Glossary

A

• Access Key (AWS Access Key ID & Secret Access Key): Credentials used to programmatically access and manage AWS resources. Required for connecting your AWS account to Scoutflo Deploy for infrastructure provisioning and application deployment.

• Add-on Deployments: Additional services or tools that can be deployed alongside your main application within a Kubernetes cluster. Examples include monitoring tools like Prometheus or Grafana.

• API Documentation: Detailed technical content that describes the functions, endpoints, and usage of the Scoutflo API, enabling integration with other services or automation scripts.

• Application Deployment: The process of deploying software applications onto Kubernetes clusters using Helm charts. Scoutflo facilitates deploying containerized applications with customized configurations across environments.

• Artifact: Immutable outputs generated after a build or deployment process, such as container images, Helm charts, or Kubernetes manifests.

B

• Base Deployment Template: A pre-defined manifest that specifies the application's runtime behavior, including Kubernetes resources required for deployment. It serves as a customizable starting point for deploying applications in different environments.

• Build Context: The directory containing the Dockerfile and other necessary files for building a container image, usually the root directory of the selected Git repository.

• Build Pipeline: A sequence of automated steps that transform source code into a deployable container image, typically involving compiling, packaging, and testing the code.

C

• Canary Release: A deployment strategy where a new version of an application is gradually rolled out to a subset of users or clusters before full deployment, allowing validation and testing in a production-like environment.

• Chart Store: A central repository in Scoutflo for storing Helm charts used to deploy applications on Kubernetes clusters.

• Cluster: A group of interconnected computers (nodes) that manage containerized applications using Kubernetes. Nodes work together to provide resources and services needed to run and scale applications.

• Cluster Creation: The process of provisioning and configuring a new Kubernetes cluster using Scoutflo Deploy, either from scratch or by importing an existing cluster.

• Cloud Provider: A third-party service provider (such as AWS, GCP, or Azure) that offers infrastructure and platform services. Scoutflo integrates with cloud providers to create and manage Kubernetes clusters and cloud resources.

• Commit Hash: A unique identifier representing a specific version of source code in a Git repository, often used to trace changes and deployments in GitOps workflows.

• ConfigMap: A Kubernetes object that stores configuration data in key-value pairs, allowing configuration to be separated from application code. ConfigMaps enable environment-specific settings without modifying the application itself.

• Container Registry: A repository for storing and managing container images, facilitating the storage, sharing, and deployment of these images in a Kubernetes environment.

• CronJob: A Kubernetes object used to schedule and manage repetitive tasks or jobs that need to run periodically.

• Custom Configurations: User-defined settings and parameters that allow fine-tuning of application deployments, infrastructure provisioning, or cluster management in Scoutflo.

D

• DaemonSet: A Kubernetes object that ensures a specific pod runs on all or selected nodes within a cluster, typically used for tasks like monitoring or logging.

• Database Deployment: The process of provisioning and managing database instances (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) within your Kubernetes cluster using Scoutflo's integration capabilities.

• Deployment Strategy: A defined approach for updating or changing applications within a Kubernetes cluster, including rolling updates, blue-green deployments, and canary releases.

• Dockerfile: A script containing instructions to build a Docker container image, specifying how to assemble the image's base, dependencies, and application code.

• Draining: The process of evacuating pods from a node before cordoning it, ensuring they are gracefully rescheduled on other nodes within the Kubernetes cluster.

• Dora Dashboard: A feature within Scoutflo that provides metrics and insights into the performance and efficiency of your software delivery processes, inspired by the DORA (DevOps Research and Assessment) metrics.

E

• Environment: A deployment target for your applications, such as development, testing, staging, or production. Scoutflo allows you to configure applications differently for each environment.

• External Links: Links to external resources (e.g., monitoring tools like Prometheus or Grafana) that are configured within Scoutflo's settings to provide easy access to relevant services.

