Release Notes - Version 3.7.0

Overview

AnthillPro Version 3.7.0 introduces several new features and improvements that enhance usability and provide expanded flexibility. With Plug-ins, users are empowered to write their own custom Anthill integrations. New options in dependency management allow users to store and manage dependency configurations along with the source code. AHPTool gives users the option to access AnthillPro features through the command line. Agent User Impersonation gives administrators greater security and permissions control over scripts run by agents. Changes to the user interface, including a re-designed Current Activity screen; streamlined agent and environment management screens; and a new Job Iteration screen, present data more intuitively and reduce the number of clicks and repetitive actions required of the user.

Download AnthillPro 3.7.0 or request an evaluation copy

Major New Features

Plug-ins

Plug-ins provides users with a framework to write their own integrations with third-party tools (such as testing tools, SCMs, source-code analyzers, etc.). With plug-ins, control over Anthill integrations is largely vested in the user, allowing users to create, customize, and rapidly update their integrations to keep in step with their own installations of third-party tools. In addition, most new integrations written by Urbancode will be implemented as plug-ins, allowing users to modify even the integrations created by Urbancode and provided with AnthillPro. The 3.7.0 release ships with several built in plug-ins, listed below.

New Integrations

• Checkstyle. Organizations using Checkstyle can now integrate the source-code analysis tool into their existing AnthillPro release Life-Cycle. The integration exposes Checkstyle's findings, tracks changes between builds, references the change log, and makes that information available on the AnthillPro dashboard.
• CodeSonar. Organizations using CodeSonar can now integrate the source-code analysis tool into their existing AnthillPro release Life-Cycle. The integration runs CodeSonar, exposes findings, tracks changes between builds, references the change log, and makes that information available on the AnthillPro dashboard.
• Coverity Prevent. Organizations using Coverity Prevent can now integrate the source-code analysis tool into their existing AnthillPro release Life-Cycle. The integration runs Coverity, exposes findings, tracks changes between builds, references the change log, and makes that information available on the AnthillPro dashboard.
• FindBugs. Organizations using FindBugs can now integrate the source-code analysis tool into their existing AnthillPro release Life-Cycle. The integration exposes FindBugs' findings, tracks changes between builds, references the change log, and makes that information available on the AnthillPro dashboard.
• Fortify 360. Organizations using Fortify 360 can now integrate the source-code analysis tool into their existing AnthillPro release Life-Cycle. The integration exposes 360's findings, tracks changes between builds, references teh change log, and makes that information available on the AnthillPro dashboard
• Git. Set up AnthillPro projects that use the Git repository to check out code, build, tag, and more.
• Klocwork Insight. Organizations using Klocwork Insight can now integrate the source-code analysis tool into their existing AnthillPro release Life-Cycle. The integration exposes Insight's findings, tracks changes between builds, references the change log, and makes that information available on the AnthillPro dashboard.
• PMD. Organizations using PMD can now integrate the source-code analysis tool into their existing AnthillPro release Life-Cycle. The integration exposes PMD's findings, tracks changes between builds, references the change log, and makes that information available on the AnthillPro dashboard.

External Dependency Configuration Management

Define project dependency configurations as xml files stored with the source code. AnthillPro can be configured to resolve the actual dependency artifacts using either the dependency configuration stored externally as an xml file, or the dependency configuration defined and managed within AnthillPro.

AHPTool

AHPTool provides a command line interface for accessing AnthillPro features. AHPTool is available to steps executed by AnthillPro agents, and can be used to get and set properties or to upload or download build life metrics such as source changes, related issues, test results, code coverage, and source analytics.

Agent User Impersonation

The Agent User Impersonation feature allows administrators to configure AnthillPro agents to use arbitrary user credentials to run shell script builders on the agent host. Rather than having agents execute shell scripts under the fixed user credentials granted to the agent at the time that the agent was set up, administrators can configure agents to run shell builder scripts under the more restrictive (or permissive) credentials of a different user.

Newly Supported Databases

• DB2. Install AnthillPro on top of your DB2 database.
• PostgreSQL support. Install AnthillPro on top of your PostgreSQL database.
  

  A known defect in PostgreSQL 8.4.0 prevents proper installation and use of AnthillPro with PostgreSQL 8.4.0. Use version 8.3.7.

