Business Applications

Overview

Enterprises have been running multiple applications in their cloud accounts for different business needs. However, it is quite difficult to view all the resources associated with each application as one and gain insights about them.

CoreStack helps you in logically group relevant resources into business applications and utilize them for various operational and analysis purposes.

This topic guides you to create and manage business applications available in your cloud accounts by grouping relevant resources.

Navigation

Click Resource in the Left navigation menu and select Business Applications option to land in Business Applications screen.

The applications can be managed in multiple ways using the following sections: Tag Patterns, Cost Center, Environment, Application Group, and Applications.

Application

It allows you in mapping the resources associated with an application into a single entity for easier governance. This is the default section to which you will be directed when you navigate to the Business Applications screen.

Creating a New Application

The following steps need to be performed in the Applications tab of the Business Applications screen to create a new application in CoreStack.

Click on "Add New" button.
Provide the following details to create the application.

Field	Description
Name OR Application Code	Specify a Name or Application Code for the new application.
Description	Provide a detailed description about the application.
Environment	Select the type of environment in which the application is running, e.g., production, staging, development.
Application Group	Select an application group under which the new application must be mapped.
Cost Center	Select a cost center under which the cost incurred by the resources associated with the new application must be categorized.
Cloud Accounts	Select required cloud accounts from the dropdown list in which the application resources are available.
Cloud Account Region/Resource Group details	Select only the regions or resource groups within which the resources associated with the application are available.
DNS	Specify the domain name server used by the application.
Owner	Specify the owner of the application who holds the responsibility and is accountable for the application resources and its functioning.
Tags	Specify the tag keys and its values that must be used to identify the resources associated with the application in your cloud account. Click 'Add' link to add the tag key and its value. You can add multiple tag keys.

Click on Save button to create the new application.

A new application will be created and listed in the Business Applications screen.

Managing Existing Applications

You can manage the applications created in CoreStack by using the below explained options.

Select the hamburger button (three horizontal bars) and enable or disable the columns to display or hide them for viewing in the table.
By clicking on the Edit icon available in the Actions column of an application, you can update the details configured in the application.
By clicking on the Delete icon available in the Actions column of an application, you can delete the application.
Click on the 'View' link available in the Tags column for a specific application listed in the table to view the tag keys configured in the application for mapping relevant application resources.

Tag Pattern

It allows you in defining the tag keys associated with the resources that must be created as an application, application group, cost center, or environment.

Creating a New Tag Pattern for Application

The following steps need to be performed in the Tag Patterns tab of the Business Applications screen to create a new tag pattern.

Click on "Add New" button.
Provide the following details to create the tag pattern.

Field	Description
Pattern Name	Specify a name for the new tag pattern.
Match Type	Specify the type of pattern to be used for searching the tag keys: String Match or Regex.
Scope	Select the required boundary to define the area of influence for the tag pattern: Tenant or Cloud Account.
Tag Key	Specify the tag key that must be used to identify the resources associated with the application in your cloud account.
Tag Value Mapper	Select the required business application option that the resources associated with the matching tag keys should be mapped with: Application, Application Group, Cost Center, Environment.
Upload Patterns	Upload the patterns to be used for searching the tag keys in bulk as CSV or XLS files. You can download the sample formats for different pattern types.
Case Sensitive	Specify if the patterns to be used for searching the tag keys are case sensitive.
Auto Create	Specify if the resources associated with the matching tag keys should be created automatically as business application based on the option selected in the Tag Value Mapper field.

Click on Save button to create the new tag pattern.

A new tag pattern will be created and listed in the Business Applications screen.

Managing Existing Tag Patterns

You can manage the existing tag patterns by using the below explained options.

Select the hamburger button (three horizontal bars) and enable or disable the columns to display or hide them for viewing in the table.
By clicking on the Edit icon available in the Actions column of a tag pattern, you can update the details configured in the tag pattern.
By clicking on the Delete icon available in the Actions column of a tag pattern, you can delete the tag pattern.

Cost Center

It allows you in creating multiple categories (e.g., departments, business units, locations) for your application to perform a detailed analysis of the cost incurred by the application resources.

Creating a New Cost Center for Application

The following steps need to be performed in the Cost Center tab of the Business Applications screen to create a new cost center.

Click on "Add New" button.
Provide the following details to create the cost center.

