Brainboard Cloud | Changelog

Explore our Terraform development updates on our public roadmap changelog. Discover new features and integrations regularly. Check in weekly, monthly, or quarterly to see the latest enhancements benefiting your business.
🎨 Design area
7 days ago

🔥 Terraform State Management

Brainboard Setting

You have now a Terraform state management dashboard.

CleanShot 2024-04-16 at 08.07.12.png 337.46 KB


To give you the safest way possible to interact with your tfstate, we just released an amazing feature that allows you to safely: 
  • See your tfstate and fetch the latest version from your remote backend (if you are not using the default one)
  • Manipulate it to import / add or remove resources
  • List the resources inside
  • Move it
  • Execute Terraform actions on it.
This is visible and available in a new tab called “Settings” to separate it from the CI/CD page.


🎨 Design area
27 days ago

🔢 New variables

We have thoroughly overhauled the entire process of managing and creating variables.

Terraform Variables
🎨 Design area
27 days ago

🗺️ 🔢 Import variables properly from template

When you copy a template within the current architecture (instead of creating a new one), the template  variables will be added as well.

Import Variables from Templates
🎨 Design area
27 days ago

🏷️ New node visual

We refined the node’s visual to represent more information that reflects your logic (data sources, resources omitted from code, count & for_each, containers…).

Nodes visuali.png 399.85 KB
🎨 Design area
28 days ago

📥 Brainboard file UX for upload

We added a drag-and-drop area to make  the Brainboard file upload modal more intuitive.

Drop your files here to upload
🎨 Design area
28 days ago

🆓 Free plan

Public website's pricing page


We've recently updated our free plan. Now, free users have access to a broader range of functionalities. You can create and view versions, which was previously restricted. Running plans is also permitted, allowing users to test configurations. However, executing apply or destroy actions remains off-limits, aligning with apply's usual restrictions.

Significantly, we've opened up our CI/CD capabilities to free users for the first time, albeit with limited plugin access. You can freely use OpenTofu, Terraform, and TfSec—the latter is essential for onboarding processes to ensure you can comply with initial setup requirements.

Other plugins are reserved for paid subscriptions. Detailed information about these changes and the full array of features accessible under the free plan is available on our public website's pricing page.
🎨 Design area
about 2 months ago

🔧 TF syntax for Booleans

To enhance flexibility and accommodate various Terraform configuration styles, we have introduced the capability for Booleans to be defined using Terraform syntax as a variable or an expression. This is in addition to the traditional binary option (true/false).

tf syntax for booleans
🎨 Design area
about 2 months ago

📌 Provide alias subscription

When you design your multi-subscription cloud infrastructure in Brainboard, you have the possibility to use containers for that and Brainboard handles the provider definition and adding in every resource the right alias entry as expected by Terraform. Thanks a lot for those who helped us with their feedback and suggested adding it.

Azure multi.gif 1.61 MB
🎨 Design area
about 2 months ago

↔️ ID Card is Now Draggable & Resizable

Your resource configuration ID card is now draggable and resizable across the design canvas. Adjust its position and size to best fit your workflow habits (for example, moving it on top of the code).
If you need to reset its position, press CMD/CTRL+K to open the command palette and search for "Reset identity card style".

Draggable and resizable id card
🎨 Design area
about 2 months ago

👀🖱️ Preview Resources During Drag & Drop

Now, as you drag resources into the design area, you can see the resources along with their text! We're adding all the capabilities necessary to ensure Brainboard meets your diagramming standards.
preview resources during drag & drop
🎨 Design area
2 months ago

↩️ Undo/redo ↪️

Our engineering team has refactored the undo/redo system from the ground up. It is now backend-based, and not browser one.

This means that your undo/redo actions will persist even if you log out, refresh your page, or log in from another browser or laptop. It is tracked consistently to provide you with full flexibility and security to navigate your changes up and down.

In this initial version, the undo/redo history is saved for a full working day (24 hours). Please keep this in mind, as we may change it later.

Undo/redo
🎨 Design area
2 months ago

🐜 Code refresh on Node deletion

When you deleted a node in your architecture, the Terraform code was not refreshed instantly. This issue has now been fixed.
Thanks to those who reported it. ;)
🎨 Design area
2 months ago

🀆 Enhanced Drag & Drop Functionality

Now you can see what resources you are dragging into the design area!
Drag & drop cloud designer
🎨 Design area
3 months ago

📐Design with new shapes

To better improve your experience building cloud infrastructure, we released new shapes and the most important thing to keep in mind is that these shapes are containers that can group different resources. You can always request new shapes and the team will do its best to implement them.

new shapes on Brainboard
🎨 Design area
3 months ago

🎨 Design improvements

We are constantly improving Brainboard to make the best cloud infrastructure design-first solution:
  • 🪪 🔍 ID Card Search Enhancement: Now, when you search for any configuration, you'll receive the entire block of related configurations. This improvement ensures that if even one field within the block matches your search query, you'll get all the relevant information at once.
  • ✍️ Dynamic Resource Naming: We've upgraded the resource naming mechanism. Now, the resource title is dynamic. The new default title is the resource name and you can override it.
  • 🏃‍♂️ Refined the Nodes movements: We enhanced both the precision and the way you click and move nodes even in multiple selections. 

🎨 Design area
3 months ago

🪪 Resource identity card

Just released in Brainboard, the documentation of every field is now embedded in the idcard in ergonomic way.

We started with the support of modules and we are improving cloud resources to have maximum documentation coverage.

Try Linux Function App

🎨 Design area
3 months ago

🤖 Contextual Smart Autosuggestions with AI:

azurerm storage account

Our AI-based Smart Autosuggestion feature comprehends the context of resource parameters, offering a precise and categorized list of values for efficient retrieval and selection. This enhancement accelerates your build process by minimizing the need to refer back to documentation. We've updated to the latest versions of Azure, AWS, and AzureStack, ensuring the inclusion of the exported attribute name (.name) where necessary in Azure. Additionally, we've eliminated redundant variable suggestions to streamline your experience.

Check this out yourself here.
 
FYI. You can now drag the cloud configuration's idcard to anywhere you want in the design canvas. 
🎨 Design area
3 months ago

🎨 Auto-positioning and layering (Z-index)

Brainboard's design area has become even more intelligent. Each time you drag and drop a resource, the system automatically updates the z-index and inheritance based on cloud knowledge, ensuring optimal organization.

Z index
 
Following your feedback, we've introduced a second version with a key enhancement: auto-positioning is no longer triggered during the simple movement of a node that doesn't affect the child-parent relationship. For users seeking a colored background, please utilize the Brainboard shape rectangle feature instead of text-based options.

Check this out yourself here.
🎨 Design area
4 months ago

🌟 Looking AI-head to 2024

Brainboard AI diagramming to terraform code


Commitment to Your Feedback: This year will be dedicated to integrating the valuable feedback you've shared with us. We're committed to refining and evolving based on your insights.
  • ✨ Introducing Brainboard AI: We're excited to reveal early access to Bob, our AI-driven cloud kickstarter. Though initially planned for January 1st, 2024, we're rolling it out sooner! Request your access now and be among the first to generate cloud infrastructures (diagram + code) that you will be able to configure and test. 
  • Career Opportunities: We're expanding our team! If you're passionate about AI and Infra-as-Code diagramming, we want to hear from you. Join us in shaping the future of Brainboard. Send your application to hiring@brainboard.co.
  • You're Part of Our Big Picture: We promise to maintain our stride in delivering regular, high-quality updates in the design area, ensuring a seamless design ↔️ code experience. Plus, get ready for a plethora of new videos and interactive webinars throughout 2024.
What's on your Brainboard wishlist for next year?
Share your ideas and dreams with us — Santa might be tuning in to grant some Brainboard wishes!

Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year from all of us at Brainboard! We can't wait to see the amazing things you'll create in 2024. 🎆✨
🎨 Design area
4 months ago

🚀 Enhanced Smart/Funnel Autosuggestions

Based on AI, the smart suggestion understands the context of the parameters of the resources and suggests an accurate list of values. It’s also organized into categories for efficient retrieval & selection. This allows you to build faster and avoid back and forth to the documentation.

Smart cloud diagramming



Revamped UI/UX for the ID Card: Experience a fresh, user-friendly interface with the ID card, now featuring a 'stick-to-top' header for easier navigation as you scroll.
🎨 Design area
5 months ago

🪄 Introducing Brainboard's Enhanced Cloud Migration Experience

Brainboard's import feature has undergone major improvements, resulting in better diagram generation and improved code generation with dynamic linking between cloud resources. These improvements are just the beginning of a series of changes aimed at enhancing confidence and stability for customers when importing their infrastructure. 
  • One of the key improvements in this release is the enhancement of diagram generation for imported cloud resources. Brainboard now uses more advanced algorithms for resource positioning and connector routing, resulting in more optimal diagrams that accurately represent the relationships between resources.
  • One of the most noticeable changes is that the nodes are no longer all stacked on top of each other, resulting in a cleaner and more organized layout.
  • There have also been improvements in the containers/children relations in the design, making it easier to manage complex infrastructures.
  • Brainboard now incorporates dynamic linking, which means that code is generated with live links between resources, allowing for more seamless interaction between resources.
More improvements are set to be rolled out in the coming weeks & months, stay tuned... 
🎨 Design area
5 months ago

🔥 Feature Requests 🔥


✨ Brainboard AI: 

We're thrilled to announce that Bob, our AI-driven cloud kickstarter, will be in beta access by January 1st 2024! Request Access.

🧑‍💻 Edit Existing Resources: 

In this alpha version, you can edit the terraform code of existing resources.
This improvement is the first step towards giving you the best of both words, the power of the design and the accuracy of code. Request Access.

🌧️ Import from AWS

We already fully support Import from Azure, and now, Import from AWS is available in a beta version only for Enterprise clients. Reach out to us to discuss your use case and how we can help you migrate to IaC & Brainboard. Request Access.
🎨 Design area
5 months ago

📸 Export your Architecture

We've completely rethought this feature. You can download an accurate image of your architecture.
Animated GIF Resize.gif 657.28 KB


🎨 Design area
6 months ago

🧒 👵 Auto-positioning and layering (Z-index)

Brainboard’s design area is smarter than ever before. Every time you drag and drop a resource, Brainboard will automatically update z-index and inheritance using cloud knowledge.

zindex.gif 5.09 MB


For Eg.
  1. When you drag & drop a Vnet on top of a subnet, Brainboard will automatically set the subnet as the child of the Vnet.
  2. Now, in your daily usage, you shouldn't need to use the following buttons: send to back/backward/frontward/to front anymore. Brainboard will manage that for you.
🎨 Design area
6 months ago

🧱 Switching modules between container & node

To manage modules easier, now all modules are nodes. You can still convert it into a container. We know you are all asking to visualize what’s inside the modules, we are working on it and we’ll keep you posted.   

module as an icon.gif 2.8 MB
🎨 Design area
6 months ago

🌧️ Import AWS

We already support Import Azure, and now, Import AWS is available only for few Enterprise clients.
Please contact the Sales team if you want to discuss your use case and migrate your infrastructure into Brainboard.

Import AWS
🎨 Design area
6 months ago

👩🏻‍💻 Introduction of the Bi-directional Alpha Feature

In this alpha version, you can edit existing resources only. (cf. more information)

Animated GIF Maker.gif 2.76 KB

edit terraform code


ezgif video.gif 1.41 MB


You still have to drag & drop new resources but then either you update them via the idcard or via the code. Every edits you do are reflected into the diagram 👀
  1. Modify the value of an existing attribute for a specific resource, variable, or block within the Terraform code.
  2. Introduce new attributes or blocks for configurations such as a resource, relationship, Terraform module filename, or a distinct architectural design.
  3. Remove unnecessary attributes or blocks; the diagram will automatically update to reflect these changes.
🎨 Design area
6 months ago

🐛 Bug Fixes W40+41

  • Enhanced Project/Environment Visibility: We appreciate the valuable feedback from our users and customers. If you encounter any ongoing issues, please don't hesitate to inform us.
  • Streamlined Switch Node Resource Type: We've eliminated redundant code that no longer serves a purpose when toggling between resource and data source modes.
  • Multi-User Mode Stability: We're pleased to inform you that the pesky blinking issue in multi-user mode has been resolved. 😉
  • Search Bar Undo Functionality: You can now press Ctrl+Z to conveniently undo text changes in the left bar's search function.
  • Enhanced Node Selection and Movement: We've addressed the issue where moving multiple nodes was problematic. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
  • Brainboard File Restoration: Good news! The Brainboard_file feature is back and fully functional.
  • Simplified CP Selection During Architecture Switch: When transitioning between different architectures, we've made it easier to select the right CP (Control Panel).
  • 🥚 Infrastructure Migration to Kubernetes: Our infrastructure has been successfully migrated to Kubernetes, providing enhanced performance compared to the previous VM-based setup.

🎨 Design area
7 months ago

🧑🏻‍💻 Improved reliability on Design Area

In the latest update, we have taken significant steps to increase trust and confidence in the Brainboard design area.

switching architecture.gif 2.04 MB
  • You will experience a notable enhancement in reliability of the BB application, ensuring a smoother and more efficient workflow. 
  • We have also ensured that all your work on the interface is automatically saved, providing you with peace of mind and enhancing productivity. 
  • Our update allows users to understand and handle the cause of errors more clearly, promoting a more seamless and intuitive user experience. 
  • The switch from one architecture to another is now more noticeable, allowing for easier navigation and operation within the application. 
  • Furthermore, we have reimplemented the entire backend websocket management to ensure that bugs are a thing of the past. 
  • This overhaul also brings an improved live status between the front and backend systems, ensuring real-time synchronization and communication for optimal performance and reliability. 
Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to continuous improvement to serve you better.


🎨 Design area
7 months ago

🐛 Bug fix report: W38+39

  1. AWS 5.16.2 Updates: We added this new major version, please check the breaking changes and migration guide if you are upgrading.
  2. Azure Resources Icons: Thanks to valuable client feedback, we have fixed multiple Azure resources icons including Linux/Windows Function App, MySQL Server, and Databricks. Please continue to reach out to Brainboard support for any further icon updates.
    Screenshot 2023-10-02 at 15.56.07.png 139.71 KB
  3. Module Name Sanitization: Dragging and dropping modules now automatically sanitizes the module names from the catalog, preventing any unwanted characters or errors.
  4. Resource Name Update: Updating a resource name is now more efficient. Brainboard will automatically update it everywhere, ensuring consistency across the platform.
  5. Code Generation Bugs: Major code generation bugs have been fixed. Special characters are now supported everywhere, including in map's keys, enhancing the reliability of code generation.
  6. Navigation in Readme File, ID Card, and Variable’s Description: The bug that prevented the use of the arrow down/up keys in the readme file, ID card, and variable's description has been fixed, allowing for smoother navigation.
  7. Variable Description: Variable description is now multi-line ready, allowing for more detailed and organized descriptions.
  8. Brainboard_shape Visibility: The accidental visibility of brainboard_shape in the code has been corrected.
  9. Send Back Button: The design of the Send Back button has been enhanced to improve the design area experience.

We are committed to continuously improving Brainboard by fixing bugs and implementing new features to enhance your experience. Your feedback is crucial for us to make these improvements, so please keep it coming. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

🎨 Design area
8 months ago

☁️ Integration with Azure DevOps Terraform Provider

Brainboard now seamlessly integrates with the Azure DevOps Terraform Provider, enabling users to manage their Azure DevOps resources using Terraform through Brainboard’s intuitive design interface.

Click on the top left-corner to switch to it 😇
Screenshot 2023-08-23 at 08.01.56.png 303.78 KB

Before:
  • Brainboard supports AWS, Azure, GCP & OCI.
  • For unsupported TF provider, a workaround exist to use custom resources.
Now:
  • Direct integration with the TF provider azure_devops. Users can now design, configure, and manage Azure DevOps resources right within Brainboard.
  • Drag-and-drop interface for adding and configuring Azure DevOps resources such as repositories, pipelines, and service connections, directly within your infrastructure designs.
  • Automatic generation of Terraform configurations (.tf files) for Azure DevOps resources, managed alongside your other infrastructure code, all within Brainboard.
  • Visual mapping between Azure DevOps resources and other infrastructure components, enabling clearer and more efficient orchestration of multi-service environments.

🎨 Design area
9 months ago

➿ Nodes with Connectors Enhancement

We are thrilled to unveil a significant enhancement to Brainboard's design area, with a special focus on nodes and connectors. This latest update is designed to vastly improve usability and elevate your overall experience with the tool, enabling you to connect resources or groups of resources more efficiently than ever before, without any disruptions.

With this update, we have streamlined the process of linking nodes, allowing you to seamlessly connect different resources and create connections swiftly. Our goal is to empower you to effortlessly establish meaningful relationships between various elements, making your workflow more intuitive and productive.
The new enhancements ensure a smoother and faster user experience, eliminating any potential interruptions or inconveniences that may have previously occurred during the connection process. You can now effortlessly group resources and link them together, boosting your productivity and facilitating seamless collaboration.

We believe that these improvements will be invaluable for both seasoned users and newcomers, enhancing your ability to visualize complex relationships and create organized structures within Brainboard.
Connectors

Thank you for being part of this exciting journey with us. We look forward to your valuable feedback as we continue to refine and improve Brainboard to meet your evolving needs.

