Model and package units of deployment

This page describes how to model and package units of deployment for a SaaS offering. In App Lifecycle Manager, a unit of deployment is called a unit kind.

Create one unit kind for each component of the SaaS offering that you want to manage independently. For more details, see Determine the model of the SaaS offering.

You can also create a SaaS offering using a single unit kind for the entire SaaS offering.

Unit kinds are defined in Application Design Center composite templates. Use App Design Center to model the unit kinds of your SaaS offering using composite templates.

Before you begin

  1. Ensure you have created a SaaS offering for your SaaS application.
  2. Ensure you have the service accounts with the required permissions. For details, see App Lifecycle Manager service accounts.
  3. For each Saas offering you create, ensure you have a composite template. For details, see the following section Determine the model of the SaaS offering.

Determine the model of the SaaS offering

To model the SaaS offering, you need to determine how many unit kinds to create, and the relationship between these unit kinds.

For example, you might create two unit kinds: one unit kind for the infrastructure such as a VM, and one unit kind for the application deployed onto the infrastructure.

To decide how to model the SaaS offering using unit kinds, consider the following:

  • Review the dependencies between components of the SaaS offering. For example, if a SaaS offering includes an application deployed onto a shared Kubernetes cluster, then consider using a unit kind to model this shared cluster.
  • Consider the release and maintenance cycle of the components of the SaaS offering. If there are components that are managed together, such as the infrastructure, then consider modeling these components with one unit kind.

Once you have determined this model, you need to model each unit kind in your composite template for each unit kind.

Create a unit kind

You can create a unit kind by using composite templates.

Create a new composite template

You can manage unit kinds using App Design Center composite templates.

To create a new composite template using App Lifecycle Manager:

  1. In Google Cloud console, go to to App Lifecycle Manager > SaaS offerings.

    Go to SaaS offerings

  2. Click Create new template.

  3. On the Create a new composite template page:

    1. In the Template ID box, enter an identifier for your template.

    2. Optional: In the Template name box, enter a name for the template.

    3. Optional: In the Description box, enter a short description of the template.

    4. Click Create template. App Lifecycle Manager will take a few minutes create the template.

  4. When the template has been created successfully, you'll see your template's details in the Connected application template section of the SaaS offering details page.

    You've successfully created a composite template using App Lifecycle Manager.

Populate unit kinds using an existing composite template

You can populate unit kinds by using App Design Center composite templates.

To populate unit kinds from an existing composite template:

  1. In Google Cloud console, go to to App Lifecycle Manager > SaaS offerings.

    Go to SaaS offerings

  2. Click Connect existing template.

  3. On the Connect a composite application template page, set up the template connection:

    1. In the Space drop-down, select the App Design Center space with your composite template.
    2. In the Composite application template drop-down, choose a composite template.
    3. In the Revision drop-down, choose the template revision you want to populate your SaaS offering's unit kinds.
    4. Click Connect.

  4. App Lifecycle Manager will take a few minutes to import the composite template from App Design Center. Once App Lifecycle Manager imports the template correctly, the Unit kinds tab will be populated by the unit kinds defined in your composite template.

    You've successfully populated your SaaS offering's unit kinds using a composite template.

What's next