Continuum Architecture

Overview

Since Continuum is a suite of applications, sometimes confusion arises over 'which part' performs 'which function'.

This document aims to describe the relationship and integration points between the components of the Continuum platform:

• Flow - A Continuous Delivery optimization platform

• Automate - A flexible, low level technology automation framework

• Canvas - A user-configurable REST API and user interface builder

Components

These components serve clearly distinct purposes, yet they are all part of the same platform. Being in the same platform, they augment one another and share certain architectural interface points. These shared points of architecture are:

• database - the Continuum database supports all components

• auth - the Continuum database is the sole source of authentication for all components

• mongo - the Mongo 'Datastore' is available to all components

• api - the Continuum REST API is available to all components

Interdependencies

Now, let's look at how each product makes use of these common points of architecture, and their interdependencies.

Automate

• Automate can stand alone

• Automate requires the Continuum database

• Automate requires authenticated users

• Automate optionally uses the Mongo datastore

• Automate Tasks can make API calls

Flow

• Flow can stand alone

• Flow does not require Automate, but in a typical setup Automate will be used

• Flow does not require Deploy, but will use Deploy if no environment management solution is available

• Flow does not require Canvas, but Flow plugins use Canvas for information presentation in the UI

• Flow requires the Continuum database

• Flow requires authenticated users

• Flow requires the Mongo datastore

• Flow does not make any direct use of the API

Canvas

• Canvas can stand alone

• Canvas does not require the Continuum database, but it's use is optimal

• Canvas does not require authenticated users, but can utilize authentication to implement a permissions model

• Canvas can access the Continuum database, the Mongo datastore, and the API

• Canvas requires authentication to make API calls

When embedded in Deploy, Canvas can utilize certain Deploy UI functions via "UI integration functions", such as the ability to present a user with the Run Sequence dialog.

Canvas is used in the Flow UI form management and presentation of various metrics and dashboards.