As always, we value your feedback. If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for further improvements, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team.
🎨 Design area
9 months ago

🆙 File upload feature

There is now a new Custom resource called "File" in the leftbar which allow you to upload a file in their architecture in order to use that file with a local file resource for example.

🎨 Design area
10 months ago

🔵 🟦 Introducing Shape Variety

At Brainboard, we're constantly striving to improve our visual Terraform top layer, and today, we're excited to announce our latest update: 💠 Shapes! With this new feature, you can now add squares, ovals, and circles to your diagrams, taking your cloud infrastructure design to the next level.
 
Whether you're working on a high-level or low-level design, our new shapes allow you to add more details and data to your diagrams, making them even more informative and insightful. You can now easily highlight important aspects of your cloud architecture, such as security zones, data flow, or resource dependencies, to name just a few examples.
 
But we're not stopping there. We want you to have the best possible experience with Brainboard, so we're inviting you to request any other shapes you'd like to see in our tool. We're always listening to our users and we want to make sure that we're providing you with exactly what you need to manage your cloud infrastructure effectively.
 
So go ahead, try out our new shapes feature and let us know what you think. We can't wait to see the amazing diagrams you'll create with Brainboard! If you have any feedback or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're here to help you succeed.

Shapes on Brainboard
 
🎨 Design area
10 months ago

🤖 Intelligent Diagramming

With its AI-powered left bar, Brainboard takes intelligence to new heights by seamlessly generating logical connectors between resources, enhancing cloud resource icons, live-generating ID cards in the backend, and automatically generating a functional Terraform code for on-the-fly testing.

This AI-powered enhancement provides users with context-aware code suggestions, streamlining workflows and boosting productivity.
Screenshot 2023-06-22 at 17.05.46.png 948.2 KB
🎨 Design area
11 months ago

🔥 New UI: Resource’s left the bar

Brainboard is excited to announce the latest update to our product - a complete redesign of the left bar in the design area! Our in-house designer has been hard at work to improve the user experience by streamlining the design process, simplifying resource selection, and ensuring the most current versions are available.
 
The left bar is an essential part of the design area, and we've made sure to focus on the most important aspects in this redesign. We've improved the UI design, generation system, icon selection, default values, importing databases and testing, further categorizing resources, and automating version updates for the left bar. These improvements will help you design, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructures even more efficiently.
 
We understand that our users are busy cloud architects and DevOps professionals who need to stay on top of their game. With this in mind, we've made sure that the left bar is as intuitive as possible, with streamlined navigation and easy-to-understand resource selection. These improvements aim to enhance your hands with magic! The autogeneration of the terraform code is still 100% free for all users to enable streamlining the design process, simplifying resource configurations with low-code, while ensuring the most current versions are available.We believe that these changes will help you expedite your time to market, bolster cloud security, and optimize cloud costs.
 
We're always looking for ways to improve Brainboard, and this redesign is just the latest step in our journey. We hope that you'll find the new left bar as exciting as we do, and we can't wait to see the amazing designs and infrastructures that you'll create with it!



🎨 Design area
11 months ago

✍🏻 Add rich text capabilities to the text resource

🎨 Design area
12 months ago

Brainboard Feature Changelog - April-May 2023


🐞 FIXED by Batman 🦸🏻‍♂️

  • Git Source Update: When using a module from a Git source, Brainboard automatically fetches the latest update. However, there are instances where this automatic update fails to occur. In such cases, manual synchronization is required to ensure the latest module version is obtained.
  • Module Update Inconsistency: When making changes to a custom source module, Brainboard fails to update all architectures that use this module consistently. This leads to outdated module versions being used in some architectures.
  • Improved Manual Synchronization: We have implemented enhancements to the manual synchronization feature for modules sourced from Git. Brainboard now reliably fetches the latest module update when initiated manually. This ensures that users have access to the most up-to-date version of the module.
  • Inheritance System Issue: For a specific period of one day, there was a problem with the inheritance system. The issue caused inconsistencies and unexpected behavior when inheriting modules. However, the problem was identified and fixed on the same day.
  • Code Fix for Network Ranges and IPs: We have resolved an issue related to code changes that involve network ranges and IP addresses. The fix ensures accurate handling and processing of these elements.
  • Improved Variable Creation from ID Card Field: The process of automatically creating variables from the ID card field has been enhanced. The improvements aim to provide better accuracy and reliability when generating variables from this specific field.
  • Import modules: When importing modules that already exist, we display the appropriate error message to better explain the root cause of the issue.
  • Git Integrations: Error messages that prevented the saving of Git configurations have been resolved.
  • Deploy: We noticed an issue with the Deploy tab causing infinite loading, which affected a few architectures. We resolved the problem immediately and apologize for any errors this may have caused and any impact on your deployment cycle.
  • Terraform Plan: The Plan button was malfunctioning and displaying a warning about the concurrency limit, which was not intended. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused. The issue has been addressed and the warning will no longer appear.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Please note that the above issues have been resolved in the latest version of Brainboard and should no longer occur.

⏮️ Rewind from Mike Tyson of the Cloud


Artificial Intelligence
Best practices
Use cases
🎨 Design area
about 1 year ago

⌨ Command Palette — Search & Run a command

Command Palette

command center.mp4 30.86 MB


At Brainboard, we understand the importance of optimizing your development process to improve productivity. That's why we're excited to introduce our latest feature: the Command Palette.

With just a quick keystroke (Command + K), the Command Palette opens up, allowing you to search and execute commands with lightning speed. Whether you're trying to troubleshoot an issue, switching from one architecture to another, or find a specific configuration, you can easily find what you need by typing in your query. For example, if you want to "Create an architecture," simply type that phrase into the Command Palette and start performing complex tasks in no time.

We're committed to continuously improving our product and welcome your feedback on the commands you'd like to see implemented. Our dedicated team is always looking for ways to enhance your experience and help you manage your cloud infrastructures more efficiently. So please don't hesitate to reach out and let us know what you need - we're here to help!

