Cloudify Composer

Cloudify Composer is an editor for creating Blueprint YAML files dynamically, using a drag and drop interface. It enables you to model topology for complex applications, and to add relevant lifecycle operations implementation by importing plugins and scripts, or packaging them with the blueprint itself.

Among its drag-and-drop components are platform and network items such as compute node, database, web server, and so on. You can also add your own custom node type components, custom plugins and interfaces.

The generated output from Cloudify Composer is a downloadable TGZ or ZIP archive containing a blueprint.yaml file that provides a TOSCA-based description for the application topology and its lifecycle management. In addition to YAML artifacts, the blueprint archive includes a blueprint package that contains multiple resources such as configuration and installation scripts, code, and basically any other resource you require for running your application.

Getting started

Starting from Cloudify 4.1, the Cloudify Composer comes as part of the Cloudify Premium Manager. Starting You can access Cloudify Composer from your browser: directly via http://<cloudify-manager-ip>/composer or https://<cloudify-manager-ip>/composer from Cloudify Management Console by clicking on the Cloudify Composer link button on Local Blueprints page Edit a copy in Composer icon in Blueprints widget on Local Blueprints page Edit a copy in Composer button in Blueprint Actions Buttons widget at blueprint drill-down page (available by clicking on blueprint on Local Blueprints page) Cloudify Composer uses the Cloudify Premium Manager user definitions and to access the Cloudify Composer, you have to login to the Cloudify Management Console.

Features

This section describes the main functions related to creating a Blueprint. Typically, when you are using Cloudify Composer, your workflow will follow a similar order to that described in this section. Importing nodes Before you start to design your blueprint, you will typically want to add the stencils that contain the basic node types that you need to work with, and the operations that they expose. For more information about node types, click here.

Creating Blueprints

A blueprint is a model of the application’s topology and its operations implementation. Cloudify Composer allows to display/edit the blueprint in two complementary ways: Topology view - visual representation of the blueprint Source view - blueprint’s source code Topology view It provides visual representation showing used nodes and relations between them. You can access this view by clicking Topology option under the blueprint in Project view pane.

Managing Resources

Use the Resources node to add files and folders to a blueprint package. For example, you might want to add scripts to the package. Adding a Folder to the Package In the Resources tree, hover over the folder to which you want to add a new folder and click Add Folder icon. The folder appears in the folder to which it was added. Provide name of the folder, then press Enter to apply your changes.

Managing Inputs and Outputs

Cloudify Composer enables you to add inputs and outputs to the Blueprint under the Inputs & Outputs node. Inputs are parameters that are injected into a blueprint when a deployment is created. They enable you to add data that might not have been available when a blueprint was created. They also enable you to create different “flavors” of a blueprint. Outputs provide a method to expose global aspects of a blueprint’s deployment.

Managing Plugins

Cloudify Composer enables you to add plugins to the Blueprint under the Plugins node. Adding a plugin enables you to use node types and operations defined inside that plugin. Adding a Plugin from URL On the Plugins node, click Add from URL button. Provide plugin Yaml file URL in Yaml URL field. Click Add button. For more information about plugins, click here. Adding a Plugin from Catalog On the Plugins node, click Add from catalog button.