Creating Components

In general, component creation is the same for all components. When creating a component, you:

  1. Define source type.

    You name the component and identify the artifacts' source, such as AnthillPro, a file system, or Subversion. A component can contain any number of artifacts but they must all share the same source.

  2. Assemble process(es).

    A process defines what Serena Release Automation does with the component's artifacts. A process might consist of any number of steps, such as starting and stopping servers, and moving files. In addition to deploying, other processes can import artifacts and perform various utility tasks.

To reiterate, then, a component consists of artifacts all sharing the same source type, plus one or more processes. In addition to hand-crafting a component, you can use a template to create one (see Component Templates), or you can import a component directly (see Importing/Exporting Components).

To create a component:

  1. Display the Create New Components dialog Home > Components > Create New Component. Several fields are the same for every source, while others depend on the source type selected with the Source Config Type field.

  2. Define standard parameters. The fields in the following table are available for every source type. If you select a value in the Source Config Type field, fields specific to the selected type are also displayed.

    Fields Available for All Component Source Types table

    Field Description
    Name

    Identifies the component; appears in many UI features. Required.

    Description

    The optional description can be used to convey additional information about the component. If the component is used by more than one application, for example, entering "Used in applications A and B" can help identify how the component is used.

    Template

    A component template enables you to reuse component definitions; components based on templates inherit the template's source configuration, properties, and process. Any previously created templates are listed. A component can have a single template associated with it. The default value is None.

    If you select a template, the Template Version field is displayed which is used to select a template version. By controlling the version, you can roll-out template changes as required. The default value is Latest Version which means the component will automatically use the newest version (by creation date). See Component Templates.

    NOTE

    If you select a template that has a source configured for it, the dialog box will change to reflect values defined for the template. Several fields, including the Source Config Type field, will become populated and locked.

    Source Config Type

    Defines the source type for the component's artifacts; all artifacts must have the same source type. Selecting a value displays additional fields associated with the selection. Source-dependent fields (see Component Source Configuration) are used to identify and configure the component's artifacts. If you selected a template, this field is locked and its value is inherited from the template.

    Import Versions Automatically

    If checked, the source location is periodically polled for new versions; any found are automatically imported. The default polling period is 15 seconds, which can be changed with the System Settings pane. If left unchecked, you can manually create versions by using the Versions pane. By default, the box is unchecked.

    Copy to CodeStation

    This option—selected by default—creates a tamper-proof copy of the artifacts and stores them in the embedded artifact management system, CodeStation. If unchecked, only meta data about the artifacts are imported. Serena recommends that the box be checked.

    Default Version Type

    Defines how versions are imported into CodeStation. Full means the version is comprehensive and contains all artifacts; Incremental means the version contains a subset of the component's artifacts. Default value is: Full. Required.

    Inherit Cleanup Settings

    Determines how many component versions are kept in CodeStation, and how long they are kept. If checked, the component will use the values specified on the System Settings pane. If unchecked, the Days to Keep Versions (initially set to -1, keep indefinitely) and Number of Versions to Keep (initially set to -1, keep all) fields are displayed, which enable you to define custom values. The default value is checked.

  3. If you select a source type, enter values into the source-specific field. See Component Source Configuration for information about the source types and parameters.

  4. When finished, save your work. Saved components are listed in the Component pane.