Promote Configuration Between Environments

Move a policy type and its related configuration from one BriteCore environment to another without rebuilding it by hand.

Introduction

Configuration Promotion exports a policy type from one environment, such as UAT, and imports it into another, such as production. Product and configuration administrators use it to ship tested product changes. BriteCore packages the policy type with its related configuration, checks the package with a dry run, and applies it in a single transaction.

How Configuration Promotion Works

Promotion has two halves. You export a package from the source environment, and you import that package into the target environment. BriteCore runs both halves as background jobs, so you can leave the page while a job runs.

The page has three tabs.

An environment badge at the top of the page shows which environment you are in. The badge is red in production and blue in every other environment.

Every import follows the same four stages.

1. Load: BriteCore reads the package and shows its source environment, format version, and export time.
2. Dry run: BriteCore compares the package with the target environment and changes nothing.
3. Apply: BriteCore applies the package in a single transaction. Any failure rolls back the whole import.
4. Result: BriteCore shows the totals and creates an audit note.

A package can contain the following content.

BriteCore does not promote every setting. Settings that identify an environment, such as check number counters, stay in the environment where they belong.

Before You Begin

Confirm the following before you start:

• You have write access to Configuration Promotion in the environment where you export or import. Read access lets you view the page only.
• The policy type is ready in the source environment.
• The target environment already has the roles that your task definitions use. BriteCore does not promote roles.
• You know the name of the target environment.

Note: Exporting and importing both require write access. Without it, BriteCore shows a message that the action is not available to you.

Export a Policy Type

Export saves a policy type and its related configuration as a package in the source environment.

1. Go to Settings > Configuration Promotion.
2. Select the Export tab.
3. Search for the policy type. Enter a name or a state, such as texas, or select a filter chip.
4. Select the policy type row, and then select an effective date.
5. Review the Package contents panel.
6. Choose the sections to leave out, if any, under Sections to include.
7. Enter a name in Save as.
8. Select the export button.

BriteCore queues the job and shows its progress. When the export finishes, the page shows the package name, size, and policy type.

Choose what to leave out

A promoted policy type always carries all of its own configuration. You can leave out file content and global sections. Two presets are provided in the Sections to include list to speed this up:

• Policy type only: Leaves out every global section. BriteCore still includes the global rows that your policy type references in quick codes, credit tiers, authority limits, subjectivity definitions, underwriting questions, custom error codes, and task definitions.
• Leave out all files: Leaves out form files and Carbone templates.

After you select a preset, you can adjust the list. BriteCore refuses a selection that removes a section another included section requires. It warns you when you remove a section that an included section only recommends, such as system tags.

Related policy types

Some policy types depend on others. BriteCore shows a Related policy types will be exported too message and lists them. Review the list before you export.

Left-out sections

If you leave out a section that the package still references, BriteCore warns you. Resolve the warning in the target environment, or include the section.

Send a Package to Another Environment

Promote creates a link or a file that you carry to the target environment.

1. Select the Export tab.
2. Find the package in the saved exports list.
3. Select Promote.
4. Copy the link, or download the package file.
5. Log in to the target environment.

The link expires two minutes after BriteCore generates it. If it expires, generate a new link on the exporting environment, or upload the file instead.

Note: Only users with Configuration Promotion access can download a package.

Import a Package

Import loads a package into the current environment and applies it after you review a dry run.

1. Log in to the target environment.
2. Go to Settings > Configuration Promotion.
3. Select the Import tab.
4. Load the package using one of the following methods:
   • Paste the link into Link from the exporting environment, and then select Load package.
   • Drop a .json or .gz file into Package file, or select browse.
   • Select a package under In this environment.
5. Confirm the source environment, format version, and target environment in the Package loaded panel.
6. Select Start dry run.
7. Review the dry run results.
8. Select Continue to apply.
9. Leave Export a restore point first selected.
10. Select Apply to followed by the environment name.

The dry run lists the policy types in the package and counts the items the import would create, update, and delete. Nothing changes in your environment until you apply.

Note: The import deletes existing items for the affected policy types and replaces them with the package contents.

Review dry run warnings

The dry run reports anything BriteCore cannot apply cleanly. Review each warning before you continue. Common warnings include the following:

• A task definition is skipped because its role does not exist in the target environment.
• A setting is skipped because it is not exportable or does not exist in the target.
• An HTML deliverable is skipped because it belongs to a business location outside the package.
• A target-only task definition or global wizard flow stays in place because the package does not contain it.

Apply to production

Production requires an extra confirmation. BriteCore shows You are about to change PRODUCTION. Type the policy type name exactly as shown, and then select Apply to followed by the environment name.

Review the result

After the apply finishes, the Import applied panel shows how many items BriteCore created, updated, and deleted. From this panel, you can:

• Open the audit note.
• Download the JSON result.
• View the import in history.
• Start another import.

If BriteCore could not clear its caches, it shows a Caches were not cleared warning. Clear the caches before you rely on the new configuration.

Undo an Import with a Restore Point

A restore point is a package of the current configuration that BriteCore saves before each apply. Applying a restore point puts the environment back the way it was before that import.

1. Select the Import tab.
2. Expand Restore points.
3. Select the restore point.
4. Run the dry run, and then apply it.

If you clear Export a restore point first, BriteCore cannot undo that import by re-importing the previous configuration. The audit note records that you declined a restore point.

Note: A restore point only describes the environment that took it. A restore point from another environment does not restore this environment.

Review Import History

The History tab lists everything that arrived in this environment, newest first, including dry runs.

1. Select the History tab.
2. Find the import by date, policy type, or user.
3. Select the row to read the audit note.

Reference

History columns

Common messages

See Also

• Export a line of business
• Move product versions across environments
• Policy type settings
• Lines overview
• Add a role overview
• Documents overview