Bootstrap Policies

Instance deployment requests are invoked against application components stored in Apprenda’s application image repository. For example, if an availability event occurs due to an application instance crash or a developer requests a new instance of an application component be deployed, Apprenda invokes an instance deployment that gets pushed through a deployment pipeline. This deployment pipeline is extensible through an Apprenda feature called “Bootstrap Policies.” Bootstrap policies allow developers to write code that gets executed against the in-flight instance payload during instance deployment. This code can be uploaded to Apprenda as a plugin that gets installed in the deployment pipeline. When bootstrap policy code executes, it has access to all the binaries and configurations being deployed to the Apprenda cluster. This system is used by both Apprenda and Apprenda customers to manipulate binaries and configurations right before an instance is activated on the fabric. Common manipulations include enhancing the payload with orthogonal characteristics such as cloud architecture injections and general application enhancements. Bootstrap Policies also allow applications with external dependencies to move to the cloud more easily – see examples of Bootstrap Policies specifically designed for application dependencies, below. This system is easily extensible by both Apprenda and customers as new cloud remediation patterns are discovered through customer interactions.