Distributing Extensions

Installing an extension from the Extensions page is a single click. Getting a workflow, task, or application to the Extensions page in the first place is a separate step, and it changed as of the 0.7.0 release. This page is about why two distribution paths exist and how they relate; see Developing Workflow Extensions and Developing Applications for the actual build/package/upload steps.

Helm Chart Upload (Pre-0.7.0)

The only distribution mechanism was a Helm chart, uploaded to the platform (or shipped preinstalled) as a .tgz and installed with Helm. That mechanism is simple and still handles most extensions in Kaapana today. A chart reaches the platform through one of three build paths – see Developing Workflow Extensions for the steps of each:

  • Local build and manual upload, the default path for a workflow still under active development.

  • In-platform build via the EDK, the Extension Development Kit, when the platform is the only environment available.

  • Air-gapped transfer, for platforms without direct registry access.

Extension Manager (0.7.0+)

0.7.0 added the Extension Manager: an extension is packaged as an OCI artifact, described by a manifest, and pulled directly from any standard container registry, instead of being built and uploaded by hand.

Extension Manager currently supports only workflow-v1 content type; with helm charts, application and task extensions coming soon. See Backend Architecture for the service itself, and the Extension Manager UI for registering OCI registries and installing or uninstalling extensions independently of the existing Extensions page.