Structsure Console User Manual
Introduction
Structsure Console is BrainGu's proprietary management solution to enable mission-critical application teams that use Structsure as their DevSecOps platform to deliver on their missions without requiring in-depth mastery of Structsure tools. It supports system administrators in managing user access and permissions across a set of supported tools. Additionally, it enables organization admins to manage teams and projects for their organization and allows application developers access to the tools they need to deliver on their mission through a centralized hub.
Supported Deployments
Structsure Console is automatically included in all deployments of Structsure 5 and above. It's designed to support both multi-tenant (Structsure Cloud) and single-tenant (On Premise) Structsure deployments.
Structsure Console allows Structsure Cloud users to efficiently organize and access platform tools and project-specific resources, streamlining project management operations and providing a centralized hub for access to the platform's toolset.
While both deployment types provide the same feature set, on-premise users have the added benefit of Organization Management features. This feature set offers additional grouping capabilities, allowing on-premise Structsure users to tailor Structsure Console to the unique requirements of their organization.
User Types
Structsure Admin
The Structsure Admin role is designed to enable system admins, IT help desk representatives, or other roles depending on the company structure to perform user management tasks from a single place. Structsure Console automates this process across all supported tools, ensuring that users are set up with the permissions required to provide the level of access and capabilities they need to do their job.
Additionally, with Structsure Console's predefined configuration algorithms, Structsure Admins can mirror the structure of their organization by defining projects and teams within Console’s supported tools, ensuring a consistent setup right out of the box.
Structsure Admins are granted administrator access to all of Console's supported tools. This enables them to customize the organization's representation within each tool as necessary, ensuring that it aligns perfectly with the unique needs and workflows of their organization, if necessary.
Organization Admin
The Organization Admin role is designed for individuals in positions such as project managers, engineering managers, technical leaders, or other roles responsible for administering software development teams. Structsure Console empowers them to efficiently organize application developers into specific projects and teams. This organization mirrors real-life working groups within the platform's supported tools, ensuring that each team member has access to the tools and capabilities required to deliver on their missions.
Organization Privileged
The Organization Privileged role is available to empower users with additional permissions beyond that of Organization Member. However, their permissions are less than that of an Organization Admin.
Organization Members
The Organization Member role is designed for application developers and any software development team member who needs access to tools on the Structsure platform. Structsure Console provides a centralized hub, ensuring streamlined access to all console-supported tools, as well as any project-specific tools. This facilitates quick and efficient access to their projects and teams’ tools.
Tools Functions
Supported Tools
Within the Strucsure landscape, Structsure Console currently supports a subset of collaboration tools. Although all the supported tools provide organization and user management capabilities, not all tools support every feature of Structsure Console. Currently, the tools integrated with Structsure Console are:
- Keycloak: Provides single sign-on (SSO) access to the Structsure Console platform tools.
- Confluence: Provides support for managing Organizations and Users. Management for Projects and Teams is not currently supported.
- GitLab: Provides support for managing Organizations, Users, and Teams. Management for Projects is not currently supported.
- Jira: Provides support for managing Organizations, Users, and Projects. Management for Teams is not currently supported.
- Mattermost: Provides support for managing Organizations, Users, and Projects. Management for Teams is not currently supported.
- Argo CD: Provides support for Projects and Applications.
The Structsure Console team is continuously working on enhancing the product's capabilities. As part of this ongoing development effort, more tools will be added to the console’s supported list over time.
Structsure Admin Capabilities
User Management
Includes support for Confluence, GitLab, Jira, Mattermost, and Argo CD.
Add User
This feature allows Structsure Admins to create a new user within Structsure Console's supported tools. When adding a user, Structsure Admins have the option to designate them as a Structsure Admin or to assign them to specific organizations immediately. This feature is accessible through the Users section of the Admin Portal.
Modify User Details
Through the User Details section of the Admin Portal, Structsure Admins can update user information in Structsure Console and across all supported tools, including name, profile picture, and permission levels. They can also manage the user's organization membership, roles, and team assignments.
Limitations: Team management is limited by the capabilities of the tools that support this feature. For more information, see the Teams Management section of the user manual.
