Cloud Foundry app toolchain using IBM BLUMIX

Task 1: Create a toolchain

1. Open the creation page for the Develop a Cloud Foundry app toolchain by clicking Create toolchain:
   
   You can also select the Develop a Cloud Foundry app toolchain from the Toolchain templates list.
   
   Tip: For instructions to navigate to the toolchain templates and select a toolchain to create, see Navigating to the toolchain templates.

2. On the creation page, review the diagram of the toolchain that you are about to create.
   
   
   

3. Review the default information for the toolchain settings. The toolchain's name identifies it in IBM Cloud.
   Note: The URL to access your application must be unique. By default, the toolchain's name is used in constructing that URL. Make sure that the toolchain's name is unique within IBM Cloud.
   Each toolchain is associated with a specific region and resource group. Use the menus on the page to select the region and resource group where you want the toolchain created. You can have up to 200 toolchains per resource group.
   
   If you want to switch to a different account, click the Profile avatar icon in the banner and select the account.

4. Review your Git Repo and Issue Tracking settings and, if needed, change them. Each toolchain comes with a sample app, but you can select another repo to use.
   Note: Access to Git Repos and Issue Tracking repositories is region-specific. Generally, this restriction isn't important, because the Continuous Delivery service manages the relationship between your IBM Cloud login and the repositories. However, if the template for the toolchain that you are trying to create keeps the source code for the application in a private repo in one region, and you are trying to create a toolchain in a different region, then the toolchain is not able to clone the source code into your repository. For more information on how to deal with this special situation see Why can't I create a toolchain from a template that uses a private repo in a different region?
   If you want to use a repo from a different Git provider, after your toolchain is created, see the Change Git provider in a toolchain tutorial.
   
   
   
   

• To make this repo a private repo, select the Make this repository private option. Access to private repos must be granted manually.

• To enable issue tracking for ideas, enhancements, tasks, or bugs, select the Enable Issues checkbox.

• To track the deployment of code changes by creating tags, labels, and comments on commits, pull requests, and referenced issues, select the Track deployment of code changes checkbox.

5. Click Delivery Pipeline to configure the pipeline for your toolchain.
   The pipeline uses an IBM Cloud API key that you provide to access cloud services on your behalf. In the IBM Cloud API Key section, you can paste in an API key if you already have one, or you can click Create ⊕, and then click Create again to create one here.
   
   
   Note: You can improve your security posture by using the IAM UI to create a service ID API key.
   After the API key is provided, the Region, Organization, and Space fields of the Delivery Pipeline section are automatically completed. You can use the arrows on the fields to select among the values that the API key can access.
   
   Note:

• If no organization or space are displayed, create them on the Cloud Foundry Orgs page.

• If you clicked Create ⊕, click the eye icon to display the value of the API key. Record the API key so that you can use it later. For more information about API keys and how they are used in IBM Cloud, see Understanding API keys.

6. Click Create. Several steps run automatically to set up your toolchain:

• The toolchain is created.

• The sample repo is cloned into your Git Repos and Issue Tracking account. You now have your own version of the code.

• The delivery pipeline is created and triggered.

• The toolchain is associated with your app. When you push changes to the toolchain's repo, the delivery pipeline automatically builds and deploys the app.

7. After a few moments, your new toolchain's Overview page opens.
   
   
   

8. Click Delivery Pipeline to see the pipeline running.
   
   
   Note: If a pipeline stage fails, you can click the run icon on the stage card to run it again.
   

9. Return to the toolchain's Overview page by clicking the breadcrumb link at the top of the page.
   
   
   

10. You can see the deployed app by clicking the Visit App URL link.
    
    
    The running app is displayed.