Release Notes - Version 3.2

This release was focused on better security and easier configuration. We also expanded the range of options for selecting agents to run jobs on and determining the success or failure of a step. New integrations with ClearQuest and MKS Source Integrity are also exciting.

Changes to IDE plugins are significant and do require that the plugin jar files be updated with the latest.

Security Updates

A number of changes have been made on the security front. Additional authentication schemes have been added and multiple schemes may be used together. Server to Agent communication is better secured, and it's possible to have all agents communicate with the server on the same port. Security configuration is much improved as well. Most components that can have their own security settings provide a tab for setting permissions as they are configured.

Some of the security changes are:

• Kerberos authentication supported.
• Agents and Server may now authenticate each other with SSL.
• Single Sign On solutions supported.
• The system user may not log in or authenticate remotely.

Agent Selection Scripts

The variable driven agent filter has been replaced by a scripted agent filter that can do many of the same things, but also do more advanced agent selection like "Run this deployment on the same platform as the original build was run on."

IDE Plugins

IDE plugins have been overhauled. The Codestation plugin now offers the ability to lock a particular project to using the depedencies used by a prior authoritative build. Regardless of whether the new features are needed, developers will need to update their plugins to ensure proper communication with the AnthillPro server.

Installation Improvements

• Installation will provide support for installing directly to Oracle (command line installers only)
• Initial license setup smoother
• Agents get their name at install time

Upgrades

The upgrade process has been made smoother. Instead of having to go to each agent and run the installer again, the against can now be upgraded from the agent mangement screen.

Post Process Scripts

If simply checking for a non-zero exit code is not adequate for detecting success or failure of your jobs, you can now set rules that examine the output logs and exit codes of a step to determine it's status. This can be used to avoid the infamous Ant bugs on Windows, or better integrate with Perl and shell scripted builds.

Richer Shell Commands

The Shell\Batch builder no longer requires a shell or batch script. It can also run an arbitrary command line.

Windows Vista Support

AnthillPro properly detects Windows Vista on agents and structures commands for it.

UI Improvements

• System and Administration tabs have better organized main screens
• Text documents can now be viewed from the 'Artifacts' tab of a build life. There's an additional option to simply download.
• Project Validation: The UI will highlight portions of the configuration which are illegal or incomplete.
• If no agents are configured, a warning is displayed on the dashboard.
• Logs of active jobs are pushed to the server almost immediately.
• Dependencies sorted alphabetically in drop down lists. (other things too)
• Pop-up windows for creating new scripts, templates, etc when prompted to select something configured elsewhere.
• Current activity screen broken into separate tabs for Jobs, Agents and Schedules
• Many common error messages are presented more cleanly, and without a Java stack trace.
• Time stamp formats are more consistent

Integration Changes

• Clearcase: Base modes have been modified to be a single driver type.
• Clearcase: Labeling vobs walks up the path intelligently. Changes here may require a rewrite of load rules for multipart paths like vobs/somevob.
• Clearcase: Logging improved for change logs steps to clarify configuration problems.
• ClearQuest: Supported added for ClearQuest
• Perforce: Login and Logout steps have been added.
• PVCS: Fixes for getting change logs in non-originating workflows.
• MKS: Support for Source Integrity has been added
• Starteam: 'stcmd' no longer required in the command path. It may be assumed.

Minor Feature Additions

• Can now abort build requests and queued builds.
• Circular dependencies are detected and rejected at configuration time
• Builders no longer try to guess a working directory. They run from the default working directory and offer an offset field if they need to be run from a subdirectory.
• New users can be assigned to a default role.
• Better support for publishing the same artifact set in several jobs.
• A digest file of all the hashes of an artifact set can be downloaded if hashing is turned on.
• Codestation plugins can now retrieve files based on a known revision. This helps when working on issues for a previous build.
• Transitive dependency conflicts can now be resolved by your choice of approach.
• Resolution of transitive dependencies optional on a per dependency basis.
• SourceConfigLookup helper added to help get at information related to source control.
• Agents may be deleted, not just ignored.

Notable bug fixes

• Failed jobs now prevent the workflow from continuing
• Agents filters now properly select all matching agents
• Run another workflow step now properly expands ${} values
• Originating workflows that have been used are now deleteable
• Aborts have been improved
• Agent manager detects and handles agents changing IP addresses
• Artifacts larger than 2GB now copy properly
• CVS modules are given a directory offset.
• A number of import/export bugs have been addressed
• Numerous improvements to 'copy' functionality.