Promotion through the Lifecycle

A promotion operation represents the movement of an application version through the stages of its lifecycle.

In a typical workflow, promotion is achieved through a governed model where an application version progresses through a series of defined lifecycle stages (e.g., DEV → QA → STAGING → PROD). Each stage can be protected by entry and exit gates, which serve as automated control points. A promotion from one stage to the next is permitted only if the application version passes the policy evaluation at the corresponding gate.

If you have repositories associated with lifecycle stages, promoting an application version copies the contents of the version to a defined set of repositories in the target stage. However, you do not have to have repositories associated with stages. For more information, read about Keep Artifacts in Promote an Application Version in the Platform UI.

Path Mapping

The default behavior is that the internal directory structure of artifacts in a version is preserved. However, you can restructure directories or rename paths dynamically as applications move across different lifecycle stages For example, you can shift from a flat development repository structure to environment-specific target paths. (This feature is currently available in the AppTrust CLI, using the --path-mapping option.)

Evidence

When an application version is promoted, evidence in the form of a signed and locked file is attached to the version that provides a record of the promotion (when, where, and by whom). This evidence provides full traceability and attests to the immutability of the application version. Each promotion adds another layer of signed evidence that safeguards the immutability of the application version.

Promotion Methods

AppTrust enables you to integrate promotion into a highly automated deployment workflow. However, you can also promote an application manually using one of the following methods: