Plugins overview

When creating component or global processes, use plugins to configure and run steps for your deployment, such as requests to application servers, build management tools, database and file management systems, and test automation tools.

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About plugins

Deployment Automation plugins provide tools for creating component and global processes.

Plugins integrate many third-party tools into Deployment Automation, such as application servers and software configuration management products.

For a list of plugins available for Deployment Automation, see Supported plugins.

Plugins consist of configurable steps which can be thought of as distinct pieces of automation that enable you to create fully automated deployment processes. For example, the Tomcat and WebSphere plugins provide steps that start and stop those servers, install and uninstall applications, and perform other tool-specific tasks.

Each plugin step consists of:

Properties	A set of properties serve many purposes, from providing information for the step's command to supplying some or all of the actual command. When defining properties, you can also create hints. A hint enables you to add a comment to a step when you need to provide more details for other users. To view the comment, point to the step in the design space.
Command	A command performs the function associated with the step.
Post-processing script	A post-processing script helps ensure that expected results occur. After each step finishes processing, the system runs the step's default post-processing script. You can create and use your own scripts. For details, see Manage post-processing scripts.

When you create a process, you drag steps onto the design space in the process designer, define their properties, and connect steps in a sequence. For details, see Create and design component processes.

You can set property values when designing a process or at runtime.

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See also

• Manage global processes
• Create plugins