Appendix D: Working with Packages from the App Store
About the App Store
Starting in HEAT Service Management Release 2015.1, we released a new applications store (App Store) where you can download optional software created by both Ivanti Software and other companies. The optional software in the App Store is bundled into packages.
The App Store is a collection of apps that can extend your Ivanti Software applications. Some apps include special packages that you can import into Ivanti Service Manager to modify the behavior of the system; other apps are integrations to other applications.
To create your own app, see the link “How to Develop an App” on the home page of the App Store.
The App Store provides different certification levels for the apps, which help you understand the level of support provided for a given app. Some apps are available on an “as-is” basis as a sample, and are available to use at your own risk. Some apps are supported directly by Ivanti Software and some apps come from certified software partners.
Not all apps have an associated package; some require licensing additional software from partners to enable the functionality. These requirements are described in the app description.
Accessing the App Store
Follow these steps to access the App Store:
- Navigate to https://support.heatsoftware.com.
- Do the following:
a. Enter your user name and password.
b. Press Login.
The system may require you to log in using external authentication. If so, enter your user name and click Sign in with your_company_name.
- If the system prompts you, select the Self Service role and click Submit. The system opens to the Self Service home page.
- From the top tool bar, click More... and select App Store. You are now in the App Store.
Downloading and Importing an App Store Package
- Access the App Store as described in Accessing the App Store.
- Open the app to use. Download the documentation associated with the app, and ensure that you meet all of the prerequisites.
- Download the .metadatapatch files associated with the app. These are the actual package files to be imported.
- Import the package into the staging instance of your tenant by following the directions in Importing a Package. This automatically creates a project for this package in your staging system.
You should always validate any new package before applying it to a production environment, even partner certified or Ivanti Software-supplied packages. Package behavior can vary based on your specific configuration. By doing the validation in staging, any necessary changes can also be applied.
- Test the package on the staging instance of your tenant.
- If you need to make any changes to your system based on your testing, do the following:
a. Open the project that the system created when you imported the package. Ensure that this is the active project so that the system adds any changes that you make to this project.
b. Make the required changes.
c. Create a new package for the changes. See Creating a Package.
d. Export the package. See Exporting a Package.
If you did not make any changes, you do not need to create a new package as you can just use the one that you imported in step 3.
- Refresh the UAT instance of your tenant. It is very important that the UAT instance accurately reflects the current state of the production instance of your tenant, to get an accurate UAT assessment.
- Import the package into the UAT instance of your tenant by following the directions in Importing a Package. This automatically creates a project for this package in your UAT system.
- Test the package on the UAT instance of your tenant.
- If you need to make any changes to your system based on your testing, do the following:
a. Open the project that the system created when you imported the package. Ensure that this is the active project so that the system adds any changes that you make to this project.
b. Make the required changes.
c. Create a new package for the changes. See Creating a Package.
d. Export the package. See Exporting a Package.
If you did not make any changes, you do not need to create a new package as you can just use the one that you imported in step 7.
- Close the package when you are satisfied with it and know that you will make no more changes.
- Back up the production instance of your tenant.
- sample
- Import the package. If you have locked the production instance of your tenant, enable the Ivanti Service Manager development package and then push the package. (See The Four Ways to Migrate Data for a list of the ways to migrate data.)