Other New Features

• Dynamic workflow properties. Determine workflow property values via script evaluation, job execution, or user input at the time of workflow execution. See Workflow Properties.
• Dashboard to Administration quick links. Quickly toggle between the Dashboard and Administration pages of projects and workflows, using a new single-click link.
• Server Diagnostics in the UI. Speed up system debugging by viewing active request contexts, thread CPU usage, system properties, and/or scheduled items in a new tab in the Server Settings page. See Server Diagnostics.
• Deploy changed files only. Deploy only the changed artifacts sub-set of large artifact sets using new options in the Resolve Artifacts and Resolve Dependency Artifact steps.
• Job Iteration management. View and manage multiple job iterations and iteration properties in a multi-iteration/multi-property display grid.
• Route queued jobs to new agents. Agents that are brought online or added to an environment while jobs are waiting for available agents will automatically pick up queued jobs.
• Environment properties. Define properties on the environment level.
• Improved artifact security. Restrict access to artifacts such that they cannot be downloaded or secured without proper permissions.
• Secure agent properties. Prevent agent property values from being displayed in the UI and server and agent logs by creating Secure Agent Properties. See Configure Agent(s) > Properties.
• Agent communication test. Verify agent-server communication through a new built-in function accessible in the UI (in System > Agents).
• Operations on multiple agents. Select and execute operations on multiple agents in the Agents List screen simultaneously.
• Add multiple agents to environments. Search for and select multiple agents and add them to an environment simultaneously.
• Quick Link to agent settings. Access an agent's settings by clicking the agent name in the Environments page.

Improvements

• Abort from the Build Life page. Abort running jobs from within the UI, on the Build Life page.
• Current Activity tab redesign. A redesigned Current Activity tab presents information in a more intuitive and efficient layout.
• Job Step page reorganized. A reorganized Job Step page presents step types in a more intuitive and consistent step-type hierarchy.
• Life-Cycle Model status order. Change the order of Life-Cycle Model statuses displayed in the "Most Recent Status Assignment" table in the workflow dashboard. See Using Life-Cycle Models.
• LogHelper class. Additional methods have been added to the LogHelper, allowing for smaller chunks of the log to be loaded when performing a trace. It is now possible to generate logs based on the startLine and endLine. See Tools > Scripting API > LogHelper. See also Scripting.
• Manual Workflow and Yes/No Tasks for Library Jobs. These steps now run independently of the project's Life-Cycle Model, and can use scripts for the workflow, environments and properties. This is very helpful if you are using a template to create projects with a predefined approval process. See Create and Use Workflow Choice Task and Create and Use Yes/No Task.
• Server Logging. A new Error log has been added to the AnthillPro server. The log includes only detailed error information (stack traces) when the server throws an error. The size of the file may be changed. See Server Logging Options.
• Agent filter scripts now have job configuration attributes available to the context.
• Agent properties. Agent properties are now stored on the server to optimize agent filtering.
• Agent selection script. AnthillPro now ships with a new agent selection script that returns all online agents.
• Agent Description. Provide agent descriptions or comments to convey information about the agent in the Agent listings in the UI.
• Workflow Definition tab. Access a job's step configuration from the Workflow Definition tab through a new "Edit Job Steps" item in the job menu. The job name is no longer a link.
• Artifact timestamp retention Retain original timestamps on all artifacts transferred by Anthill, including directories.
• ClearQuest integration flexibility. Configure ClearQuest record-type mappings and field name/value pairs in the ClearQuest integration.
• SVN trigger flexibility. Configure individual workflows to ignore a SVN repository trigger.
• SVN Export. Optimize your SVN integration by using a new option to use Export instead of Checkout in the SVN Populate Workspace step.
• Split Server URL settings. Configure a server URL for use in reports and notification templates that is different from the one used by Agents.
• TFS Source Config flexibility. Workspace Name and Source URL in the TFS Source Config can now resolve properties and scripts.
• Project-Environment properties passed to all commands. Pass Project-Environment properties to all commands executed in the specified Project-Environment context (rather than just Builder commands).
• Visual Studio Builder work dir offset. Run Visual Studio Builder in an offset from the current working directory.
• Permissions tabs reorganized. Redundant and confusing tabs in the Permissions area have been removed.
• Empty log files differentiated by icon. Log file icons are greyed out and are not clickable when the log file has no content.
• Separate ClearCase View Server and View Storage. Pass values to the Host Name, Global Storage Path, and Host Storage Path parameters used by the ClearCase mkview command.
• Abort Job iterations fast. Use job-preconditions to configure an iterative job to abort execution of remaining iterations when any iteration fails.
• Toggle workflow property cascading. Determine whether workflow property values should cascade to dependent workflows, using a new System Setting.
• Environment-Sensitive input selections for workflow properties. Define dynamic sets of possible workflow property values, determined by the environment in which the workflow will run.
• Workflow priority propagation. Cascade workflow priority to dependent workflows, and configure priority of an entire graph of requests.
• Dynamic workflow priority. Provide a script to dynamically determine a workflow's priority.
• Perforce client workspace creation. Provide a Perforce client workspace form in the workflow source config to create a new workspace when the workflow runs.
• VSS settings set as properties. Provide properties as VSS settings.
• CVS get change log flexibility. The CVS get changelog command no longer uses the -rHead option.
• Anonymous repository access. Configure repository access without a password if your SCM supports anonymous access.
• Improved error messaging. Security errors now report the user name, permission, and resource name in the error message displayed in the UI.
• Database optimization. SQL query performance has been improved by adding indexes on foreign keys in databases that do not implicitly create such indexes (Oracle, DB2, Postgres, SQLServer)
• Optional property lookup. Optionally resolve and use a property value by using a new helper method, getValueOrEmpty in PropertyLookup.
• Link to issues in your issue tracker. Link to the display of individual issues in your issue tracker by clicking on issue ID within the "Issues" tab of a build life.
• Default Dependency Type and Quiet Period Type. Specify default values for Dependency Type and Quiet Period as server settings.