Sign up now to get 21-days free Starter trial
🎨 Design area
about 1 year ago

🧲 Redesign of the Terraform Code & the One Action in the design area

Design to Terraform code to one action deployment


As part of our efforts to enhance the user experience, we have made significant improvements to Brainboard's Terraform Code and One Action features. In addition, we have also introduced a new capability that allows users to view the Terraform Plan output directly while visualizing their cloud architecture and comprehending their Terraform code.

These updates enable Brainboard users to accelerate their infrastructure changes and monitor them all at once, while ensuring safe and reliable deployment.

Discover Brainboard now
🎨 Design area
about 1 year ago

🔱 Variables and locals with the same name were conflicting.

Now, enjoy the Brainboard override system (Organization → Project → Environment → Architectures).



🎨 Design area
about 1 year ago

Brainboard Feature Changelog - February 2023

🧼 IMPROVED

Export cloud architecture as JSON


We've made some performance enhancements to the:
  • We are happy to announce that Brainboard is available for both: AWS Marketplace, Azure Marketplace
  • Inheritance now supports multiple resources - While designing your cloud architecture, you can now move 2+ resources at the same time into a container.
  • The Brainboard migration tool supports multi-lines strings.
  • Export architecture as JSON - We added the export feature to allow all our users to either backup their architecture, to migrate them from one account to another one, to share them with the support when needed. You are now able to export and import any Brainboard architecture easily.
  • Hide the default value for sensitive variables.
  • Add the support of Terraform Cloud remote backend.
  • All Terraform versions are now available in Brainboard CI/CD Engine.

The product team have reached out to get your honest feedback. If you want to be part of it, reach out to Jeremy, our beloved CTO.
 

🐞 FIXED

 
We've resolved reported issues that were causing occasional crashes when, for example:
  • You can now download / search the CI/CD output.
  • We now list all your GitLab projects in Git configuration, before limited to 20.
  • We fixed an error during pull request / merge request when the target branch already exists.
  • Visual indicator when cloud resources are in Icon Only mode (Terraform code not generated)
  • When using synced architectures, variables creation and updates are now synced to both / more architectures.
  • We removed the issues linked to the scrolling and wrong colors on selection, in README.
  • We removed quotes around ignore_changes (Terraform lifecycle options)
  • Our new system will always choose the best Terraform file to show based on your architecture diagram.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and thank you for bringing it to our attention.
 
Please note that the above issues have been resolved in the latest version of Brainboard and should no longer occur. If you continue to experience any issues, please reach out to our support team on our Public Slack Channel.
 

⏮️ Rewind

🎨 Design area
about 1 year ago

☁️ Migrate Azure

Migrating your existing cloud infrastructure from Azure to Brainboard is better day after day. With more complex use cases coming to us, we are able to improve the quality and the compliance of all cloud resources available in Terraform provider Microsoft Azure. We also improved the error messages, clarifying the reason behind it. Also, when migrating your terraform infrastructure, everything included terraform states, are successfully supported and imported in to Brainboard. 

🎨 Design area
about 1 year ago

Brainboard Feature Changelog - Week #6

🧼 IMPROVED

We've made some performance enhancements to the:
  1. Screenshot 2023-05-11 at 22.55.21.png 1.04 MB
    Clearer output for clearer decisions: When deploying your cloud architecture, we improved the output of your Terraform code, CI/CD workflow and Terraform actions. That will enable you to make clearer decisions, apart from all distractions, having all your cloud environment in one solution.
  2. New year, new design system: We've been shipping a lot lately. Our image you perceive of Brainboard count for us. So we heard your feedback and designed internally our new logo, images, and experience across the website, the onboarding, and the application with new colors and visual improvements. 
  3. Documentation: A new documentation was just released, improving product clarification and explanation. This improved documentation will help users better understand our product and how to best use it. Get excited about next week's website launch, featuring brand-new features and a more modern design! You can visit the documentation here.
As always, we value your feedback and suggestions. If you have any thoughts or ideas on how we can improve Brainboard, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team.
🎨 Design area
about 1 year ago

🐠 Design area

Overall, we've been working hard in enhance your experience when designing your cloud architecture. Now, drag & drop and configuring is a matter of seconds with faster terraform code generation and improvements of navigating your canvas.   

🎨 Design area
about 1 year ago

Brainboard Feature Changelog - Week #4 - January 2023

We're excited to share with you the latest updates and improvements to our platform. Here's a summary of what we've been working on this week:

