Welcome
Extending Product Function
Learn how to extend the function of HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy).
Plug-ins
The HCL plug-ins provide tools for creating component processes and integrations. HCL plug-ins provides plug-ins for several common deployment processes, and others are available to integrate with a wide variety of tools, such as middleware tools, databases, and servers.
Creating plug-ins
You can create your own plug-ins for use with HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy). A plug-in consists of XML files and supporting script files that the plug-in requires.
Plug-in steps: The step-type element
You define plug-in steps with the step-type element; each step-type element represents a single step in the HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) process editor.

Release Notes
This section includes what's new, defect fixes, and deprecations and removals in all releases.
System Requirements
This document includes information about the hardware, containers, prerequisite software, supported operating system, and database requirements with component level detail for the HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy).
Getting Started
Quickly become productive with HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy).
Installing
A HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) installation consists of a Deploy server, a database server, and at least one agent.
Upgrading and Migrating
Stay updated with latest features and functionalities by upgrading HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) server, agents, and relays. This section also provides instruction on how to migrate your Deploy instance.
Integrating
HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) supports integrations with other IBM® and HCL products, products from others, and certain cloud systems.
Administering
Learn how to administer settings in HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) elements and communication between the elements.
Managing Security
HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) uses a flexible team-based and role-based security model that maps to your organizational structure.
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.
Deploying
Learn how to deploy applications in HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy).
Reporting
Provides several different deployment and security reports.
Extending Product Function
Learn how to extend the function of HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy).
- Plug-ins
  The HCL plug-ins provide tools for creating component processes and integrations. HCL plug-ins provides plug-ins for several common deployment processes, and others are available to integrate with a wide variety of tools, such as middleware tools, databases, and servers.
  - Creating plug-ins
    You can create your own plug-ins for use with HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy). A plug-in consists of XML files and supporting script files that the plug-in requires.
    - The plugin.xml file for automation plug-ins
      An automation plug-in is defined with the plugin.xml file.
    - Creating source plug-ins
      Source-type plug-ins are defined the same way that automation-type plug-ins are defined except for some modifications to the plugin.xml file.
    - Plug-in steps: The step-type element
      You define plug-in steps with the step-type element; each step-type element represents a single step in the HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) process editor.
      - Step properties: the properties element
        The properties element is a container for properties, which are defined with the property tag.
      - Plug-in step icons
        A keyword in the description determines which icon is displayed in the plug-in step.
    - The command element
      Steps are run by starting the scripting tool or interpreter that is specified by the <command> element. The <command> element's program attribute defines the location of the tool that runs the command.
    - The post-processing element
      When a plug-in step's <command> element finishes processing, the step's mandatory <post-processing> element runs.
    - Upgrading plug-ins
      This example shows how to upgrade a plug-in.
    - The info.xml file
      Use the info.xml file is required for each plug-in. It describes the plug-in and provides release notes to users for each version.
    - Automatically importing objects from plug-ins
      You can add objects to plug-ins so that they are automatically imported when the plug-in is installed or upgraded. Objects include applications, components, component templates, and processes. For example, you can add a component template that implements a standard process to a plug-in, so that the plug-in user does not have to create the component template.
  - Example plug-in
    A plug-in consists of one or more steps. A step represents a unit of functionality that can be user-configured and combined with other steps into a process. Creating a plug-in consists in defining its individual steps and then grouping them together for presentation in HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy).
- Creating notification templates
  Notification templates are the basis for emails that the server sends to users after an event occurs on the server. You can create customized notification templates by modifying the default templates provided, or by creating new templates of your own.
- REST API reference
  You can use these REST interfaces to automate tasks.
- Command-line client (CLI) reference
  CLI is a command-line interface that provides access to the HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) server. It can be used to find or set properties and to run numerous functions.
- Process-as-code feature
  Programmatically manage processes with PAC language.
Troubleshooting and Support
Learn how to troubleshoot some common issues with HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy).
Security Considerations
You can act to ensure that your installation is secure and set up user access controls.

Plug-in steps: The `step-type` element

You define plug-in steps with the step-type element; each step-type element represents a single step in the HCL DevOps Deploy (Deploy) process editor.

A step-type element has a name attribute and up to four child elements:

description
properties
command
post-processing

The mandatory name attribute identifies the step. The description and name are shown in the web application and on informational pages for the plug-in. The contents of the description determine which icon is displayed with the step.

<step-type name="Start">
<description>Start Apache HTTP server</description>

Note: A step name cannot contain the forward slash (/) character.

Plug-in steps: The step-type element

Plug-in steps: The `step-type` element