Image Promotion

Go to Terms and Definitions

Image Promotion is a controlled Lifecycle transition that changes the promotion state of an identified Image after the Image satisfies the applicable transition criteria.

Image Promotion may progress an Image through states associated with:

• Building
• Evaluation
• Testing
• Image Signing
• Digital Signature Verification
• Compliance assessment
• Approval
• Staging
• Release
• Publication
• Distribution
• Deployment authorization
• Retirement

The applicable Image Promotion workflow defines:

• The promotion states
• The permitted transitions among promotion states
• The transition criteria
• The actor or process permitted to request a transition
• The actor or process permitted to authorize a transition
• The result of a successful transition
• The result of an unsuccessful transition
• The records and Evidence associated with the transition

Transition criteria may include:

• Successful Image build
• Successful test execution
• Successful vulnerability assessment
• Successful compliance assessment
• A valid Digital Signature
• Required approval
• Required Evidence
• Compatibility with a target environment
• Satisfaction of applicable release conditions

Image Promotion differs from Image transfer:

• Image Promotion changes the promotion state of an Image
• Image transfer moves an Image between repositories, environments, or administrative domains

Image Promotion differs from Image publication:

• Image Promotion authorizes or records a transition between promotion states
• Image publication makes an Image available through a repository or distribution mechanism

Image Promotion differs from deployment:

• Image Promotion changes the status of an Image within its promotion Lifecycle
• Deployment uses an Image to instantiate or replace a computing subject

An Image may be promoted without being deployed, and deployment may require the Image to occupy a specified promotion state.

controlled lifecycle transition that changes the promotion state of an identified image after satisfaction of applicable transition criteria

Dido Solutions, Inc. and Jackrabbit Consulting, Inc.

Image Promotion does not by itself define:

• The names or numbers of promotion states
• The order of all promotion states
• The transition criteria
• The approval authority
• The repository used to store the Image
• The mechanism used to record the promotion state
• The environments in which the Image may be deployed

The applicable Image Promotion workflow or lower-level requirements define those details.

Image Promotion should preserve, as applicable:

• The Image identifier
• The Image Revision
• The prior promotion state
• The resulting promotion state
• The applicable transition criteria
• The observed criteria results
• The requesting actor or process
• The authorizing actor or process
• The transition time
• The promotion result
• The resulting Evidence
• Provenance
• Traceability

Promotion of an Image does not modify the content of the Image. A content change produces a different Image or Image Revision, subject to its own evaluation and promotion.

A Container Image enters the Built promotion state after a successful build. After the Image passes required testing, compliance assessment, and Digital Signature Verification, an authorized workflow performs Image Promotion to the Approved for Deployment state.