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Modeling Software Deployment
Modeling software deployment in HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) includes configuring components and component processes and adding those components to applications. Then, you use processes to deploy the components to environments.
Processes
Processes are automated tasks that run on agents.
Manage process step authentication
Use token restrictions to manage process step authentication.

Modeling Software Deployment
Modeling software deployment in HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) 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 DevOps Deploy (Deploy).
- 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.
- Application pipelines
  Allows you to run application processes in multiple environments and promote versions through a set of stages.
- 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.
- 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 DevOps Deploy (Deploy) elements.
- Processes
  Processes are automated tasks that run on agents.
  - Process step types and logic
    When you design processes, you use different kinds of process steps and joining techniques. You can assign properties to process steps and use them to control step execution.
  - Component processes
    A component process is a series of user-defined steps that operate on a component's artifacts. Each component has at least one process that is defined for it and can have several.
  - Application processes
    You can use application processes to deploy or to roll back components.
  - Generic processes
    Generic processes are not specific to a particular component and can be used in any number of applications. They are like general purpose processes. You can use generic processes to download and install packages on the system or perform other configuration management related tasks such as configuring SSH or completing FTP tasks. With a generic process, for example, you can update Linux agents that were recently installed by using SSH to run as a service on a Linux computer. Linux agents cannot be updated in this way during a remote installation.
  - Editing processes
    In the process editor you organize the steps in a process, specify their properties, and connect them to each other.
  - Working on processes in safe edit mode
    Safe editing enables you to test component processes before making them available in normal environments. Make updates to your component process, test those updates safely, and then promote to a new version when you are ready.
  - Running processes
    The way you run a process is different for each type of process.
  - Adding process properties
    A process property provides a way to add user-supplied information to a process. A running process can prompt users for information and then incorporate it into the process. For example, if the process entails authenticating with another server, you can require that a user enter an ID and a password for the process to continue. Properties are defined in the Edit Property dialog box.
  - Copying process steps
    You can copy and paste process steps in all process types: component, application, approval, and generic.
  - Manage process step authentication
    Use token restrictions to manage process step authentication.
  - User impersonation for process steps
    HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) can use user impersonation when an agent must run a command for which it might not otherwise have permission, or when a specific user must be employed for a process.
  - Process steps: Reference
    Application processes, component processes, and generic processes are created with the process editor.
- 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 you to retrieve credentials of individual servers from the Vault and authenticates a plug-in step in the deployment process.

Manage process step authentication

Use token restrictions to manage process step authentication.

The HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) server generates an authentication token whenever it runs a plug-in process step. The token authenticates the user that is running the step and has the same permissions as that user. You can limit the actions available to tokens by applying token restrictions to them. A token restriction is a set of one or more REST API commands. When a token-restricted plug-in step runs, it uses the commands that are defined by the token restriction regardless of the user's permissions.

You apply token restrictions to plug-in steps in processes. You can apply a different token restriction to every plug-in step in a process. If you do not apply a restriction to a step, the default token restriction is used. The default token enables all the supported methods for all REST resources. You can modify the default token restriction but you cannot delete it.

You can apply token restrictions to component, application, and generic processes. To apply a token restriction to a process step, on the step configuration window, select the restriction from the Auth Token Restriction list.

Applying a token restriction

You can edit the selected token restriction and also create a new token restriction from the plug-in step configuration window. For more information, see, Restricting authentication tokens