non-changeable name for BP environment

[Walter.Koller]

Currently (at least for v6.9) a BP environment is basically identified by the connection name. The connection name is a free text that can be changed anytime. 

When working with multiple teams in multiple environments it is important to exactly know what environment we are working in and talking about. 

Avoiding ambiguous names like 'My BP 123', 'old/new BP', ... might be avoided to some degree with naming conventions and using scripts instead of manual configuration. 

But still, changing the name of the connection or keeping the name but changing port, can lead to confusion.

It would be nice to have the possibility to specify a name to identify a BP instance / environment and that is stored in the DB. This can the be displayed in the client. This name could also be added during archiving and reduces the risk of corrupting the target archiving structure. 

[chris.strong]

Hello @Walter Koller

Thank you for raising, I’ve set the Idea Status to Reviewed.

Have you thought about using the Environment Themes? 

• You can configure a basic theme for an environment by selecting a foreground and background color for title labels and status bars.
• For example: I connect to different environments and it’s visual as to which one I’ve logged into.

Within the Environment Theme, we also enable the environment admin to set a “name” for the environment, this is not surfaced up to the Login Screen, but I think this is what you initially requested.

Also, we’ve solved this with Blue Prism Hub and the browser-based applications.  As we have a single Hub that connects to multiple environments, the Connections to the environment are centrally stored and defined by admins, and simply referenced.

• Blue Prism Hub Environment management
  • Here you set the name of the Environment, called a connections.
• Control Room – Digital Worker Health
  • Within the applications, such as Control Room, to switch environments, simply choose from the available ones in the top-right environment switcher.

Hope you find this useful.

Kind regards

Chris Strong

SS&C Blue Prism Product Manager

[Walter.Koller]

Hi,

We are already using Environment Themes to color code our environments and I love this feature! However, with 10 environments we soon ran out of meaningful colors.

We could create more variations by combining different fonts and colors but this might negatively affect user experience when every environment looks very different to other environments.

Communication would also be a bit difficult when colors have to be used instead of names to identify the environments. 'I have an issue with dev environment.' ... 'ah, one of the green environments?' ... 'is it green I thought it is blue, maybe it's my monitor'... 'do you have yellow or orange fonts?' ...

I was not aware of the Name in the Themes settings. I changed it for one of our environments but I could not find where this name would be shown at all?!

The actual reason for creating this idea was the inability to verify what environments are used. This can be somehow managed with users but it is much more difficult when doing scripts and automations. 

For example, when running archiving (either CLI or UI) Blue Prism does not know (thus not care) if the target of the archive is already used for other environments. (Since archive paths are defined per machine not environment, the path have to be always changed when archiving several environments on one machine). And it is also true when restoring archived data. BP does not know what archive is being used to restore into a repository.

Generally there is no chance to verify what is done for what environment. I can import a release with connection 'my sandbox' then change a port or the host and still import to 'my sandbox' but it will be done for a completely different environment.  

A centrally stored/managed name for an environment would also be helpful in case of centrally managed runtime resources (if this feature will hopefully be implemented).

[chris.strong]

Thank you @Walter Koller

You’re insight is very helpful here and I’m pleased the Environment Theme Color is useful, but understand why it doesn’t solve all your challenges.

The only place I’m aware the Environment Name appears in as the title of the Home screen, which isn’t prominent throughout.

I did see and review the other idea, and we’d need centrally defined names to solve this one too:  

• Ideas Portal: central BP management / configuration of RR

Thank you again

Kind regards

Chris Strong

SS&C Blue Prism Product Manager