Components

Required Roles n/a
Required Rights
(by category)		 Applications
Perspective  Configuration Management
Access  DROPS Server →  Artifacts →  Applications →  Application editor → z/OS Components tab

Components are unique, functional subdivisions of applications used to structure releases created when artifacts are imported into the artifact repository. Components should group an application's artifacts by the intended deployment target because every artifact in a component will be deployed to the same infrastructure item.

A component can only belong to one application but an application can have many components. They are used to manage import strategies and are the parent entity for imported artifacts in the artifact repository's hierarchy. Artifacts that belong to a component can come from different sources which means that a component can contain multiple import strategies, which each provide DROPS access to the artifacts to import.

During the deployment process, the contents of components (artifacts) are deployed to target systems following the same directory structure defined in the artifact repository. The structure inside the component node is defined in each import strategy.

Example

Your application is a software product that uses a web-based interface to connect to a server. Both the website and the server are required for the application to work correctly. The server is located in New York but the website's source HTML files and the .css style sheet must be hosted in Paris. The application should contain two components - one for each destination.

Components are defined and accessed in applications. To access the list of components defined for an application, select the application from the  Applications node in the  Configuration Explorer and refer to the  Components tab.

This tab displays all of the components defined for the current application.

The Application editor - Components

Follow the subsequent steps to create a new component.

Step 1   Open the application for which you want to create a new component.

Step 2   Click the  Create button in the  Components tab of an application to open the Create a new component wizard.

Step 3   Define the two mandatory properties: the Component Code and Component Name. These values can be edited later.

Step 4   Select a pre-defined component type from the Component type drop-down list.

Note

This element is not mandatory but may help to organize components. It also allows the use of templates associated with the component type.

Reference

For more information about component types, refer to Component types.

Step 5   If the component is to import an ARCAD application, it is recommended to define the Component Extension Type. Select the ARCAD type from the drop-down list. If you are not importing an ARCAD application, you can leave this field blank. Components are not required to have an extension type.

Step 6    Click Finish.

Result   New components are displayed in the  Components manager.

To view or edit a component, double-click it or select it then click  Edit to open the  Components editor.

The Component editor

The information that defines components can be edited at any time by users with the rights to do so.

Reference

For more information about the different actions managed from the tabs in the  Components editor that are not described in this chapter, refer to:

Component Code

A unique string that identifies components. This label is used throughout DROPS to select the entity.

An application cannot contain multiple components with the same code. This means that all of the components in one application must have unique codes, but that two different applications can contain two different components even if they both use the same code.

Component Name
A label used to give additional information about the component. This label is used throughout DROPS to select the entity.
Extended Configuration

Some component types require extended configuration. If the component's current type does, this field will be a link to the type-specific configuration editor.

Reference

For more information about extended configuration editors, refer to Component type extended configuration.

Component type

A value used to assign a type to the component. This drop-down list is prepopulated with all of the component types defined by the administrator in the Configuration Templates node in the  Configuration Explorer.

Save the changes (, Ctrl+S or File > Save).

Component types are defined when creating a component and cannot be edited in the component's editor view. It can be changed in the Application editor.

To change the type of a component, click on the Change type button in the Application editor.

Select the new component type from the list, which is prepopulated with the component types available.

Warning!

Component types may include extended template configuration. Changing the component type will delete and/or replace any preexisting configuration already defined for the component.

Reference

For more information about component type configuration, refer to Component types.

The extended configuration for a component is defined when creating a component, and cannot be edited in the component's editor view. It can be changed in the Application editor.

To change the extension of a component, in order to gain access to any extended configuration, click on the Change Extension button in the Application editor.

Select the new extension from the list, which is prepopulated with the types available.

Warning!

Changing the component's extension will delete and/or replace any preexisting extended configuration already defined for the component, even if the type of extension chose is the same as it was originally.

Reference

For more information about extended configuration, refer to Component type extended configuration.

Warning!

Deleted components are no longer associated with their parent application and cannot be accessed or recovered. Any associated import strategies are also deleted.

To delete a component, select the item in the  Components tab of an application, then click  Delete. Click OK to confirm or click Cancel to keep the component.

Save the changes (, Ctrl+S or File > Save).