Image Promotion

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Discussion

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:

BuildingEvaluationTestingImage SigningDigital Signature VerificationCompliance assessmentApprovalStagingReleasePublicationDistributionDeployment authorizationRetirementThe applicable Image Promotion workflow defines:

The promotion statesThe permitted transitions among promotion statesThe transition criteriaThe actor or process permitted to request a transitionThe actor or process permitted to authorize a transitionThe result of a successful transitionThe result of an unsuccessful transitionThe records and Evidence associated with the transitionTransition criteria may include:

Successful Image buildSuccessful test executionSuccessful vulnerability assessmentSuccessful compliance assessmentA valid Digital SignatureRequired approvalRequired EvidenceCompatibility with a target environmentSatisfaction of applicable release conditionsImage Promotion differs from Image transfer:

Image Promotion changes the promotion state of an ImageImage transfer moves an Image between repositories, environments, or administrative domainsImage Promotion differs from Image publication:

Image Promotion authorizes or records a transition between promotion statesImage publication makes an Image available through a repository or distribution mechanismImage Promotion differs from deployment:

Image Promotion changes the status of an Image within its promotion LifecycleDeployment uses an Image to instantiate or replace a computing subjectAn Image may be promoted without being deployed, and deployment may require the Image to occupy a specified promotion state.

Definition

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

Source

Dido Solutions, Inc. and Jackrabbit Consulting, Inc.

Note

Image Promotion does not by itself define:

The names or numbers of promotion statesThe order of all promotion statesThe transition criteriaThe approval authorityThe repository used to store the ImageThe mechanism used to record the promotion stateThe environments in which the Image may be deployedThe applicable Image Promotion workflow or lower-level requirements define those details.

Image Promotion should preserve, as applicable:

The Image identifierThe Image RevisionThe prior promotion stateThe resulting promotion stateThe applicable transition criteriaThe observed criteria resultsThe requesting actor or processThe authorizing actor or processThe transition timeThe promotion resultThe resulting EvidenceProvenanceTraceabilityPromotion 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.

Example

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.

© 2026 Dido Solutions, Inc. and Jackrabbit Consulting, Inc.