Updating a Private or Custom App

Applicability

Description

This is the process of updating a custom app.

 

Investigation

The process of submitting and updating an App in Splunk Cloud has greatly changed since this article was first published.
Previous versions detail steps that are no longer necessary. Splunk Cloud Platform supports self-service installation of private apps on search heads and indexers. 

Vet apps and add-ons for Splunk Cloud Platform

You must have the sc_admin  role to install apps in the Splunk Cloud Platform.

Resolution

To update a Custom App

Make the necessary modifications to update the App. Remember, any modification needs to be compatible with the current Splunk Cloud version where it will be deployed.

Splunk Cloud Platform supports self-service installation of private apps on search heads and indexers. Splunk Cloud Platform does not support self-service installation of private apps on IDM. 

• Install a private app on Victoria Experience.
• Install a private app on Classic Experience.
  Determine your Splunk Cloud Platform Experience:  Support & Services > About. 

1. Review Splunk Cloud App Requirements 
2. Run AppInspect for Pre-Submission Validation
3. Prepare Your App Package
   Package the app using .spl, .tar, .tar.gz or .tgz file format. Limit the package size to 128MB.
4. Submit Your App for vetting

Documentation Private Apps

Notes:

A common failure happens when the App version for the update is not incremented. 

The app must have a properly configured app.conf file, which includes:

• Unique app ID: The id in app.conf should be unique and not conflict with other apps.
• Version number: Clearly define the version of the app.
• Visible settings: The app must have appropriate visibility settings in Splunk’s UI.

Steps to increase version number

• Navigate to the app's directory, typically found at:
   

  $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/<your_app_name>/default/app.conf
  Modifications must be made to the default folder.  App vetting doesn't allow any local folder.

• Open to edit the app.conf file.
• Look for the [launcher] stanza, which includes the version information. It will look something like this:
  
  

  [launcher] 
  version = 1.0.0Sample version increment[launcher] 
  version = 1.1.0

• Increase the version number to reflect the update, for example:
  version = 1.1.0
  Use semantic versioning (major.minor.patch) to increment the version appropriately:
  • Major version: For major changes or backward-incompatible updates.
  • Minor version: For new features or backward-compatible improvements.
  • Patch version: For bug fixes or small changes.

Another common failure is a missing README file that is generally required for a Splunk app