CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS Lexicon

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

A
actionable insights

An analysis of pipeline group data, which is helpful to determine what actions need to be taken or how one should think about an issue. There are three types: approvals, test results, and pipeline stages.

admin (administrator)

An access control user role, which cannot be deleted. A user in the admin role can manage user accounts, access control, settings, and pipeline definitions.

admin portal

The UI screen that allows you to sign in to the website as an administrator.

agent

Required software that is installed on your network. The agent has access to your environments and tools, orchestrates the workflow that is configured through the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS server, executes each pipeline task according to the pipeline definition, and communicates with the server to provide execution data for the end user view in the server.

approval request

A manual pipeline step before deployment or before executing a new step, which pauses the pipeline execution until a pre-configured user, known as the approver, responds to the request and approves it, allowing the pipeline execution to continue.

B
branch

A copy of program code in a source control management system. You can retain the main code version and add changes to a branch, until ready to be merged with the main code.

bug management

A tool to find, track, assign, and close software problems and issues, which are known as bugs.

build

An execution of all of the steps in a pipeline prior to deployment.

build repository

The tool that stores the build binary. CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS supports JFrog and AWS ECR repositories.

builder

In Pipeline composer, you can add a defined build configuration to your pipeline with the Builder tool. You can add your build step after the source control or build repository trigger step in your pipeline.

C
cloud

Servers, and the software and databases on them, that are accessed over the internet and stored remotely from the user. In CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS, all SCM authentication and credentials are captured and maintained in the administrative backend, which runs in a separate cloud namespace specific to a client and is maintained by CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS. Except for SCM credentials, everything is saved in a cloud database maintained by CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS. This information, along with the credentials, is sent to the agent running on the client’s premise.

CloudBees CI

A fully-featured, cloud-native capability that can be hosted on-premise or in the public cloud to deliver continuous integration 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 is developed for on-premise installations.

code quality

Program code of high quality is free of functional errors, is easy to understand, is documented, and can be tested.

commit

An action to send source code updates to the SCM repository.

commits trend

On the Productivity dashboard, a line graph of the number of commits in a given period of time. You can also compare with other pipeline groups, or filter by either Pipeline or Engineer (user). Select any number of options, or select ALL, and they are displayed separately on the graph.

continuous delivery (CD)

Continuous delivery (CD) is a DevOps software development practice that prepares software for release to testing and/or production environments. The goal of CD is that the software is always in a releasable state. Continuous integration (CI) can be combined with CD to implement an automated software delivery process.

continuous deployment (CD)

The logical extreme of software development is to automate deployment to production for every change that passes automated tests, a DevOps practice called continuous deployment (CD). Continuous deployment is often confused with continuous delivery, but they are separate practices. Continuous deployment works for web services, but not for software such as mobile apps or in highly regulated environments that require manual deployment. Continuous delivery works for all kinds of software.

continuous integration (CI)

A DevOps practice in which every time a developer commits a change, the entire application is built and automated tests are run against it. If the build or test process fails, the development team can fix the problem immediately. The goal of CI is that the software is always in a working state. CI tools invoke the jobs and automatically build and run unit tests on the latest code changes, helping you quickly find and address bugs, improve software quality, reduce time to validate, and enhance software updates.

controller

A controller is the central coordinating process that stores configurations, loads plugins, and renders the various user interfaces for CloudBees CI. The controller serves requests and handles build tasks.

current builds

Displays the latest builds deployed in each environment for all pipelines in a selected group. You can select a link to display the commits information for the selected build.

custom script

Use to execute another step before or after a step in your pipeline. You can use Shell, Maven, or Gradle in a custom script.

D
deployer

A tool to deploy your application or infrastructure in Pipeline composer. You can also modify parameters during execution.

deployment

Installation of a software version on an environment. CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS provides out-of-the-box integration with the open-source continuous delivery platforms Spinnaker and Argo CD, and can also be integrated with other CD tools upon request.

deployment frequency

In the Productivity dashboard, a view of the total number of deployed commits (commits that finish a pipeline and go into production) over a selected timeframe. Deployment frequency is one of the four key DORA metrics.

deployment lead time

A view in the Productivity dashboard that depicts, on average, how long it takes for commits to be deployed (finish a pipeline and go into production). It is one of the four key DORA metrics.

DORA (DevOps research and assessment) metrics

Measures performance of DevOps teams. The Productivity dashboard displays the four key DORA metrics.