F

• Feature Flow: The series of actions or steps involved in using a particular feature within Scoutflo, such as connecting a cloud provider, deploying an application, or managing clusters.

G

• GitOps: A methodology for managing Kubernetes deployments using Git repositories as the single source of truth. Scoutflo implements GitOps principles to automate infrastructure provisioning and application deployments.

• Grafana Integration: The integration of Grafana with Scoutflo for advanced monitoring and visualization of Kubernetes cluster metrics and application performance.

H

• Helm Chart: A package containing pre-configured Kubernetes resources and configurations, used to define, install, and upgrade applications on Kubernetes clusters.

• Helm-Based Deployment: A deployment method that utilizes Helm charts to deploy and manage applications within Kubernetes clusters through Scoutflo.

I

• IAM Role (AWS): A set of permissions that define what actions a user or service can perform on AWS resources. Scoutflo recommends using IAM roles for secure access management.

• Image: A self-contained package of software, including application code and dependencies, that can be deployed as a container on a Kubernetes cluster.

• Infrastructure Provisioning: The process of setting up cloud resources such as VPCs, subnets, security groups, and databases using Scoutflo Deploy, based on the connected cloud provider.

J

• Job: A Kubernetes object used to create one or more pods to complete a specific task and then terminate. Often used for batch processing or scheduled tasks.

K

• Kubernetes Dashboard: A feature within Scoutflo that provides a graphical interface to view and manage Kubernetes clusters, resources, and applications.

• Kubecost Integration: An add-on available in Scoutflo that provides cost monitoring and optimization insights for your Kubernetes clusters.

L

• Load Balancer: A Kubernetes service type that distributes incoming network traffic across multiple instances or nodes, ensuring efficient resource utilization and application availability.

M

• Manifest: A YAML file describing Kubernetes objects and their desired state within the cluster. Applying a manifest instructs Kubernetes to create or modify resources to match the specified state.

• Namespace: A logical partition within a Kubernetes cluster that isolates resources and provides separation for different applications or environments.

• Node: A physical or virtual machine in a Kubernetes cluster where containers are scheduled to run. Nodes provide the compute resources needed to host pods.

O

• OCI Registry: A container registry that follows the Open Container Initiative (OCI) standards, allowing storage of container images, Helm charts, and other OCI artifacts.

P

• Pod: The smallest deployable unit in Kubernetes, consisting of one or more containers that share storage and network resources.

• Pre-build, Post-build, Pre-deployment, Post-deployment: Stages or actions performed at different points during the build and deployment lifecycle, allowing customization and automation of workflows.

R

• RBAC (Role-Based Access Control): A security mechanism that controls access to resources based on user roles and permissions. Scoutflo supports setting up RBAC for managing access to clusters, applications, and cloud resources.

• Region: The geographical location of cloud resources, such as clusters and databases. Scoutflo uses this setting to ensure optimal performance and compliance with data governance policies.

S

• Scoutflo Health Score: A feature that provides a score based on the security, code quality, support, and community activeness of your applications, helping you assess their overall health and readiness.

• Secret Manager: A tool integrated with Scoutflo that securely stores sensitive data such as API keys, passwords, and database credentials for use in your deployments.

• Service Principal (Azure): An identity used to authenticate and authorize access to Azure resources, required for connecting Azure accounts with Scoutflo.

T

• Terraform Provider: A plugin that enables Terraform to interact with Scoutflo resources, allowing infrastructure to be defined and managed as code.

• Taint: A setting applied to Kubernetes nodes that influences pod scheduling, ensuring certain pods are either allowed or prevented from running on specific nodes.

V

• Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): A logically isolated network in a cloud provider's environment, used for hosting and managing Kubernetes clusters and other cloud resources.

• Volume: A storage resource available to Kubernetes pods, allowing data persistence and sharing between containers.

W

• Workspace: A logical grouping within Scoutflo that allows isolated management of clusters, applications, and resources, providing multi-tenancy and collaboration capabilities.