Learning Loop overview
Learning Loop provides preloaded sample data across multiple DevOps Loop capabilities. It helps you learn and practice workflows by exploring sample projects, work items, repositories, build pipelines, deployments, and tests without starting from an empty setup.
Learning Loops use a sample application that consists of frontend and backend microservices. The application components are organized into segments, which contain the source code, build configurations, deployment configurations, and test assets required to demonstrate an end-to-end DevOps workflow.
The Learning Loop, with its preloaded sample data, helps you explore and understand DevOps Loop features:
- Understand how events flow between capabilities. For example, a commit in Control triggers a build in Build and a deployment in Deploy.
- View a consistent end-to-end implementation of DevOps Loop capabilities for demonstrations, evaluations, and training.
- Explore how DevOps Loop manages multi-component applications through segments.
- Experiment with features and configurations in a non-production environment.
Learning Loops include an automated deployment experience for a sample application. Code changes flow through the complete pipeline from source control to build, deployment, and testing. The sample application consists of frontend and backend services that are managed independently through segments while remaining connected within the same Learning Loop.
Segments in Learning Loops
A segment is a sub-loop that represents an individual application component within a Learning Loop.
Learning Loops use segments to organize and manage multi-component applications. When a Learning Loop is created, DevOps Loop automatically provisions separate frontend and backend segments.
Each segment contains its own:
- Source code repository
- Build configuration
- Deployment configuration
- Test assets
Segments help you manage and deploy application components independently while maintaining visibility across the complete application lifecycle.
Scope
- Plan - Creates a project with releases, sprints, and work items.
- Control - Creates and populates frontend and backend source code repositories with sample application code and deployment artifacts.
- Build - Creates projects, processes, and jobs for frontend and backend segments. Requires a manual step to configure an active agent.
- Deploy - Creates deployment resources and processes for frontend and backend segments. Backend services are deployed to Kubernetes, while frontend artifacts are published through the Learning Webserver.
Key characteristics
- Built for learning and exploration, not for use in production environments.
- Some manual steps, such as configuring build agents, are required.
- Once configured, the end-to-end workflow is automated across Control, Build, Deploy, and Test.
- After the sample data is loaded, you can edit or extend it to fit your own configurations.
- Learning Loops support multi-component application architectures through frontend and backend segments.
- The frontend application is hosted through the Learning Webserver and is accessible through a unique URL generated for each Learning Loop.
- Each Learning Loop receives its own backend deployment and temporary database instance.