Field	Description
Name OR Cost Center Code	Specify a Name or Cost Center Code for the new cost center.
Description	Provide a detailed description about the cost center.
Cloud Accounts	Select required cloud accounts from the dropdown list in which the application resources associated with the cost center are available.
Cloud Account Region/Resource Group details	Select only the regions or resource groups within which the resources associated with the cost center are available.
Owner	Specify the owner of the cost center who holds the responsibility and is accountable for the resources available in the cost center.
Tags	Specify the tag keys and its values that must be used to identify the resources associated with the cost center in your cloud account. Click 'Add' link to add the tag key and its value. You can add multiple tag keys.

Click on Save button to create the new cost center.

A new cost center will be created and listed in the Business Applications screen.

Managing Existing Cost Centers

You can manage the existing cost centers by using the below explained options.

Select the hamburger button (three horizontal bars) and enable or disable the columns to display or hide them for viewing in the table.
By clicking on the Edit icon available in the Actions column of a cost center, you can update the details configured in the cost center.
By clicking on the Delete icon available in the Actions column of a cost center, you can delete the cost center.
Click on the 'View' link available in the Tags column for a specific cost center listed in the table to view the tag keys configured in the cost center for mapping relevant application resources.

Environment

It allows you in categorizing the applications into different deployment types (production, staging, etc.) based on the development phase it is being used.

Creating a New Environment for Application

The following steps need to be performed in the Environment tab of the Business Applications screen to create a new environment.

Click on "Add New" button.
Provide the following details to create the environment.

Field	Description
Name OR Environment Code	Specify a Name or Environment Code for the new environment.
Description	Provide a detailed description about the environment.
Cloud Accounts	Select required cloud accounts from the dropdown list in which the application resources associated with the environment are available.
Cloud Account Region/Resource Group details	Select only the regions or resource groups within which the resources associated with the environment are available.
Owner	Specify the owner of the environment who holds the responsibility and is accountable for the resources available in the environment.
Tags	Specify the tag keys and its values that must be used to identify the resources associated with the environment in your cloud account. Click 'Add' link to add the tag key and its value. You can add multiple tag keys.

Click on Save button to create the new environment.

A new environment will be created and listed in the Business Applications screen.

Managing Existing Environments

You can manage the existing environments by using the below explained options.

Select the hamburger button (three horizontal bars) and enable or disable the columns to display or hide them for viewing in the table.
By clicking on the Edit icon available in the Actions column of an environment, you can update the details configured in the environment.
By clicking on the Delete icon available in the Actions column of an environment, you can delete the environment.
Click on the 'View' link available in the Tags column for a specific environment listed in the table to view the tag keys configured in the environment for mapping relevant application resources.

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Note: Only the environments created by the user in CoreStack can be edited or deleted. Environments that are already available in CoreStack by default cannot be modified or deleted.

Application Group

It allows you in grouping the applications into logical collections and using them for an effective operations management and analysis.

Creating a New Application Group

The following steps need to be performed in the Application Group tab of the Business Applications screen to create a new application group.

Click on "Add New" button.
Provide the following details to create the application group.

Field	Description
Name OR Application Group Code	Specify a Name or Application Group Code for the new application group.
Description	Provide a detailed description about the application group.
Cloud Accounts	Select required cloud accounts from the dropdown list in which the application resources associated with the application group are available.
Cloud Account Region/Resource Group details	Select only the regions or resource groups within which the resources associated with the application group are available.
Owner	Specify the owner of the application group who holds the responsibility and is accountable for the resources available in the application group.
Tags	Specify the tag keys and its values that must be used to identify the resources associated with the application group in your cloud account. Click 'Add' link to add the tag key and its value. You can add multiple tag keys.

Click on Save button to create the new application group.

A new application group will be created and listed in the Application Group screen.

Managing Existing Application Groups

You can manage the existing application groups by using the below explained options.

Select the hamburger button (three horizontal bars) and enable or disable the columns to display or hide them for viewing in the table.
By clicking on the Edit icon available in the Actions column of an application group, you can update the details configured in the application group.
By clicking on the Delete icon available in the Actions column of an application group, you can delete the application group.
Click on the 'View' link available in the Tags column for a specific application group listed in the table to view the tag keys configured in the application group for mapping relevant application resources.

Using the Business Applications

Once the required business application features such as applications, environments, cost centers are configured, CoreStack will generate relevant information in the following sections.

In the Resource – Posture section, statistics and violations can be viewed from the business application perspective. Refer this section for more details.
In the Reports – Resource section, the generated reports will be utilizing the business application information to deliver relevant insights about your application and its resources. Refer this section for more details.
In the Inventory section, resources can be mapped with relevant Applications, Cost Centers, Environments, and Application Group for mapping and managing resources with associated business applications.