App Lifecycle Workflows
App lifecycle workflows include the operations that you use to add, activate, deactivate, start, stop, upgrade, and delete an app.
There is no limit, other than system resource restrictions, on the number of apps that can simultaneously have the status of DEPLOYED, For PAAS apps, there also is no limit on how many can simultaneously have the status of ACTIVATED, or STARTED. For VM apps, only one can have the status of ACTIVATED or STARTED at a time.
The following sections describe these workflows:
Adding/Deploying an App
Adding an app uploads the app tarball (a file in tar format) to the host system. After you add the app, it appears on the Cisco IOx Local Manager Applications page and has status DEPLOYED. System CPU and RAM resources are not yet reserved for the app. An app with this status can be activated, upgraded, or deleted.
To add an app, perform the following steps.
Before You Begin
Make sure that the app tarball is stored in a local or network location that the system from which you logged in to Cisco IOx Local Manager can access.
Procedure
SUMMARY STEPS
- Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar.
- Click the Add/Deploy button on the Applications page.
- In the Deploy application dialog box, take these actions:
- In the Successfully Deployed dialog box, click OK .
DETAILED STEPS
Step 1 |
Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar. The Applications page displays. |
Step 2 |
Click the Add/Deploy button on the Applications page. The Deploy application dialog box displays. |
Step 3 |
In the Deploy application dialog box, take these actions: |
Step 4 |
In the Successfully Deployed dialog box, click OK . |
Activating an App
Activating an app reserves host system CPU and memory (RAM) resources that the app requires to run, designates the network from which the app obtains its IP address, and assigns host system serial ports for use by the app, if requested. After you activate an app, its status on the Cisco IOx Applications page appears as ACTIVATED.
You can activate an app that has a status of DEPLOYED.
As part of the activation process, you designate a resource profile for the app. A resource profile designates the amount of CPU and memory resources that the app needs to run. You can choose from several preset resource profiles or enter custom values for a profile. See the App-ID Resources Page for more information.
When an app is activated, the host system reserves the resources that the app needs to run, but the resources are not used until the app starts. You cannot activate an app if the host system does not have sufficient resources available for the app to run.
In addition, for a PAAS app, the appropriate cartridges must be installed before the app can be activated.
To activate an app, follow these steps:
Procedure
SUMMARY STEPS
- Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar.
- Make sure that DEPLOYED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to activate.
- Click activate in the Actions field for the app that you want to activate.
- Makes sure that the Resources tab is selected on the App-ID page.
- In the Resource Profile area, take either of these actions to choose a resource profile, which designates the host system CPU and memory resources that the app requires when it runs:
- In the Network Configuration area, choose an option from each drop-down to designate the logical network from which the app obtains its IP address for the corresponding the port.
- (Optional) If the app metadata requests TCP or UDP ports to be open on a network interface and if the interface is connected to a NAT network, take these actions to configure how TCP and UDP ports on the host system are mapped to internal ports of the app:
- (Optional) To manually configure ethX TCP and UDP port mappings for a NAT network, take the following actions.
- In the Serial Access Configuration area, click the radio button or buttons that correspond to the host system serial port or ports that you want to assign for use by the app.
- Click the Activate button at the bottom of the Resources tab.
DETAILED STEPS
Step 1 |
Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar. The Applications page displays. |
Step 2 |
Make sure that DEPLOYED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to activate. |
Step 3 |
Click activate in the Actions field for the app that you want to activate. The App-ID page for the app appears. |
Step 4 |
Makes sure that the Resources tab is selected on the App-ID page. |
Step 5 |
In the Resource Profile area, take either of these actions to choose a resource profile, which designates the host system CPU and memory resources that the app requires when it runs:
The system enters information in the CPU and Memory fields based on the option that you choose. In this case, these fields become read only.
Make sure that you do not enter a CPU or memory value that exceeds the available CPU or memory resources that are displayed at the bottom of the Resource Profile area. If you enter a value that exceeds resource availability, the app cannot be activated. If needed, refer to the app documentation or developer for information regarding resources that an app requires when it runs. |
Step 6 |
In the Network Configuration area, choose an option from each drop-down to designate the logical network from which the app obtains its IP address for the corresponding the port. The ports in this area appear as ethX , where X is a number. The number of ports depend on the number of network interfaces that the app defines in its metadata. For example, if the app metadata defines one network interface, eth0 appears in the this area. If the app metadata defines two network interfaces, eth0 and eith1 appear in this area. The options that appear in the drop-down list include either of the following terms in their descriptions:
|
Step 7 |
(Optional) If the app metadata requests TCP or UDP ports to be open on a network interface and if the interface is connected to a NAT network, take these actions to configure how TCP and UDP ports on the host system are mapped to internal ports of the app: |
Step 8 |
(Optional) To manually configure ethX TCP and UDP port mappings for a NAT network, take the following actions. If you skip this step, the system configures these port mappings automatically based on a range of ports that is defined in the Cisco IOx configuration. |
Step 9 |
In the Serial Access Configuration area, click the radio button or buttons that correspond to the host system serial port or ports that you want to assign for use by the app. This area appears only if the app metadata requests that a serial port on the host system be assigned for use by the app. |
Step 10 |
Click the Activate button at the bottom of the Resources tab. If sufficient CPU and memory resources are available on the host system, the activation process executes. This process can takes some time. To ensure that the activation completes successfully, do not refresh your browser or attempt another Cisco IOx Local Manager operation while the activation is in process. |
Deactivating an App
Deactivating an app releases the host system CPU and memory (RAM) resources that were reserved for the app and makes these resources available of other uses. After you deactivate an app, its status on the Cisco IOx Applications page appears as DEPLOYED.