Repair User
If discrepancies arise due to modifications of the user in the supported tools outside Structsure Console, the repair feature analyzes the current status of the user and either includes the missing data in Console or updates the tool to ensure consistency across the platform. This feature is accessible through the User Details section of the Admin Portal.
The repair user action will correct a user's existence, organization membership, team membership, and role assignments in the supported platform tools.
Resend User Invitation
If a user has not accepted their initial invitation, Structsure Admins can resend it to prompt them to join the Structsure Console. This feature is accessible through the User Details section of the Admin Portal.
Disable User
Structsure Console provides the capability to revoke access to Structsure through the Disable User feature. When a user is disabled, they will automatically be logged out from Structsure Console and all supported tools and will not be able to log back in. This feature is accessible through the User Details section of the Admin Portal.
Organizations Management
Includes support for Confluence, GitLab, Jira, Mattermost, and Argo CD.
Create Organization
This feature enables Structsure Admins to add a new organization to Structsure Console. When setting up an organization, Structsure Console automatically creates it across all of Structsure Console's supported collaboration tools. This feature is accessible through the Organizations section of the Admin Portal.
When creating an organization, Structsure Admins can optionally assign an Organization Admin to the newly created organization. If the designated Organization Admin does not exist in Structsure, Structsure Console will automatically create them.
Rename Organization
Renaming an organization updates the name of the organization across the supported tools. This feature is accessible through the Organizations section of the Admin Portal.
Repair Organization
If discrepancies arise due to modifications of your organization in the supported tools outside Structsure Console, the repair feature analyzes the current status of the organization and either includes the missing data in Console or updates the tool to ensure consistency across the platform. This feature is accessible through the Organizations section of the Admin Portal.
Add Organization Member
When Structsure Admins add users to an organization, they become Organization Members. These users will now have access to all of the projects within an organization and can be assigned to specific teams. Structsure Admins can also customize their permissions to grant them capabilities in Structsure Console and the supported collaboration tools.
Users can be added to multiple organizations, if necessary. When adding individuals who are not currently part of Structsure, this feature will create new users across Structsure Console's supported tools. This feature is accessible through the Organizations section of the Admin Portal.
System Tools Integration
Includes support for Confluence, GitLab, Jira, Mattermost, and Argo CD.
Structsure Admins have access to the System Tools section of the Admin Portal. This centralized view within Structsure Console provides a quick overview of the functionalities available in each integrated tool, as well as direct access to them.
User Portal
The User Portal in Structsure Console provides a dedicated space for regular users with Structsure Admin privileges. Here, they can function as either regular Organization Members or Organization Admins, depending on their assigned permissions within each organization. This allows for flexibility between performing routine organizational tasks and system administrator activities. Users can access the User Portal from the user menu when in the Admin Portal. Similarly, if they need to perform System Admin tasks while in the User Portal, they can switch to the Admin Portal using the same menu.
Organization Admin Capabilities
Also available for Structsure Admin.
Organization Members Management
Includes support for Confluence, GitLab, Jira, Mattermost, and Argo CD.
In the Organization Members section, Organization Admins have the ability to manage the roles and teams of organization members. This feature is accessible through the Organization Members section of the Organization.
This feature is accessible to Structsure Admins through the Organization Management view.
Limitations: Team management is limited by the capabilities of the tools that support this feature. For more information, see the Teams Management section of the user manual.
Projects Management
Includes support for Jira, Mattermost, and Argo CD.
Projects in Structsure Console represent real-world projects and are comprised of project-specific tools (e.g., Project Tools) from the supported platform tools. By creating projects and grouping Project Tools within them, Organization Admins can grant Organization Members access to all necessary resources that are required to deliver on their mission. Custom project tools can also be included to facilitate quick access to any other relevant URL.
In addition to project tools, Structsure projects contain applications. An application is a deployable collection of software defined in a manifest. Multiple applications can be associated with a Structsure project.
Add New Project
This feature allows Organization Admins to create new projects within Structsure Console. They have the option of a quick setup, which creates a project and, optionally, a new representation of it within the supported tools, under Project Tools. An advanced setup is also available, which includes quick setup steps and allows the addition of existing Project Tools from the supported tools, as well as the linking of custom project tools for organization members to access. This feature is accessible through the Projects section of the Organization.
This feature is accessible to Structsure Admins through the Organization Management view.
