Application-release automation

Application-release automation (ARA) refers to the process of packaging and deploying an application or update of an application from development, across various environments, and ultimately to production.{{cite web|title=Gartner IT Glossary {{ndash}} Application Release Automation (ARA)|website=Gartner|url=http://www.gartner.com/it-glossary/application-release-automation-ara/|access-date=25 September 2014}} ARA solutions must combine the capabilities of deployment automation, environment management and modeling, and release coordination.{{cite report |title= Application Release Automation Market Forecast|publisher=Forrester |date=2015}}

Relationship with DevOps

ARA tools help cultivate DevOps best practices by providing a combination of automation, environment modeling and workflow-management capabilities. These practices help teams deliver software rapidly, reliably and responsibly. ARA tools achieve a key DevOps goal of implementing continuous delivery with a large quantity of releases quickly. {{cite report |title=Garner Market Trends: DevOps – Not a Market, but Tool-Centric Philosophy That supports a Continuous Delivery Value Chain |publisher=Gartner |date=18 February 2015}}

Relationship with deployment

ARA is more than just software-deployment automation – it deploys applications using structured release-automation techniques that allow for an increase in visibility for the whole team.{{cite book |last=Humble |first=Jez |last2=Farley |first2=David |date=2011 |title=Continuous Delivery: reliable software releases through build, test, and deployment automation |publisher= Pearson Education Inc. |page=255-257 |isbn=978-0-321-60191-9}} It combines workload automation and release-management tools as they relate to release packages, as well as movement through different environments within the DevOps pipeline.{{cite report |title=Market Overview: Application Release Automation Tools |publisher=Forrester |date=2015}} ARA tools help regulate deployments, how environments are created and deployed, and how and when releases are deployed.{{cite report |title=Market Guide for Application Release Automation Solutions |publisher=Gartner |date=20 July 2015}}

ARA Solutions

All ARA solutions must include capabilities in automation, environment modeling, and release coordination. Additionally, the solution must provide this functionality without reliance on other tools. {{cite report |title=Critical Capabilities for Application Release Automation Solutions |publisher=Gartner | last=Fletcher |first=Colin |date=1 August 2016}}

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! Solution

! Released by

BuildMaster

| Inedo

CA Release Automation and Automic

| CA Technologies

DeployHub

| OpenMake Software

Deployment Automation (formerly Serena Deployment Automation)

| Micro Focus

CloudBees Release Automation (formerly Electric Flow)