You can deactivate an app that has a status of ACTIVATED or STOPPED.
To deactivate an app, perform the following steps. This procedure has the same effect as clicking the Deactivate button on the App-ID > Resources page.
Procedure
SUMMARY STEPS
- Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar.
- Make sure that ACTIVATED or STOPPED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to deactivate.
- Click deactivate in the Actions field for the app that you want to deactivate.
DETAILED STEPS
Step 1 |
Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar. The Applications page displays. |
Step 2 |
Make sure that ACTIVATED or STOPPED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to deactivate. |
Step 3 |
Click deactivate in the Actions field for the app that you want to deactivate. The deactivation process executes. This process can take some time. A progress bar indicates the status of the deactivation process. To ensure that process executes successfully, do not refresh your browser or attempt another Cisco IOx Local Manager operation while the app is deactivating. |
Starting an App
Starting an app initiates starts the app container for the app on the host system. CPU and memory (RAM) resources that were reserved for the app become in use. After you start an app, its status on the Cisco IOx Applications page appears as RUNNING.
You can start an app that has a status of ACTIVATED or STOPPED.
To start an app, follow these steps:
Procedure
SUMMARY STEPS
- Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar.
- Make sure that ACTIVATED or STOPPED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to start.
- Click start in the Actions field for the app that you want to start.
DETAILED STEPS
Step 1 |
Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar. The Applications page displays. |
Step 2 |
Make sure that ACTIVATED or STOPPED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to start. |
Step 3 |
Click start in the Actions field for the app that you want to start. The starting process executes. This process can take some time. To ensure that the app starts successfully, do not refresh your browser or attempt another Cisco IOx Local Manager operation while the app is starting. |
Stopping an App
Stopping an app immediately shuts down its app container on the host system. CPU and memory (RAM) resources that were used by the app remain reserved for it but are not in use. After you stop an app, its status on the Cisco IOx Applications page appears as STOPPED.
You can stop an app that has a status of RUNNING.
To stop an app, follow these steps:
Procedure
SUMMARY STEPS
- Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar.
- Make sure that RUNNING appears in the Status field for the app that you want to stop.
- On the Applications page, click stop in the Actions field for the app that you want to stop.
DETAILED STEPS
Step 1 |
Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar. The Applications page displays. |
Step 2 |
Make sure that RUNNING appears in the Status field for the app that you want to stop. |
Step 3 |
On the Applications page, click stop in the Actions field for the app that you want to stop. The stopping process executes. This process can takes some time. To ensure that the app stops successfully, do not refresh your browser or attempt another Cisco IOx Local Manager operation while the app is stopping. |
Upgrading an App
Upgrading an app replaces it with another version. The replacement app must be in a tarball (a file in tar format).
You typically use this operation to replace an app with a newer version or with a version that addresses issues in the existing version. After you upgrade an app, its status on the Cisco IOx Applications page appears as DEPLOYED
You can upgrade an app that has a status of DEPLOYED.
To upgrade an app, perform the following steps.
Before You Begin
Make sure that upgrade tarball is stored in a local or network location that the system from which you logged in to Cisco IOx Local Manager can access.
Procedure
SUMMARY STEPS
- Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar.
- Make sure that DEPLOYED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to upgrade.
- On the Applications page, click upgrade in the Actions field for the app that you want to upgrade.
- In the Upgrade application dialog box, take these actions:
DETAILED STEPS
Step 1 |
Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar. The Applications page displays. |
Step 2 |
Make sure that DEPLOYED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to upgrade. |
Step 3 |
On the Applications page, click upgrade in the Actions field for the app that you want to upgrade. The Upgrade application dialog box appears. |
Step 4 |
In the Upgrade application dialog box, take these actions: |
Deleting an App
Deleting an app removes it from the host system and releases CPU and memory (RAM) resources that were reserved for the app. After you delete an app, it no longer appears on the Cisco IOx Applications page.
You can delete an app that has a status of DEPLOYED.
To delete an app, follow these steps:
Procedure
SUMMARY STEPS
- Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar.
- Make sure that DEPLOYED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to delete.
- Click delete in the Actions field for the app that you want to delete.
DETAILED STEPS
Step 1 |
Choose Applications from the Cisco IOx Local Manager menu bar. The Applications page displays. |
Step 2 |
Make sure that DEPLOYED appears in the Status field for the app that you want to delete. |
Step 3 |
Click delete in the Actions field for the app that you want to delete. In the dialog box that prompts you to confirm the deletion, click Yes . The delete process executes. To ensure that the app deletes successfully, do not refresh your browser or attempt another Cisco IOx Local Manager operation while the app deletes. |