E
environment

A collection of resources, such as Kubernetes clusters and virtual machines, to deploy your pipelines. You can define your environments based on your process, or the way you want to install your services.

epic-wise

In Project summary, Jira project information is displayed grouped by epics. By selecting the epic name or the issue count, you can view: ID, issue type, status, number of commits, and date of last commit.

estimation trend

A method of tracking team productivity in the Projects summary. The estimation percentage of a project is displayed based on the statuses configured in the pipelines. Based on the duration selected, estimation information can be viewed in a line graph.

external pipeline

Any pipeline that is in a different pipeline group. You can create complex pipelines by connecting external pipeline definitions into a new pipeline.

F
failure rate

In the Productivity dashboard, the failure rate view depicts the total number of production issues compared to the total number of commits deployed to production. Failure rate is one of the four key DORA metrics.

failure tolerance

If Yes is selected in the quality gate settings of a test configuration in your pipeline, the pipeline proceeds even if tests fail, according to the failure tolerance that is entered as a percentage. A failure tolerance of 90%, for example, means that if ≥90% of tests are successful and ≤10% are failed, then the pipeline still proceeds.

fully SaaS

The fully SaaS option of CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS is ideal for organizations who use online DevOps tools and are able to access credentials securely stored in a CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS server.

G
greenfield pipeline

A pipeline that is for a completely new software product, with new code and resources.

group

How pipelines are organized. Pipeline groups are useful for setting up user access in a specific project. You can move pipelines from one group to another, and you can control user access at both the group and pipeline levels.

H
heatmap

A view on the Insights dashboard, in which pipeline executions are represented as colors. Successful runs are green, failed runs are red, and aborted runs are black.

hotfix

A quick code fix to remove a critical bug that may break software functionality. An orange HF icon next to a commit ID indicates that the commit is hotfixed. A hotfix is useful to modify a commit if there is an issue in an environment, but you still want to deploy a build.

J
Jenkins

An open source automation server. With Jenkins®, organizations can accelerate the software development process by automating it. Jenkins manages and controls software delivery processes throughout the entire lifecycle, including build, document, test, package, stage, deployment, static code analysis, and much more. You can set up Jenkins to watch for any code changes in places like SVN and GitHub, automatically run a build with tools like Ant and Maven, utilize container technology such as Docker and Kubernetes, initiate tests and then take actions like rolling back or rolling forward in production.

L
log

An auto-generated file that contains information about activities for diagnosis in case of failure. Errors are highlighted in log files to help you fix them.

M
mean time to recover (MTTR)

In the Productivity dashboard, the mean time to recover (MTTR) is the mean time taken to resolve an issue in production from the time of its creation. MTTR is one of the four key DORA metrics.

O
observability

Measurement of the internal states of a system by examining its outputs. CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS supports both AppDynamics and NewRelic observability tools.

on-premise

Resources running CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS are deployed in-house and within an enterprise’s IT infrastructure, rather than in the cloud. The enterprise is responsible for maintaining the application and its related processes.

P
pipeline

Models the software delivery process of scheduling jobs, executing workflows and coordinating dependencies among tasks. It connects individual processes into an end-to-end toolchain, creating a sequence of steps called stages. The pipeline invokes each individual process at the correct stage of the process and connects the flow of data between tools, creating an automatic software delivery process and a complete record of releases that can be audited. In CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS, you can define your release process with multiple workflows and approvals in sequential and/or parallel stages in a pipeline.

pipeline as code (PasC)

A practice of defining pipelines through source code which can be stored in a repository, such as GitHub, to manage changes. CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS provides this feature for users to define pipelines in YAML format, store the files in a repository, and synchronize your pipelines.

pipeline composer

The area of the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS UI where you can create your pipelines.

pipeline connector

A UI tool to connect pipelines from the same pipeline group in Pipeline composer.

plugin

A method for adding functionality to CloudBees CI. CloudBees offers a variety of proprietary plugins to extend the capabilities of your CloudBees CI instances.

post-merged

A commit is post-merged if its code changes have been integrated into the main code branch.

pre-merged

A commit is pre-merged if its code changes remain on a code branch that is separate from the main repository branch.

product

Any organized work effort that addresses a market need, either internal or external, and delivers an intentional user outcome. Long running in nature, the product lifecycle includes inception, validation, adoption, growth, and end of life.

project management

You can integrate the Jira project management tool. The issue and project status are updated automatically in Jira, and you can view Jira insights in the Project summary dashboard, including issue status.

