Deployment pipeline more agile between dev and test, and approval between test and prod?

[Mikael Karlsson]

Hi, just started with AES and AEMC and some questions have come up.

How could we configure Deployment Pipeline / AEMC to allow our developers to publish between Dev and Test without any approval? This could happen multiple times before finally deciding to deploy to production, i can't see that they have the option to choose if they intend the submission for test or prod.

Consider something like this which must be common:

1. Submit app in Dev
   1. Approval is created for deployment Dev-Test
      1. Approved, app installed into Test, approval task automatically created for Test-Prod
   2. Developer finds bug in Test which needs fixing in Dev (but the production deployment request is still pending and will be pushed to Prod if approved, how can the developer prevent this)

[Edoardo M]

Hi @Mikael Karlsson,

To streamline your deployment process, I suggest automating the approval for Dev-to-Test deployments by creating a custom flow in ServiceNow's Flow Designer. This flow would automatically approve and process Dev-to-Test deployments, allowing developers to quickly push changes between these environments without manual intervention.

One of the key advantages of this approach is that it builds on top of the existing out-of-the-box behavior without requiring any customization of the AEMC (Application Engine Management Center) solution. By avoiding direct customization, you ensure that your environment remains more compatible with future upgrades, reducing potential maintenance overhead and improving long-term stability.

This solution allows you to maintain the speed and flexibility developers need during the development and testing phases, while preserving the integrity and upgradability of your AEMC configuration.

BR,

Edo

[Mikael Karlsson]

Thanks for the response, we could definitely have a separate flow which listens for deployment approval requests and automatically approve them if they fit the bill.

But the other question remains, there is only one way to do a submission from Dev right? No way to choose to submit only towards Test? Because currently once the app has been approved for Dev, the next approval kicks off waiting to install in Prod. How do other customers handle this when multiple deployments from Dev to Test is required before app is ready for Prod?

[WORKFLOW-COWBOY]

Correct. AES can only submit a Deployment Request to a single Pipeline. Changing the approval Flows or creating wrapper Flows would be the way to go. 

[Edoardo M]

Hi Mikael,

Many customers enforce the Test-to-Prod release by integrating AEMC with ServiceNow's Change Management. This integration provides the ability to manage and approve the transition from Test to Production separately, ensuring that only finalized and approved changes are deployed to Production.

This allows for multiple iterations between Dev and Test without triggering a Production deployment prematurely. For more details, you can check out this video: Platform Governance and Operations with AEMC.

You can find the detailed Pipelines and Deployments workflow here.

Another go-to-asset is available in NowCreate for AEMC: App Engine Management Center (AEMC) - Overview 

BR,

Edo