🐞 FIXED

We've resolved reported issues that were causing occasional crashes when, for example:
Screenshot 2023-05-11 at 22.57.35.png 661.77 KB
  1. Specify a different brand when doing a pull request:
    • We now allow you to specify a different branch in the base branch field in the pull request modal, when creating a pull request. This means that you are able to select which branch they want to merge their changes into, rather than being restricted to a specific branch such as “main”. This feature can be useful for organizations that use multiple branches for development and testing, as it allows developers to easily collaborate on code changes and merge them into the appropriate branch for deployment. Additionally, it can help to maintain the versioning and history of the Terraform codebase.
  2. Variable type not saved:
    • Problem: This bug fix addresses an issue where a new variable is not correctly saving the type information during the creation or modification process. This can cause problems with the functionality of the application, as the type of variable is important for determining how the application should handle and interact with the variable's value.
    • Solution: The fix involves updating the Terraform code that is responsible for handling the creation and modification of variables to properly save the type information. This could involve checking for missing or incorrect type information, and adding code to handle this properly. Additionally, it also involves testing the updated Terraform code to ensure that the bug is resolved and that the new variables are being created and modified correctly with the correct type information. 
  3. Custom group TF file broken:
    • Problem: The bug fix addresses an issue with the functionality that retrieves custom group files in Terraform. The bug is related to the fact that when a group starts with 'f' or 't' the retrieval of the custom group file is broken. The issue with the Terraform configuration for the “test” group, as the test.tf file should contain the necessary information for provisioning and managing the infrastructure for that group, but it is empty. 
    • Solution: Create an architecture or a blueprint of the infrastructure using Terraform. Add 3–4 nodes on the design canvas, which are servers or machines that make up the cloud infrastructure. Change the group of 2 of the nodes to “test” group. Now, retrieve the test.tf file, which should contain the Terraform configuration for the “test” group.
  4. Scroll through a big output:
    • Problem: The bug fix addresses an issue with the performance of scrolling through the output of the “plan” in Terraform. The bug is causing the scrolling to be slow and unresponsive, with a delay of 2–3 seconds before the update or the next lines are displayed.
    • Solution: We optimized the code that handles the output display and scrolling by reducing the number of updates and unnecessary calculations. We always make sure the data is being loaded and processed efficiently.
  5. Import Multiple strings:
    • Problem: The bug fix addresses an issue with the way Brainboard import Terraform code that contains "<<EOF" and "EOF" for a field. The bug causes these characters to be changed into strings which causes issues in the interpretation of the code.
    • Solution: Update the import code to properly handle these characters. We make sure the code that reads and interpret the imported Terraform code is able to handle these characters correctly.
  6. Feedback survey:
    • Problem: We noticed that the feedback form brought aggressive prompts to you, builders and cloud architects. 
    • Solution: We've disabled it for now. Please continue to contribute to the Slack community and contact us if any improvements need to be fixed. We generally respond within 6h. 
  7. Editing node title:
  • Problem: The bug fixes you addresses an issue with the way the editing of the title of a node behaves in Brainboard's canvas. The bug causes the title of the selected node to change when editing the title of a different node that is not selected.
  • Solution: We added a check to verify that the correct node is being edited, or by making sure the system is keeping track of the correct selected node.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Please note that the above issues have been fixed in the latest version of Brainboard and should no longer occur. If you continue to experience any issues, please reach out to our support team on our Public Slack Channel.

🧼 IMPROVED

We've made some performance enhancements to the:
Screenshot 2023-05-11 at 22.59.10.png 422.92 KB
  1. CI/CD Engine: We've just introduced a feature for approval tasks, which allows users to request and receive approval before deploying code changes to a production environment. This can be useful for ensuring that code changes have been reviewed and tested properly before they are deployed to a live environment, and can help to prevent errors or issues that could negatively impact the performance or functionality of the system.
  2. Import: We continue to improve the import feature. This week, we've focused on database use case. Now, you can import schema and documentation. A schema is the structure of the database and the rules on how the data should be organized, while a document is a single unit of data stored within the database.
  3. Deleting cloud architectures: When soft-deleting cloud architectures, we now soft delete all related objects including workflow(s), pipelines, jobs, deployments, git integrations, and terraform settings.
This should result in faster load times and a smoother user experience.

As always, we value your feedback and suggestions. If you have any thoughts or ideas on how we can improve Brainboard, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team.

📆 Replay: Understand CI/CD strategies & Best Practices 


You can now watch last Tuesday's webinar on the details and implications of what CI/CD means for the cloud infrastructure. This is a short preview of what you will learn in less than 70 minutes: 
  • 0:02:20 CI/CD Day
  • 0:04:40 CI/CD in Application world 
  • 0:07:00 CI/CD for the app  
  • 0:13:47 IaC Best practices 
  • 0:20:00 Application vs. Infrastructure 
  • 0:28:00 IaC languages 
  • 0:34:40 Existing solutions 
  • 0:38:40 Commonalities & Challenges
  • 0:42:10 What is expected from a CI/CD solution 
  • 0:48:10 Some of useful open-source tools 
  • 0:52:00 CI/CD Best practices 
  • 0:57:40 Successful Implementation 
  • 1:05:20 Brainboard CI/CD Engine—demo tour 
  • 1:05:50 Design your first CI/CD workflow visually 
  • 1:09:00 CI/CD outputs 
  • 1:10:40 Create a CI/CD pipeline template
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

Brainboard Feature Changelog - Week #3 - January 2023

We're excited to share with you the latest updates and improvements to our platform. Here's a summary of what we've been working on this week:

🐞 FIXED

We've resolved reported issues that were causing occasional crashes when, for example:

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  1. Storage Container already exists issue:
    • Problem: When creating a new Storage Container in Brainboard, if the container already exists in AWS or Azure, the application would fail.
    • Solution: We have implemented a check that verifies if the container already exists in the specified cloud provider before attempting to create it. If the container already exists, Brainboard will no longer fail and will instead display a message indicating that the container already exists.
  2. Git Personal Token Editing Error:
    • Problem: When editing only one field in the Git Personal Token, an error occurred and the changes were not saved.
    • Solution: We have identified the problem and fixed the issue with the Git Personal Token editing process. Users should now be able to edit any field in the token without encountering errors.
  3. Terraform Block Removal:
    • Problem: When importing Terraform files, such as backend.tf that contains a Terraform block and many providers block, the Terraform block was automatically removed.
    • Solution: We have identified the problem and fixed the issue with the Terraform block removal during import. The Terraform block should now be retained and not removed during the import process.
  4. Map variable syntax issue:
    • Problem: When importing a Terraform file that contains a map as the type of variable and the values are defined in terraform.tfvars, the values were changed and replaced with an invalid Terraform syntax, causing the plan to fail,
    • Solution: We have identified the problem and fixed the issue with the map variable syntax. The values should now be imported correctly and retain their original syntax.
  5. Validation Block Import:
    • Problem: When importing from Git or files, for example, a Terraform code that contains a validation block, the variables validation block was not imported in Brainboard.
    • Solution: We have identified the problem and fixed the issue with the validation block import. The variables validation block should now be imported correctly and be visible in Brainboard.
  6. Terraform Variables Modal:
    • Problem: The Terraform variable modal was changing every time it was opened or when doing a pull request. This caused confusion and made it difficult to track changes.
    • Solution: We have made changes to the Terraform variable modal, so it will no longer change every time it is opened or when doing a pull request. This will make it easier to track changes and manage variables.
  7. Default Terraform Code File:
    • Problem: The default Terraform code file was main.tf, but it was causing confusion when working on a different resource file.
    • Solution: We have changed the default Terraform code file to be the resource file that the user is currently working on. This will make it easier to manage multiple resource files and keep track of changes.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Please note that the above issues have been fixed in the latest version of Brainboard and should no longer occur. If you continue to experience any issues, please reach out to our support team on our Public Slack Channel.
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

⧮ Improve PR/MR* creation flow with clear error messages!