Rename Project
This feature enables Organization Admins to update the name of an existing project within the Structsure Console. As Projects exist only in Structsure Console, this renaming only affects the project's display name within Console and does not alter any of the Project Tools it contains in any way. This feature is accessible through the Projects section of the Organization.
This feature is accessible to Structsure Admins through the Organization Management view.
Edit Project Tool
This function enables Organization Admins to modify the alias of an existing Project Tool within a project for easier recognition within the project's context. This change will not affect the actual Project Tool outside of the Structsure Console or in other projects; it will only update the representation of the Project Tool within this specific project. This feature is accessible through the Projects section of the Organization.
This feature is accessible to Structsure Admins through the Organization Management view.
Add Project Tool
Organization Admins can add project tools to a project after it has already been created. They have three options for performing this action: adding a New Project Tool to create a new instance within a supported tool, linking an Existing Project Tool already in use within the organization, or integrating a Custom Project Tool by providing its URL.This feature is accessible through the Projects section of the Organization.
This feature is accessible to Structsure Admins through the Organization Management view.
Delete Project
Deleting a project in Structsure Console can be done through the Project Management interface. Deleting a project will only remove the project's representation inside Structsure Console for all members of the organization but will not delete the project tools it contains, except for the custom project tools. Project tools within the supported tools can be later linked to another project, if necessary. This feature is accessible through the Projects section of the Organization.
This feature is accessible to Structsure Admins through the Organization Management view.
Applications
Currently, Structsure Admins with platform administration credentials must create associated projects and applications within Argo CD. Structsure Console will discover the relevant, existing applications at runtime.
Organization Tools Integration
Includes support for Confluence, GitLab, Jira, Mattermost, and Argo CD.
Organization Admins have access to the Organization Tools section. This centralized view within Structsure Console provides a quick overview of the functionalities available in each integrated tool, as well as direct access to them.
This feature is accessible to Structsure Admins through the Organization Management view.
Limitations: Jira, Confluence, and Argo CD do not offer an organization-level view within their interfaces; for these tools, users will be redirected to the home screen of each tool.
Organization Members Capabilities
User Dashboard
Structsure Console provides a User Dashboard, accessible to all members of an organization. This dashboard simplifies the user's workflow by offering immediate access to frequently used Organization Tools and Project Tools across all organizations where they are members. Defined as Structsure Console's home screen for all members of an organization, the User Dashboard allows Organization Members to eliminate the need to navigate through multiple steps to reach project tools.
This view is only available to Structsure Admins if they belong as members of an organization; they can access all the organizations they are part of within the User Portal.
Organization Projects View
Similar to the Projects view for Organization Admins, Organization Members Projects view provides a centralized access point to all project-specific tools (e.g., Project Tools). This feature enables Organization Members to navigate to each tool related to the projects they are involved in. Organization members are limited to accessing Project Tools; they do not have the ability to edit them.
This view is only available to Structsure Admins if they belong as members of an organization; they can access all the organizations they are part of within the User Portal.
Organization Tools View
Similar to the Organization Tools view for Organization Admins, Organization Members Tools view provides a centralized access point to all Organization Tools supported by Structsure Console. When utilizing this access, users will open their respective home screens within each tool.
This view is only available to Structsure Admins if they belong as members of an organization; they can access all the organizations they are part of within the User Portal.
Other User Capabilities
All users, regardless of their role on the platform, have access to the following features:
Update User Information
By using the My Profile option, located in the user's menu, every user has access to update their user information in Structsure Console and across all supported tools, including name and profile picture.
Feedback Form
The Feedback Form, accessible through the Feedback Form option in the user's menu, provides a direct channel for users to engage with the product team. Users can use this form to report bugs, suggest new features, or request personalized support. Once submitted, these inputs will be reviewed by the product team, ensuring that each request receives the appropriate attention and follow-up.
Documentation and Support
User Cues
Structsure Console offers contextual assistance throughout the product, designed to guide users through its various functionalities. This assistance is identifiable by the question mark icon present across Structsure Console's views. By clicking on this icon, users can quickly access helpful information and reminders about the specifics of a particular view or feature.
Technical Documentation
While this user manual provides a description of each of Structsure Console's capabilities, the technical details are not defined here. For users who require more technical information, they can access the Technical Documentation page.