CloudBees Feature Management Lexicon

This lexicon is a collection of terms and definitions used by CloudBees.

A
app

A group of environments and flags within an organization, usually for a single product or service. Apps can contain an unlimited number of environments.

application
approval request

The ability to request review and approval for flag changes before they are implemented. This capability allows companies that require a higher level of governance to enforce change management policies and to stay compliant with SOC and SOX requirements.

audience

See flag configuration

audit log

The CloudBees Feature Management audit log contains a detailed history of any changes related to your feature flags.

B
boolean flag

A simple flag type that can evaluate true or false. The default value of a boolean flag is false.

C
CloudBees Feature Management Jenkins plugin

Allows users to create, update, or delete feature flag configurations as a part of build steps within the continuous integration workflows. The plugin communicates via the REST API to enable the required task for a feature flag configuration to be automated within Jenkins.

clone

The ability to replicate a feature flag configuration across environments.

CloudBees CD/RO

Automates and orchestrates software releases, pipelines, and deployments—​personalized for each user—​with the analytics and insight to measure, track, and improve results.

CloudBees CI

A fully-featured, cloud-native capability that can be hosted on-premises or in the public cloud to deliver CI at scale. It provides a shared, centrally managed, self-service experience for all your development teams running Jenkins. CloudBees CI on modern cloud platforms is designed to run on Kubernetes. CloudBees CI on traditional platforms has been developed for on-premises installations.

CloudBees Feature Management

An advanced feature flagging solution that lets your development teams quickly build and deploy applications without compromising on safety. By providing a gradual release mechanism and a simple way to define target audiences, CloudBees Feature Management allows developers and product managers to optimize feature releases and customize the user experience. CloudBees Feature Management gives teams control over features that are in staging, production, or any environment in the deployment pipeline.

CloudBees Support

You can contact CloudBees Support using the following methods:

configuration as code (CASC) for CloudBees Feature Management

A capability that stores the entire configuration of CloudBees Feature Management as source code, and integrates the CloudBees Feature Management UI with your existing environment.

container class

A class, or type, in the source code that holds the flag definitions.

cross-platform

A capability that allows applications to be built from the same set of SDKs, dashboards, and features in any language, with CloudBees Feature Management.

custom properties

A way to expose any of your application properties to CloudBees Feature Management, and then use the properties as a criteria for feature releases.

D
data analysis

Working with reports (data) to evaluate and interpret information (analysis). In CloudBees Feature Management, flag impressions are captured for data analysis.

dynamic API

An alternative to the CloudBees Feature Management static API for defining flags on different container objects and accessing them from that container object.

E
embedded feature flag

Provides the ability to pack feature flag data at build time.

environment

A representation of your deployment pipeline: production, staging, or testing. CloudBees Feature Management supports working with an unlimited number of environments.

F
feature flags

A software development process used to remotely enable or disable functionality without changing code. Flags can be toggled on or off while in production. They assist in helping teams achieve continuous delivery with less risk, and can be implemented on the client or server side.

fetched handler

Fetched handler is code that is added to RoxOptions to identify when CloudBees Feature Management SDK has loaded a configuration from local storage or network.

filter

The ability to easily find flags in the dashboard by applying filters to the view. You can filter the view by any combination of targeting status, labels, namespace, usage, or features.

flag

A method of enabling or disabling code functionality. See feature flags for more information.

flag configuration

Previously referred to as audience.

flag context

Information that is available only when a flag is evaluated. The information is used to determine the value of a flag at runtime.

flag default value

The value of the flag that is created when defining flags in the code. Default values are mandatory and flags cannot be created without them. They will be served when there is no configuration available (for any reason) or no other value overrides it.

flag dependency

Permits a flag value to be dependent on another flag value.

flag freeze

A method for creating a consistent behavior for the user by preventing a flag’s value from being modified the first time it is checked, and preserving it for future evaluation.

flag group

A method of labeling and organizing flags by feature for referencing and release management. Also known as a feature.

flag status

The flag status indicates where each flag is in the lifecycle and answers the following questions:

flags override view

A view used for testing purposes by allowing developers to expose a view that shows the current status for each flag and allows users of flags to override the flag. This view is usually only exposed to developers, the QA team, and the product team.

