Review and Deploy the Deployment Using Compare and Deploy

The fourth step of a direct deployment using Compare and Deploy is the Review Details step. Here, you can review and edit the metadata for your deployment, add an import customization file (ICF), and deploy. The metadata for your deployment will be available on the Deploy view after you deploy.

Review properties

In this review step, you can modify the following properties:

Property	Description
Name	The name of the deployment as it will appear in the Deploy view.
Description	A brief description of the deployment as it will appear in the Deploy view.
Delete package after deployment	Select this checkbox to delete all selected packages once the deployment is complete. Deleting the package(s) does not delete the objects in them.
Import Customization File	The import customization file (ICF) you want to include in this deployment. See the section below for more information on ICFs.

After reviewing your deployment details, continue to deploy.

Import customization files in deployments

If the package you selected for this deployment contains an ICF, the file displays in this pane of the deployment details.

If you are deploying multiple packages and multiple contain an ICF, a grid appears with the file and the source package. The import customization file (ICF) is not populated by default in this step, even if the individual packages you are deploying already contain an ICF. You must manually reconcile the contents of the multiple ICFs and upload them as a single file during this step. Once uploaded, this combined ICF will only be used for the deployment and will not be saved to any of the packages included in the deployment.

You can do the following in the ICF pane:

• To add an import customization file, click UPLOAD and select a .properties file.
• To remove the import customization file from the deployment, click the icon next to the file. This action also removes the import customization file from the package you used as a source for the deployment.
• To download the existing file, click the file link.
• To download a template file, click Download Import Customization File Template. Appian reuses the deployment name as the template file name. This template file includes placeholder properties for any objects in the deployment that can be customized with an ICF. If there are no objects of that type in the deployment, the template file contains instructions only. When deploying multiple packages at once, the downloaded template includes properties for all objects included in the deployment.

Pre-populated deployment names

For all deployments, Appian suggests names for the deployment to help you quickly differentiate between deployments.

The pre-populated names for deployments that include packages from multiple applications use the environment name by default, rather than the names of the individual modified applications. These suggested names also include "Export" or "Deployment", to further distinguish between deployments.

For deployments that only include packages from a single application, the pre-populated name uses the application name by default.

Complete the deployment

After you've reviewed the deployment details in Compare and Deploy, you're ready to deploy!

Your deployment workflow depends on your deployment security and infrastructure:

• Choose the DEPLOY option if you have Administrator permissions for the application and the target environment has enabled direct deployments. This action affects your target environment.
• Choose the EXPORT option if you don't have Administrator permissions for the application, or the target environment does not allow direct deployments. The export action does not affect your target environment.

Deploy now

To complete your direct deployment:

1. Edit the deployment name and description if necessary.
2. Click DEPLOY.

3. (Optional) Click Download Package to download the ZIP file containing the deployed objects.

   Note:  The downloaded ZIP file only contains the design objects and application configurations in the deployment. It does not include database scripts or plug-ins.

4. (Optional) Click Download Export Log to download a record of the deployment.
5. Click View Deployment Details to see the deployment status in the Deploy view of the current environment.

A confirmation dialog appears once the deployment has been sent to the target environment.

Once your deployment is in progress, the deployment details are available on the Deploy view of both the source and target environments. Deployment details are only visible to system administrators and users with Administrator permissions for the application (application administrators).

If your deployment requires review, application administrators and users in the reviewer group will receive an email about the pending deployment. They can approve or reject deployments in the deployment details view.

Export instead

To export the design objects and application configurations you selected and evaluated for deployment:

1. Edit the deployment name and description if necessary.
2. Click Export.

3. Click Download Package.

   Note:  The exported ZIP file only contains the design objects and application configurations in the deployment. It does not include database scripts or plug-ins.

4. (Optional) Click Download Export Log to download a record of the export.
5. Click Go to <target environment>.
6. Inspect and import the package manually.

Deploy to another environment

Once a package has been successfully deployed, you can reuse it for another environment. This is helpful for deploying packages to higher environments after testing your changes in a lower environment. The same set of changes will be applied to ensure that you are making consistent updates across all of your environments.

This option is available to system administrators and application administrators for any completed, incoming deployments. The same objects and database scripts (in the same order) that were originally deployed will be used for the new deployment, but you can update the import customization file (ICF).

To reuse a successfully deployed package:

1. In the navigation pane, click DEPLOY view. By default, the INCOMING tab is active.
2. Click the name of the package you want to deploy.

3. Under ACTION, click DEPLOY TO ANOTHER ENVIRONMENT.

   

4. Select a target environment to deploy to.
5. Click NEXT.
6. Inspect the deployment:
   • If there are no missing precedents to resolve, click NEXT to continue.
   • If there are any missing precedents, select the missing object and click ADD TO PACKAGE.
   • Once the missing precedents are resolved, click INSPECT AGAIN.
   • Continue until all missing precedents are resolved, then click NEXT.

     Note:  Inspection of a reused package checks the objects and application configurations in your package for missing precedents only.

7. Review the details:
   • Edit the deployment Name and Description if necessary.

   • Upload an import customization file if appropriate.

     Note:  Because values in an import customization file are specific to an individual environment, the ICF from the previous environment where the package successfully deployed is not automatically reused. This approach allows you to specify the values for the new target environment with an appropriate import customization file. You can always download the import customization file from the previous deployment in the Deploy view.

8. Click DEPLOY. A confirmation dialog displays once the deployment has been sent to the target environment.

   For system administrators and application administrators, deployment details are available on the Deploy view of both the source and target environments. To access the view quickly, click View Deployment Details in the confirmation dialog.

   If your deployment requires review, reviewers will receive an email about the pending deployment.

Deploy only an import customization file

To deploy only an import customization file:

1. Create a package that contains an import customization file but no objects.
2. Select the target environment.
3. Prepare the package:
   • Select Deploy a package.
   • Select the package you created.
4. Click NEXT. The Inspection Step displays an empty state, because there are no objects to inspect.
5. Click NEXT. The Review Step displays the import customization file from the package.
6. Click DEPLOY.

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