Q
quality gate

A set of requirements necessary to move a build through a stage. If a quality gate is set to No, the pipeline only executes if all tests are successful. You can select Yes to allow the pipeline to proceed even if tests fail, according to failure tolerance, entered as a percentage.

R
release orchestration

The process of automating and coordinating tasks to deliver software applications, including associated configurations, activity logs, and notifications of stakeholders.

repository (repo)

Where your software code, including any source, configuration, or settings code, is located in your source control management (SCM) tool.

restart

If your pipeline fails, you may be able to restart it. Pipelines that can be restarted will have RESTART available above the failed stage.

role-based access control (RBAC)

You can assign access controls or privileges to each user, based on the assigned role. Certain aspects of the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS UI are under access control. There are five pre-defined roles: Admin, DevOps, Developer, Manager, and QA. You can create custom roles with unique access controls.

rollback

Rollbacks undo all changes made with a commit, so the source code remains at the state it was in before the commit was made. A red rollback icon next to Commit ID indicates that a commit is rolled back to the previous commit.

S
SaaS hybrid

An option which is ideal for organizations who use DevOps tools on their own private network and prefer to store credentials securely on-prem installed in the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS agent.

security assertion markup language (SAML)

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

schedule

A way to execute procedures automatically in response to system events. In CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS, you can schedule when your pipeline will run, or set up a recurring interval for it to run, instead of in response to a commit.

server

A SaaS application based in the cloud. CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS server enables you to manage tool configuration and pipelines. With the server, you can also view pipeline execution, builds, test stability, and summary dashboards.

settings as code (SasC)

A practice of maintaining settings in source code management (SCM) repository files. By managing settings files with application code, you benefit from managing and versioning your application, settings, and pipelines. You can manually upload a SasC file, or configure a GitHub repository to synchronize settings with updates.

single sign-on (SSO)

An authentication tool that can provide a more streamlined user experience, as it enables you to securely sign in to multiple software applications using one set of credentials. CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS single sign-on (SSO) supports security assertion markup language (SAML).

software as a service (SaaS)

Software delivered over the internet rather than being on-premise. For CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS, each customer can have their own version of the application, configured to their specifications, but from a shared code base that is updated and maintained by CloudBees.

source control management (SCM)

Also known as version control management, it is a way of merging and tracking changes to programming code by multiple contributors. SCMs store source code in a repository, keep a history of any changes, and help resolve code merge conflicts. SCM tools include BitBucket, Perforce, GitBucket, and SVN.

stage

A step for defining a conceptually distinct subset of an entire pipeline, for example: "Build", "Test", and "Deploy".

status

A pipeline can be in one of four possible states: new, draft, enabled, or disabled. A pipeline status can also refer to its execution result: either success or failure.

step

The building block of a pipeline. A step is triggered by an event and performs a task, producing an output.

T
template

Ready-made pipelines that you can modify according to your needs, by configuring each step in the pipeline.

test insights

Provides a view in the UI of system performance, error handling, robustness, and scalability of your software when it is run beyond normal capacity. You can filter by group, pipeline, environment, or duration.

test management

Configuration of either automated or manual tests. CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS supports JUnit, TestNG, and Chromium Test report formats, as well as native and custom test mapping.

test mapping

You can select and upload a test result file, parsing your test result report fields with the CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS UI fields.

test summary

Provides testing duration, number of successful and failed test runs, and logs for each test in Builds and Commits.

testing

Can be either manual or automated. Includes unit tests, UI tests, and integration tests, to maintain code quality and accelerate deployment. Automated testing helps you find bugs and fix any issues early, preventing deployment delays. Manual tests help to verify a build when you introduce a new feature into the software.

trigger

The first step in a pipeline, and a change in source code via a commit.

V
value stream management

A lean business practice that helps measure each software development activity for value to the business, through monitoring the software delivery lifecycle from idea to product.

deployment verification

You can set a timeframe for listening for critical problems during pipeline execution. You can also opt to allow the pipeline to proceed if verification fails.

W
watchlist

A way to monitor only those pipelines and jobs most relevant to you. Your watchlist can display both run details and metrics for your critical jobs across all CI controllers. A watchlist can help you monitor critical jobs associated with an application, for example, or check on specific jobs associated with a team or a service.

webhook

A way to modify a web application with a callback function that allows communication between two APIs. Using a JFrog webhook, CloudBees Release Orchestration SaaS can integrate with automated notifications, thus enabling pipelines to work seamlessly. JFrog Artifactory can process events associated with Build, Docker image, or Artifact.

Lexicon index
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