I
Impression

When a flag is evaluated, it is counted as an impression. The CloudBees Feature Management impression handler evaluates a combination of the number of times the flag configuration is accessed by visitors, and the flag value that is displayed.

Impression handler

Impression handler is the function that is called when a flag is being evaluated. This function can be used to report the flag state to your analytics provider or for impression reporting.

integrate

To blend into a functioning unified whole.

J
CloudBees Feature Management Jira app integration

An app for Atlassian Jira that integrates with CloudBees Feature Management and enables work to be tracked, supporting the development workflow and continuous integration.

K
kill switch

A toggle that allows features running in production to be immediately killed, or turned off, without having to roll back versions or create hotfixes.

L
license management

A capability that grants certain types of users and customers (such as trial users, subscribers, premium members, etc.) access to various features or sections of your product.

log

See audit log.

M
multiplatform feature flag

Allows one CloudBees Feature Management application to control a feature flag on multiple platforms.

N
namespace parameter

A logical separation between containers that can be used to find flags on the dashboard.

number flag

A flag type that can have multiple number values. When you create a number flag in your application, you define the default value and all the other values this flag can have.

O
organization

A group of users that are managed by an administrator. Users within the organization can be granted different access levels to each environment within an application.

P
platform

A software application connected to CloudBees Feature Management through an SDK.

product request

A form that is used to contact CloudBees Support.

production

The environment in which your released software runs and is available to your customers. A program is "in production" when it is in the process of executing the code.

progressive release

A process of releasing a feature over time based on conditions, such as percentages or time duration.

proxy

A way to allow application code, using one of the CloudBees Feature Management SDKs, to proxy all network traffic to the CloudBees Feature Management backend services. This is useful when applications using CloudBees Feature Management need to be run in a private or secured network without access to the internet.

R
release management

The ability to control which user segments gain access to new builds and features for Canary or Blue/Green deployments and beta releases.

S
Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)

A standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between an identity provider and a service provider. SAML is a common single sign-on (SSO) configuration that allows users to sign in to multiple software applications using the same credentials.

scheduled release time

Permits a boolean feature flag to be released on a specific date.

CloudBees Software Delivery Automation

Enables enterprises to optimize their software delivery process for increased innovation and security by connecting, automating, and orchestrating the tools and functions across development, operations, and shared services teams.

secret mode

Allows you to create flags and custom properties based on how the secret is defined. When enabled on the app, and defined in the Rox SDK setup code, the code can be seen in the installation instructions on the CloudBees Feature Management GUI.

single sign-on (SSO)

An authentication tool that can provide a more streamlined user experience, as it lets you securely sign in to multiple software applications using one set of credentials.

SOC 2® - System and Organization Controls (SOC): Trust Services Criteria

An auditing report standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for service organizations to securely manage customer information. SOC 2 describes the suitability and effectiveness of a service organization’s systems and controls to protect the interests of the organization and the privacy of its clients.

software development kit (SDK)

A collection of software development tools that can be installed in a single package.

split by percentage

A distributed algorithm that determines the percentage of users the flag will be rolled out to. This algorithm is similar to tossing a coin, but once a coin is tossed the result is consistent for a feature flag.

stateless architecture

An architecture in which each SDK pulls a static JSON file from CloudBees Feature Management cloud storage. CloudBees Feature Management uses a stateless architecture by default.

status

See flag status.

string flag

A flag type that can take one of multiple pre-defined values. When you create a string flag in your application, you define the default value and all the other values this flag can have.

support

Refer to CloudBees Support.

Product Request

A method of contacting CloudBees Support.

T
target group

A body of users that flags can be targeted for or against. Target groups are based on the audience configuration. Target groups can be segmented by user properties or device attributes such as geographical region, browser, email, or custom attributes like Plan Type or Account ID.

testing in production (TIP)

A continuous delivery process that tests code changes on live users, rather than in a staging environment.

toggle

The ability to turn feature flag targeting on or off.

U
user segmentation

The process of grouping users into distinct categories, or segments, based on shared characteristics. Flags can be targeted to predefined user segments.

V
verbose logging

The ability to control the verbosity of the SDK. The verbosity can be set to debug for troubleshooting. By default, the verbosity level is set to silent.

W
webhook

A real-time notification in CloudBees Feature Management that is triggered when an event happens in the system. Webhooks can be configured to listen to events within a specific environment or all environments.