Terms and concepts for Db2 continuous deployment (CD)
Before you start using the continuous deployment (CD) features of Db2® CI/CD Expert, familiarize yourself with the key terms and concepts related to Db2 CD.
- Business object
- A business object is a primary logical identifier that correlates related Db2 objects across multiple deployment environments in the Db2 CI/CD Expert continuous deployment workflow. It links two or more objects of the same type even when their physical representations, such as schema names, qualifiers, or identifiers, differ between environments.
A business object provides a unified logical correlation that enables consistent tracking of deployed objects across environments in a deployment path. Each business object is associated with one or more business environment objects, one for each environment where the object is managed through Db2 CI/CD Expert.
- Business environment object
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A business environment object represents the physical instance of a Db2 object in a specific deployment environment. It is linked to a business object and stores metadata about that environment’s copy of the object, such as environment name, object name and qualifier, the release and the manifest that was used when the object was first discovered and linked, and its current catalog presence.
Business environment objects enable you to track how an object evolves across environments and maintain history and auditability.
- Deployment
- Deployment is an operation to promote Db2 object definitions from one environment to another in a release. A release can have multiple deployments.
- Deployment environment
- A deployment environment is a wrapper for a Db2 subsystem, designating the subsystem as available for continuous deployment (CD) activities within Db2 CI/CD Expert. Each deployment environment can associate with only a single Db2 subsystem or data-sharing group, although multiple environments can have reference to the same subsystem. The relationships between environments form the deployment path, with each environment acting as a node in the progression of Db2 object definitions in a catalog-to-catalog deployment.
- Deployment rules
- The deployment rules are defined on the target of a deployment performed as part of a release. These rules are applied to the Db2 objects when deploying them to the target environment. The types of deployment rules are translation, overwrite, directive, and ignore.
- Editor
- The Editor can edit the manifest to which they are assigned. The creator of a manifest automatically becomes the Editor of a manifest. The Editor can add more users to the Editor list.
- External repository
- An external repository is a source location outside the Db2 catalog where deployment-ready DDL statements are stored. Examples include an artifact repository, a source control management (SCM) system, or a data set member. These DDL statements are used as input for external deployments in Db2 CI/CD Expert.
- Intersection
- An intersection in Db2 CI/CD Expert refers to a context defined by a specific combination of one or more deployment rule filters, such as path, environment, landscape, and manifest. Intersections determine where and how a deployment rule applies within a release and establish its precedence. The more specific an intersection is, the higher precedence the rule has. Rules defined at more specific intersections (with more filters) override those defined at broader intersections. For example, a rule defined for a specific environment on a defined path for a specific manifest overrides a rule defined for an entire landscape that contains that environment.
- Landscape
- A landscape is a logical collection of one or more deployment environments that serve a common business purpose, such as development, QA, or production. It provides a convenient way to categorize and manage deployment targets. When creating a deployment environment, you can select an existing landscape or add a new one to determine where you want the environment to reside. Environments can be added to or removed from a landscape as needed.
- Local sysplex
- The sysplex that contains the z/OS system where UMS and Db2 CI/CD Expert are installed.
- Manifest
- A manifest is a collection of Db2 objects that are deployed together across landscapes as part of a release. When a manifest is assigned to a release, it expands into its associated objects and then progresses through the defined landscapes.
- Manifest participant
- Manifest participants are users who can work with manifests. The two participant roles are: Reviewer and Editor.
- Node
- A node refers to a specific point on a deployment path. A node can be either an environment or a landscape. The node types are the beginning node, after node, and peer nodes.
- Object collision
- An object collision occurs when you attempt to deploy a Db2 object to a target environment associated with a specific Db2 subsystem, but the object already exists in that subsystem. This situation might occur when the object was previously deployed through another environment linked to the same subsystem.
To resolve an object collision, you can apply appropriate translation rules to the target environment. These rules help remap object names or ownership attributes for the target environment, preventing conflicts within the subsystem.
- Out-of-band changes
- Out-of-band changes are modifications made directly in a Db2 subsystem, outside the Db2 CI/CD Expert continuous deployment process, to Db2 objects that are managed in a deployment environment after a successful deployment through Db2 CI/CD Expert. These changes cause the Db2 catalog and the environment's associated internal Git repository to become unsynchronized. When out-of-band changes are detected, authorized users can choose to retain or discard the changes to restore synchronization between deployment environments and their corresponding Git repositories.
- Path
- A deployment path defines the sequence along which Db2 objects, represented in a manifest, are deployed to execute a release. A path consists of a collection of nodes, which can be environments or landscapes. A path begins with an initiating node and ends at a terminating node. The initiating node on a path must be a single environment. Subsequent nodes represent deployment targets and can be a single landscape, a single environment, or a group of peer environments within the same landscape.
A deployment path is required only for catalog-to-catalog deployment of Db2 object definitions. Deployment of Db2 object definitions from an external repository does not require a path to be defined.
- Peer group
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When a deployment path includes a source environment with multiple target environments, these targets are grouped as peers. A peer group consists of environments within a landscape.
- Pending changes
- Pending changes are generated when a deployment process detects out-of-band changes and the user specifies how these changes should be managed. These pending changes represent inconsistencies in Db2 objects across source, target, or peer environments. Through the list of pending changes, you can identify which environments are the source for resolving these inconsistencies during deployment operations.
- Primary peer
- When the target node is a peer group, the first environment assigned as a target for deployment in the peer group becomes the primary peer.
- Release
- A release is an operation to initiate and track the ready-to-use manifest across the environments involved in a deployment path. The release objects maintain the history of the release, along with all inputs, outputs, and decisions made during the release.
- Remote sysplex
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Any sysplex other than the local sysplex, which can be reached by UMS via TCP/IP connections.
- Reviewer
- The Reviewer can review and approve the changes. However, they are restricted to viewing only the manifest assigned to them.