Configuring Multiple Pre-Built Repositories

Itential Automation Platform (IAP) supports the configuration of multiple Prebuilt Automation repositories. This means that a user can provide configurations to fetch Pre-built Automations from multiple repository locations as well as install and manage those Pre-built Automations in a single IAP environment.

This guide defines the minimum requirements and process to have functioning multi-repository configurations in Itential Automation Platform. Instructions on how to create, manage, and delete these Prebuilt-Automation repository configurations are also provided.

Repository Configuration Properties

The configuration properties for the @itentialopensource Prebuilt Automation repository are configured by default on startup of IAP.

The following properties are required for a Pre-built Automation repository configuration.

Sample Repository Configuration

Below is a sample configuration for repoConfigs.

{
    ...
    "repoConfigs": {
        "@itentialopensource": {
            "enabled": true,
            "versionStatus": "current",
            "type": "gitlab",
            "hostname": "gitlab.com",
            "path": "itentialopensource/pre-built-automations",
            "credentials": {
                "token": "TOKEN STRING"
            }
        }
    }
    ...
}

Supported Repository Types

The type property of repoConfigs can only be set to the types supported within IAP such as the following:

Managing Pre-built Repository Configurations

The repository configurations can be managed from the Repositories menu item of the Pre-builts section in Admin Essentials.

Figure 1: Admin Essentials Repositories

In the Browse menu, a user can select from a dropdown the repository configuration that will be used to fetch Pre-built Automations.

The sidebar has a Repositories section that allows a user to manage their repository configurations. A user has the ability to create, edit, or delete a configuration. In addition to these options, a user can also select to View All which will allow the user to view all of the repository configurations currently on the system.

Figure 2: Manage Repository Configurations

Editing a repo config can be done from the Repository Config details page.

Figure 3: Edit Repository Config

Add a New Pre-built Repository

A user can create a new repository configuration by going to the Repositories menu item of the Pre-built section of Admin Essentials and selecting the Create button in the upper left button bar. A dialog will appear, prompting the user to fill in the Configuration Properties.

A user can also create a new repository configuration without using the UI. An API request can be sent to POST /prebuilts-repository/configs with a request body of the following:

{
    "name": "test",
    "config": {
        "enabled": true,
        "versionStatus": "current",
        "type": "gitlab",
        "hostname": "gitlab.com",
        "path": "itentialopensource/pre-built-automations",
        "credentials": {}
    }
}

Edit a Pre-built Repository Configuration

A user can edit an existing repository configuration by going to the Repositories menu item of the Pre-built section of Admin Essentials and selecting Edit repository details. A dialog will appear, prompting the user to modify each property that can be edited.

Connect or Disconnect a Pre-built Repository Configuration

A user can connect or disconnect an existing repository configuration by going to the Repositories menu item of the Pre-built section of Admin Essentials and selecting the target configuration. A dialog will appear with all of the existing properties for the selected repository configuration. At the top of the dialog there is a toggle that can be switched on/off which represents the repository configuration being 'connected' or 'disconnected'.

Note: If a repository configuration is disconnected, any associated Pre-built Automations installed on the system will no longer be able to receive any updates. Once the repository configurations is reconnected then the Pre-built Automations can resume receiving updates.

Delete a Pre-built Repository Configuration

A user can delete an existing repository configuration by going to the Repositories menu item of the Pre-built section of Admin Essentials and selecting the target configuration. Then choose "Delete" in the more button at the upper right side. A dialog will appear, prompting the user to select a repository configuration to delete.

Note: If a repository configuration is deleted from IAP and that configuration had associated Pre-built Automations that were installed on the system, each of those Pre-built Automations will be updated to a "local" configuration. This means the Pre-built Automations is no longer associated with a repository and will not be able to receive updates. Furthermore, if the repository is reconnected and the same Pre-built Automations are installed, they will conflict with the "local" Pre-builts and must be managed accordingly.

Viewing Installed Pre-builts from Different Repositories

Installed pre-builts from different repositories will appear under the Pre-builts tab in Admin Essentials. Each repository config will be listed as a collapsible menu, with the pre-builts from that config listed under it. Pre-builts from connected repositories will have update icons if they are out of sync; pre-builts from disconnected repositories will not check the repository for updates. In addition, pre-builts from deleted repositories will not check for updates (as the repository is no longer accessible), and will also be moved under a local namespace in the sidebar.

The dropdown menu within the Pre-builts Catalog also allows the user to choose which repository to query when getting a list of pre-builts. This interface limits the query to only one repository at a time.