Application-release automation
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Application-release automation (ARA) refers to the process of packaging and deploying an application or update of an application from development, across various environments, and ultimately to production.[1] ARA solutions must combine the capabilities of deployment automation, environment management and modeling, and release coordination.[2]
Relationship with DevOps
ARA tools help cultivate DevOps best practices by providing a combination of automation, environment modeling and workflow-management capabilities. These practices help teams deliver software rapidly, reliably and responsibly. ARA tools achieve a key DevOps goal of implementing continuous delivery with a large quantity of releases quickly. [3]
Relationship with Deployment
ARA is more than just software-deployment automation – it deploys applications using structured release-automation techniques that allow for an increase in visibility for the whole team.[4] It combines workload automation and release-management tools as they relate to release packages, as well as movement through different environment within the DevOps pipeline.[5] ARA tools help regulate deployments, how environments are created and deployed, and how and when releases are deployed.[6]
ARA Solutions
Gartner and Forrester have published lists of ARA tools in their ARA Magic Quadrant and Wave reports respectively.[7] [8]All ARA solutions must include capabilities in automation, environment modeling, and release coordination. Additionally, the solution must provide this functionality without reliance on other tools. [9]
| Solution | Released by |
|---|---|
| BuildMaster | Inedo |
| CA Release Automation and Automic | CA Technologies |
| ElectricFlow | Electric Cloud |
| Hybrid Cloud Management (Premium Edition) | Hewlett-Packard Enterprise |
| Puppet Enterprise | Puppet |
| DeployHub | OpenMake Software |
| Release Lifecycle Management | BMC Software |
| Deployment Automation (formerly Serena Deployment Automation) | Micro Focus |
| UrbanCode Deploy & UrbanCode Release | IBM |
| XL Deploy & XL Release | XebiaLabs |
| Visual Studio Release Management | Microsoft |
| FlexDeploy | Flexagon |
References
- ^ "Gartner IT Glossary – Application Release Automation (ARA)". Gartner. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ Application Release Automation Market Forecast (Report). Forrester. 2015.
- ^ Garner Market Trends: DevOps – Not a Market, but Tool-Centric Philosophy That supports a Continuous Delivery Value Chain (Report). Gartner. 18 February 2015.
- ^ Humble, Jez; Farley, David (2011). Continuous Delivery: reliable software releases through build, test, and deployment automation. Pearson Education Inc. p. 255-257. ISBN 978-0-321-60191-9.
- ^ Market Overview: Application Release Automation Tools (Report). Forrester. 2015.
- ^ Market Guide for Application Release Automation Solutions (Report). Gartner. 20 July 2015.
- ^ Fletcher, Colin (27 September 2017). Magic Quadrant for Application Release Automation (Report). Gartner.
- ^ Stroud, Robert (30 August 2017). "The Forrester Wave™: Continuous Delivery and Release Automation, Q3 2017". www.forrester.com.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Fletcher, Colin (1 August 2016). Critical Capabilities for Application Release Automation Solutions (Report). Gartner.