This section gets you started by providing immediate hands-on experience using key product features. The helloWorld walk-through demonstrates how to create a simple deployment using out-of-the-box features.
NOTE
This section assumes you have installed the Serena Release Automation server and at least one agent. For the walk-through, the agent can be installed on the same machine where the server is installed. If the agent or server have not been installed, see Installing Servers and Agents for installation information.
In outline, deployments are done by performing the following steps:
Define Components
Components represent deployable artifacts: files, images, databases, configuration materials, or anything else associated with a software project. Components have versions which ensure that proper component instances are deployed. See Components for more information about creating components.
Define Component Processes
Component processes operate on components, usually by deploying them. Each component must have at least one component process defined for it. For helloWorld you will create a single component that contains a number of text-type files (artifacts), and define a simple process that moves—deploys—the artifacts.
Define Application
An application brings together all deployment components by identifying its components and defining a process to move them through a target environment (by running component processes, for instance). See Applications for more information about creating applications.
Configure Environment
An environment is a collection of resources that represent deployment targets–physical machines, virtual machines, databases, J2EE containers, and so on. Each application must have at least one environment defined for it.
Identify Agent
Agents are distributed processes that communicate with the Serena Release Automation server and perform the actual work of deploying artifacts. Generally, an agent is installed on the host where the resources it manages reside. Agents are associated with applications at the environment level.