Plugins and Automation
Let's kickstart your Rely.io journey by populating your software catalog. With our plugins, you can seamlessly import services, cloud resources, and many more things into your developer portal.
Navigate to the Plugins Page: Initially, you'll see our built-in plugin for the Rely.io API, designed for creating and updating entities programmatically.
Create Your First Plugin: Click on “Create Plugin” and select from the available options. Starting with your Git provider (Github or Gitlab) is recommended, as it populates your service catalog efficiently - but it is not the only option.
Credentials and Asset Selection: Follow the installation steps. You might be redirected for authorization or need to input an access token, depending on the plugin. Subsequently, select the assets (e.g., repositories, issues, etc.) you wish to import.
Understanding the Magic Under-the-Hood:
Data Model Expansion: Installing a plugin triggers an expansion of your data model within Rely.io. This expanded model now can accurately represent and display entities related to the plugin's data source.
Mass Discovery Run: Post-installation, Rely initiates a mass discovery run to query the data source, ingesting entities based on the assets you selected. This ensures your Rely catalog mirrors the external data source accurately.
Synchronization: Rely employs webhooks for real-time updates from your data sources, ensuring changes are reflected immediately in your catalog. For plugins without webhook support, Rely schedules periodic discovery runs to keep your catalog synchronized.
Automation Rules: Once a plugin is installed, Rely.io automatically creates automation rules for you to link, map, and auto-populate your key assets (like services and resources) based on the data provided by the plugin’s data source.
For example, installing a Git provider plugin means repositories identified during the discovery phase will automatically create service entities in your catalog.
These entities will be enriched with vital information such as the code languages, repository links, README content, etc.
As more plugins are installed and more automation rules created, your catalog becomes more rich and detailed enhancing your understanding and management of your tech ecosystem.
Submit Your Plugin Installation Form: Now that you understand what will happen, go ahead and submit your plugin installation form. The initial discovery run can take a few minutes to complete. As you await the results, this is the perfect opportunity to dive deeper into how you can utilize the data that plugins provide, by exploring the core features of the software catalog.
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