Feature Overview (aka. Goal Summary)

We want to provide a lifecycle management to the software templates.

Goals (aka. expected user outcomes)

Currently, in Backstage and RHDH, customers can create templates to create apps, provision infrastructure and more.

Let's use a Java example for the context. Let's say that a Java template is used to create dozens of microservices. Eventually the template will get updated with a new version of the tooling (Maven, Gradle), new version of Java or the framework (Quarkus, SpringBoot), update to the security config, load balancing, etc. So the new template will become 1.1 instead of 1.0.

Customer would like to track the component that are still using the template 1.0 to notice them that they need to update their application to the latest template.

Requirements (aka. Acceptance Criteria):

• As a platform engineer, I want to be able to version software templates
• As a platform engineer, I want to be able to see who is using a specific version of a template.

Documentation Considerations

Make sure we have proper documentation to create software template (to be added in RHIDP-6933) and how to version the templates.

Mini Content Journey

Who is your target persona?

Hint: See list of key persona here. If there’s a more specific persona to target, use that persona.

Platform Engineer 

What stage of the user journey are you targeting?

Hint: Choose from Discover, Learn, Try, Adopt, Expand

[Answer]

Why is this content important?

Today, we have the ability to set the relations between an entity that was created by a particular software template using `scaffoldedFrom` from the `@backstage-community/plugin-scaffolder-backend-module-annotator` plugin. We would like to take this a step forward and now include versioning information to the entity based on the version of the template that created it.

This will allow users to be able to reference what version of a particular template they used to create their entity. This can help in identify problems and give more information about where the source of the issue might be. This also can be used as another mechanism for tracking the lifecycle of a particular template

What is the main user goal aka job to be done?

• As a platform engineer, I want to be able to version software templates
• As a platform engineer, I want to be able to see who is using a specific version of a template.
• As a platform engineer of RHDH, I want to have a scaffolder action that applies the version to the catalog entity so that users are able to track what version of the template they used to create their entity.

What high level steps does the user need to take to accomplish the goal?

Hint: Provide a general outline of the steps needed.

1. [Step]
2. [Step]
3. [Step]

(Optional) What is the general sentiment of users towards this goal?

Hint: Talk to customer facing teams how customers feel about the job to be done

[Answer]

(Optional) What pain points are the user likely to encounter when accomplishing this goal?

Hint: Talk to customer facing teams about how customers feel about the job to be done

[Answer]

(Optional) What other feedback do users have around this goal?

Hint: Talk to customer facing teams about how customers feel about the job to be done

[Answer]

(Optional) Are there any additional opportunities you can also implement for the user when documenting this goal?

Hint: Consider any additional actions that might also improve content. For example, restructuring content to better suit the user story, or other content types that could reuse this content.

[Answer]

Links to existing content 

Hint: Consider the situational context of the existing content. Do a Google search for any possible resources that might help.

• [Link 1]
• [Link 2]
• [Link 3]

People:

• SME: [SME name]
• QE: [QE name]

Release Note: Yes / No

Documentation Outline

•  [Assembly] Software Templates assembly
• [Existing modules]
•  [Proc] How to version software templates

• • Prerequisites
  • Outline of steps

• [Proc] How to view template version users / usage 
  • Prerequisites
  • Outline of steps