Bug Fixes

The following items resolve reported issues in AnthillPro versions preceding version 3.7.0.

• Workflow property names are now copied when a library workflow is copied.
• A workflow's properties are now deleted when the workflow is deleted.
• Reading from a zipped log file no longer results in missing lines.
• Locally publishing multiple artifacts from different directories to the same artifact set now appends the artifact set.
• Security exceptions that occur in remoting are now reported to the user as errors caused by insufficient permission to perform the attempted action.
• Workflows executed through the remoting api now run with correct properties
• Copying files during Agent Relay installation now includes creation of empty directories to avoid errors when placing log files in non-existent directories.
• Agent Relay upgrade for an existing Agent Relay using SSL for JMS communication leaves existing certificates intact.
• Environments displayed in the RunAnotherWorkflow step are now limited to only the environments associated with the workflow.
• Whether error traces are displayed in the Web UI is now determined by a Server Setting.
• Workflow triggers now use current values of workflow properties
• Job trace name is now updatable after being set.
• Dependency relationships among workflows in the same project are now preserved when the project is copied.
• Library workflow properties are now editable within the configuration of another workflow that uses the library workflow.
• Operational project workflows can now use the Run Another Workflow step.
• HttpClient usage in Agents is now set to follow redirects.
• Warning message advising user that a property value exceeds the allowable character length is now reported in the UI prior to an attempted database commit.
• File transfer from non-Windows agent to Windows server now completes with no error in searching for files to transfer.
• Build life links in the Request Context Graph now link to the build life created by the request corresponding to the link.
• Codestation resolve of a single file on Windows agents now correctly includes ah3.dig file.
• Restarting a failed originating workflow with a push dependency now requests the pushed dependency upon completion of the restarted workflow.
• Quality Center test duration is now correctly displayed in seconds on the test tab.
• When publishing artifacts from a Windows agent to a Linux server, directory names are now correctly separated from file names.
• Change log quiet period jobs now select the agent with the highest throughput.
• Workflow property values in multi-select boxes are now displayed in the order in which they were entered.
• Text area workflow property now accepts multi-line text entry in the default value field.
• Agent monitor max heap is now defaulted to 64 M to prevent Agent monitor from reporting use of large amounts of address space due to max heap size being determined by the environment.
• EventService now uses a fixed Java thread pool to avoid consuming excessive memory, preventing creation of additional threads.
• Inactive projects and workflows in dependencies no longer cause failure of context completion.
• Agent monitor command line optimized to prevent agents from running with a smaller heap than intended.
• Aborting a workflow without a running job now releases locks held by the workflow's jobs.
• Auditing re-enabled and functioning correctly
• Distributed web session now redirects to the login page if the server is restarted.
• Execution of cleanup for multiple projects using the same cleanup policy no longer produces database deadlocks on the build request table.
• JSP added for TFS Remote Lable step has been added.
• Long-running commands on agents no longer report false timeout errors due to System.nanoTime() problem on some instances of Windows running on VMWare.
• Save to database checkbox for ClearCase UCM base mode using existing snapshot view is now enabled.
• Scheduled triggers now use current workflow property values.
• Issure report publisher step for Quality Center no longer fails when the changelog includes an invalid QC issue ID.
• JUnit Report calculation of number of tests run now includes tests that failed in setup.
• Average duration and success rate of operational workflows are now correctly calculated on the workflow dashboard.
• Codestation now logs the actual hash value on a failed verification rather than the expected hash.
• Aborting a delayed workflow run now stops the workflow from running.
• Trigger pages now support multi-select box features.
• Run Another Workflow step now allows selection of the current environment as the environment in which to run.
• Distributed web now connects to servers that have secure communications turned on.
• Environment settings specified by Builder steps now prevail over conflicting settings specified on the Project and Project-Environment level.
• Requests for separate workflows now merge only when the requests are made in the context of a shared ancestor request.
• A commit failure due to permissions errors when using remoting no longer block future remoting connections.
• Velocity reports are now accessible by unauthenticated users if they are marked as public reports.
• Iteration agent filtering now accommodates changes to agent allocation.
• Agents list page now renders correctly in IE 8.0 and Firefox 3.5.
• Step timeouts now producing expected behavior.
• Running steps from within an evaluate script step now executes without error.
• Drop down boxes in pop-up windows no longer disappear upon scrolling in IE 6.
• Workflows copied from one project to another retain library job characteristics and job sequence of original workflow.
• The user-specified number of agents to display per page is now retained on page refresh.
• An expanded step configuration now remains expanded when a step definition is edited.
• A validation on artifact set deletion now prevents deletion if the artifact set is being used.
• Properties provided in the Properties tab of the Visual Studio builder step configuration are now correctly saved.