*
PR = Pull Requests
MR = Merge Requests

Brainboard's tech team has significantly improved the error messaging experience when performing pull or merge requests.

To accomplish this, we have changed the backend to provide more detailed and informative error messages. These error messages are now displayed directly on the front end, making it easy for you to understand and resolve any issues that may arise. We have also made improvements to the modal's User Experience (UX) to make it more intuitive and user-friendly. 

These enhancements will make it easier for you to manage and troubleshoot your code changes.


About

Merge requests (MRs) & pull requests (PR) in a version control system (VCS) like Git can save your cloud infrastructure project by allowing you to:

  1. Collaborate effectively with team members: PR/MR provide a way for team members to propose changes to the infrastructure codebase and review and discuss them with other team members before merging them into the main branch. This allows for better collaboration and communication within the team.
  2. Implement code review and testing processes: PR/MR provides a way to implement a code review process, where other team members review changes to the infrastructure codebase before being merged. This can help identify and fix bugs and issues before they are deployed to production.
  3. Track changes to the infrastructure codebase: PR/MR provides a way to track changes to the codebase, including who made the change and why making it easier to understand how the infrastructure has evolved.
  4. Rollback changes: PR/MR provides a way to roll back changes to the infrastructure codebase if something goes wrong. This can be done by reverting the merge commit or using version control tools like Git to revert specific changes.
  5. Isolate changes: PR/MR provides a way to isolate changes, meaning that changes are committed and tested in a separate branch before merging into the main branch. This allows for keeping the main branch stable and ready to deploy at all times.
  6. Implement automated testing and integration: PR/MR provides a way to implement an automated testing and integration process. This can be done by integrating the VCS with a continuous integration and deployment tool, which can run automated tests and deploy changes to different environments.

One step forward binary way of working the infrastructure on Brainboard
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

🔥 Id card is constantly improving

The ID card in Brainboard is a feature that enables users to easily configure cloud resources by dragging and dropping them onto the design canvas. These resources are not just visual representations but are actual, actionable resources that can be configured and deployed to the cloud. One step forward in breaking down the barriers between low-code and code-based approaches to cloud infrastructure management.

With the ID card, Brainboard is pushing the boundaries of visualizing cloud infrastructure to help you understand the bigger picture of your projects, environments, cloud architecture, and workflows. This makes it easier for users to manage your cloud resources and have a clear infrastructure overview. This can also help users to identify patterns, dependencies, and potential issues, making it easier to optimize your infrastructure.

Here at Brainboard, we constantly spot errors and improvements and focus on tackling them first. 
  • One of the improvements is that it eliminates missing fields when configuring specific cloud resources. You no longer have to worry about missing important information when setting up your cloud infrastructure. 
  • The ID card allows for multi-block everywhere, allowing for better customization options. This can be achieved by using hardcode, a powerful tool for making changes to the infrastructure. 

Overall, these improvements make it easier for you to configure and manage your cloud resources with Brainboard.
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

↕ Connect multiple resources directly from the idcard

Use an attribute of a resource in the id card of another resource and connect resources — one step further to low coding your cloud infrastructures.

In Brainboard, you can connect multiple resources by using resource references. This can be done in several ways:
  1. Using the "depends_on" argument in resource blocks allows you to specify that a resource depends on another resource and must be created after it.
  2. Using the "${resource.name.attribute}" syntax allows you to reference the attributes of one resource in the configuration of another resource.
  3. Using the "data" blocks to retrieve information from external resources allows you to retrieve information from existing resources and use it to configure new resources.
  4. Terraform modules allow you to group resources and reuse them across multiple configurations. This is a way to organize your resources and share them with others.
  5. Using Terraform's variables: Terraform variables can store resource information and reference it in multiple places in your configuration.

It's important to note that connecting multiple resources depends on the resources themselves and the cloud provider you are using. It is recommended to check the resources and provider documentation to get the best practices.
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

🎸 Terraform Code Generation

We've made some performance enhancements to the:

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Terraform Code Generation: We have made significant improvements to its Terraform code automatic generation process, making it 2x faster and more reliable. By optimizing the code generation algorithms, Brainboard has made it possible to generate Terraform code from diagrams in a fraction of the time it used to take. Additionally, the code generated is more reliable and maintainable for the long term. The generated code is now more readable and easier to understand, making it simple to read changes and updates. The new generation process also includes a new error checking feature, which identifies and corrects errors before the code is generated, ensuring that the generated code is error-free. Overall, these improvements make Brainboard's Terraform code generation process one of the best in the industry, providing users with a fast, reliable, and maintainable solution.

This should result in faster load times and a smoother user experience.

Response time in terraform code generation has improved significantly, reducing to less than one second in 99% of the cases.


