Business Applications

Using Business Applications

Business Applications are available in Device42 v15.16.00+, and can be found in the Device42 main menu, Apps -> Business Applications.

Device42 Business Applications offers a powerful new way to build custom maps of business critical functions. Besides looking differently than Affinity Groups, Business Applications are also different because they are *not* automatically built out based solely on discovered connections and devices. Business Applications can be totally designed and customized by you, and can include any and all of the resources that you identify as critical to your business!

Using Business Applications, you’ll be able to catalog all of your business/mission critical applications using the following built-in functionality:

• Create a Business Application from scratch, or start from one or more existing Affinity Groups

• Add and remove devices and customize connections

• Customize both the layout of resources and connections and their labels

• Save your customized layout(s), coming back to edit them at any time

The following is an example that diagrams a simple, 3-tier mission-critical business application that includes a web server, middle-ware, and a database back-end:

Creating a new Business Application

To create a new Business Application,

1. Select the Business Applications option from the Device42 main menu, Apps -> Business Applications:
   
2. Give the new application a name:
   
3. Begin building out your application map! There are different options to mapping the application. We can add a device from the device list then create connections or we can start with an Affinity Group.

Adding and manipulating Devices or Affinity Groups in a Business Application

Adding Devices

To add a device to a business application, drag a device block to the center canvass on the business application screen:

This will bring up the Add Device box.  You can search by device name, service level, tags, or service name.

Selecting the device from the list will add it to your application.

Adding Affinity Groups

To add an Affinity Group, drag the Affinity Group block to the center canvass on the business application screen.

This will bring up the Add Affinity Group box.  You can search by group type, group name, tags, primary device name or service name.

 

When you click on a member of the list, you will see the number of devices in that group. Clicking add will add that Affinity Group with all its devices and connections to your canvas.

Remove device

There are two quick ways to delete/remove a device:

1. Either select the device and click the delete key
2. or, right click and select the “Delete” from the option context menu that pops up.

Note: Removing a device will not remove connections on the canvas, nor will it affect calculated information stored in Affinity Groups.

Rename a device

To rename a device, select the device, then double-click the device name.

Note: this name will not change the device record and is only for display in this specific Business Application.

Adding or editing connectivity in a Business Application

Add, change, or delete connectivity between devices

1. Hover over a device for connection points (green dots) to appear. Click the green point then click and drag to a connection point on any other device.
   
2. To delete a connection, select the connection and click the delete key or right click and select Delete from the option menu.

Note: Deleting a connection will not affect calculated information stored in Affinity Groups.

Naming connections

To name connections, simply click on the connection itself (the arrow between two devices) and type the description or name for the connection.

Saving, Copying, or Deleting a Business Application

To save a Business Application

Click the File Menu above the device box at the top of the canvas and select Save.

To clone a Business Application

From the main Business Applications page, you can easily copy an existing Business Application. You might want to do this to experiment without editing the original, or as the base of a new Business Application, or even to plan out a future deployment or migration. To copy (clone) and existing Business Application to a new name, follow these steps:

1. Click the “Clone Business Application” button to bring up the selection screen.
2. Click the magnifying glass to search, enter the first few letters of the name of the Business Application you’d like to clone, and select the existing Business Application to be cloned.
3. Finally, select the number of clones to make and the name (or comma delimited list of names) to give the newly cloned Business Applications and press OK.
4. That’s it! You may now manipulate the new copies of your Business Application(s).

Delete a Business Application

To Delete a Business Application, select the Business Application from the list by marking the checkbox next to the name. Then select Delete selected Business Application from the Actions list and click the lightning bolt.

Accessing Business Applications through DOQL

Business applications information is available through our query language (DOQL).

The following views support the applications and relationships in Business Applications:  

• view_businessapplication_v1
• view_businessapplicationelement_v1
• view_businessapplicationconnection_v1