Cloud Foundry for Application Deployment and Management

Cloud Foundry provides a robust framework for deploying and managing applications through a simplified configuration process using YAML-based manifest files.

Application manifest files in cloud foundry

An application manifest file in Cloud Foundry is a YAML document that simplifies the deployment and configuration of applications. It specifies various settings such as memory, buildpacks, and services needed for the application.

Every manifest file, has the following key components:

• Applications: Defines the settings per application.
• Memory & Buildpacks: Allocates resources and specifies environment support.
• Environment Variables: Sets dynamic values to configure application behavior.
• Services: Links to databases or other services used by the application.

See the following code block for an example:

---
applications:
- name: joget
 memory: 1G
 buildpack: https://github.com/cloudfoundry/java-buildpack.git
 path: /path_to/jw.war
 services:
   - jogetdb
   - jogetdata
 env:
   JBP_CONFIG_SPRING_AUTO_RECONFIGURATION: '[enabled: false]'
   JBP_CONFIG_TOMCAT: '{tomcat: {context_path: "/jw"}}'

Handling service bindings with parameters

While the manifest file automates most of the deployment process, there is a limitation in the current version of Cloud Foundry does not support  specifying parameters when binding parameters, so binding of the local volume service to the Joget data directory has to be done manually, and you can do so with the following command:

cf bind-service joget jogetdata -c '{"mount":"/home/vcap/wflow"}'
cf restage joget

This command binds the jogetdata service with a specific configuration to mount it at /home/vcap/wflow. After binding, it's necessary to restage the application to apply these changes effectively.

Useful cloud foundry commands

Effective management of Cloud Foundry applications goes beyond initial deployment, requiring ongoing maintenance and operational oversight. This section details critical commands for daily management tasks, including viewing logs, restaging applications, and managing the development environment. Each command is outlined with its purpose and usage, providing tools for troubleshooting, updating, and efficiently managing the application lifecycle. Additionally, it introduces tools for environment cleanup and access to a user-friendly graphical interface, enhancing both usability and accessibility.