Relays also allow agents to communicate through firewalls.
- Applications
  Applications are responsible for bringing together all the components that must be deployed together.
- Application environments
  An environment is a user-defined collection of resources that hosts an application.
- Application templates
  With an application template, you can save and reuse a collection of resources, environments, processes, and tagged components or component templates to create a standardized application.
- Application processes
  Application processes, like component processes, are created with the process editor. You use application processes to deploy or to roll back components.
- Application blueprints
  An application blueprint maps application components to a resource template. When you create an environment or provision one from the cloud, you can use the blueprint as a model.
- Snapshots
  A snapshot is a collection of specific versions of components and processes. Typically, a snapshot represents a set of component versions that are known to work together. In most cases, snapshots include all of the components in an application.
- Creating manual application tasks
  A manual application task interrupts an application process until manual intervention is done. To create a manual task, add a manual step to an application process and select a notification template.
- Approval process
  You can add approval requirements to deployments. Deployments with approvals cannot be completed until all approvers respond. Approvers can respond to requests on the Work Items tab, or by email.
- Inventories
  You use different inventories to track installed components and properties in HCL Launch elements.
- Processes
  Processes are automated tasks that run on agents.
- Statuses
  Create and apply statuses to track component inventory states or to track component versions in environments and resources.
- Properties
  Properties are variables that store information about many different elements, including components, environments, processes, and applications. You can also set global properties for the system.
- Tags
  A tag is a user-defined, shared, short label that you use to classify, view, and conduct operations on objects such as applications, components, agents, and resources.
- Webhooks
  Using the webhooks, you can send text-based responses to users in messaging platform such as MS Teams and Slack when a specific event occurs during deployment process.
- Secret Stores
  Allows HCL Launch to retrieve credentials of individual servers from the Vault and authenticates a plug-in step in the deployment process.

Compact agents

Starting with V7.2.1, the agents are installed as compact agents.

A compact agent is a single-process mode for agents that enables a full upgrade of the agent software stack. It allows a Java upgrade, which was impossible without workarounds previously. In addition to this capability, compact agents also complete several other minor cleanups to the organization of the agent and its operation on Windows in particular.

Compact mode is supported on agents that run on Linux, Mac, and Windows platforms. On upgrade, the agents are switched to compact mode only on a supported platform.