As always, we value your feedback and suggestions. If you have any thoughts or ideas on how we can improve Brainboard, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team.
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

≈ Variables in multi-region AWS diagram design

In Brainboard, this applied for all cloud providers supported (Azure, OCI, GCP, Scaleway)
You can now use variables in multi-region AWS diagram design :)

Terraform variables in Brainboard can be used to create a multi-region AWS diagram design in several ways:
  1. Use variables to define the regions you want to deploy your infrastructure in: By using Terraform variables; you can specify which regions you want to deploy your infrastructure in and make it easy to change or add regions in the future.
  2. Use variables to define the specific resources in each region: By using Terraform variables, you can specify the specific resources you want to deploy in each region. This allows you to create different resource configurations for different regions easily.
  3. Use variables to define the AMI ID: By using Terraform variables, you can specify the AMI ID (Amazon Machine Image) you want to use in each region. This allows you to use different AMIs for different regions.
  4. Use variables to define the subnets and availability zones: By using Terraform variables, you can specify the subnets and availability zones that you want to use in each region. This allows you to use different subnets and availability zones for different regions.
  5. Use variables to define the security group: Terraform variables can specify the security group you want to use in each region. This allows you to use different security groups for different regions.

Here is an example of how you can use Terraform variables to define a variable for the region:
variable "region" {
  default = "us-west-2"
}

You can use this variable in your resource definition like this:
resource "aws_instance" "example" {
  ami           = var.ami
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
  region        = var.region
}
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

🔎 ID card* search now returns nested fields (inside block)

Improvement to the ID card search functionality in a system. Specifically, the improvement allows for searching nested fields within an ID card.
*The ID cards would represent different cloud resources, such as virtual machines, load balancers, and storage volumes. By dragging and dropping these ID cards onto a canvas, users could quickly and easily design their desired cloud infrastructure.

Once the diagram is designed, it would also be actionable, meaning that the user could deploy their cloud infrastructure with a single click. Brainboard would then automatically provision and configure the necessary resources based on the ID cards that were used in the design.

Brainboard greatly simplify the process of designing and deploying cloud infrastructure, as it would provide users with a visual, intuitive way to work with the resources. Additionally, the use of ID cards could also enable users to easily share and reuse their cloud infrastructure designs with others.

Before

The previous version of the ID card search only returned the matches from the simple fields, but now the search has been updated to return matches even from the nested/block fields, which allows the user to find the ID card with all the information they need.

Test it for yourself on Brainboard!

🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

🗂 Import Terraform .tfvars* files

* tfvars files are Terraform configuration files that store variables for a Terraform configuration. They typically have the file extension .tfvars and are used to set values for variables that are used in Terraform configuration files. These files allow you to store sensitive information like credentials and other sensitive data, which you can use in your Terraform configuration, but without having to hard-code them in your .tf files.
This bug fix likely addresses an issue where users were unable to set values for variables when they were importing resources into Brainboard. An import allows a user to take an existing resource that was not created by Terraform and bring it under Brainboard management. However, if there is a bug that prevents users from setting variable values during an import, it would make it difficult for them to properly manage these resources.

The bug fix likely addressed this issue by allowing users to provide variable values during an import, allowing them to properly manage the imported resources. This would enable the users to import resources, and also set values for the variables that they want to use to manage these resources.

Discover Brainboard

🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

💣 Import from Microsoft Azure (public)

This summer, while many were enjoying their vacations, the development team at Brainboard was hard at work. They were focused on enhancing every aspect of the platform, and one of the most highly-anticipated features was the ability to import from Azure, now available to the public.

Introducing Import Azure

To celebrate this new feature, we are excited to offer you 50 free credits to import 50 Azure cloud resources and transform your Azure infrastructure into Terraform code and a live diagram. If you require additional credits, please don't hesitate to let us know. We are here to help you every step of the way.
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

✏️ Design to Code

The transition between design and code has been made easier, more responsive and more flexible. Cloud resources can be opened and closed to focus on designing the architecture diagram and Terraform code can be opened and closed to focus on configuration. This new feature was recently developed by our front-end experts and I was impressed with it after trying it out. It's truly amazing and I wanted to share it in this month's newsletter. Try it out for yourself!


Discover the new Design to Code area on Brainboard.
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

🚀 Code to Deploy

Brainboard have made significant improvements to the process of configuring cloud resources, specifically in regard to the identification and management of each resource. This is an essential task when building an architecture diagram, and we recognized the need for a more streamlined and efficient approach.

We have completely redesigned the concept of configuring a cloud resource, with a focus on simplifying the process and reducing the number of steps required. This has been achieved through the integration of more advanced automation techniques and the use of more intuitive user interfaces.

In addition to this, we have also made improvements to the design to code feature, which allows for a more seamless transition between designing the architecture diagram and configuring the relevant code. The combination of these two features results in a much smoother overall experience for the user.

I have personally tested these new features and can confidently say that it is a significant improvement from the previous version. I highly recommend giving it a try for yourself and see the difference.

Design to Code within the hour on Brainboard.
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🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

🖼 Use your own icon for any resource

This feature release pertains to the new id card that has been introduced in the Brainboard cloud management solution. With this new feature, users are now able to directly edit the icon of any resource when configuring it.

To do this, the user simply needs to hover their cursor over the existing icon and a prompt will appear, allowing them to upload a custom icon. This feature allows for a greater degree of customization and organization when building and managing architecture diagrams within Brainboard. Additionally, it gives users the ability to easily identify resources in diagrams by custom icons.

Start configuring your cloud resources with Brainboard.

Edit the resource's icon from the id card directly.
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

🪄 Import from files improved

This feature release pertains to the import feature in the Brainboard cloud management solution. The development team has been working on improving the user experience and the output of this feature.

A new and improved version of the import feature has just been released. With this new version, users are now able to start configuring their cloud resources while they are dragging and dropping them onto their architecture diagram. This means that users no longer have to complete the configuration process after the resources have been imported, they can now do it in real-time as they are adding resources to the diagram. This allows for a more efficient and streamlined workflow, and can save users valuable time.

The team is encouraging users to try out this new feature and provide feedback on their experience with it. This will help the team continue to improve the product and provide the best experience for the users.

 
Import your Terraform files on Brainboard.
Import from terraform file(s)
🎨 Design area
over 1 year ago

🌈 UX redesign - idcard

This feature release pertains to the redesign of the id card in the Brainboard cloud management solution. The development team has completely rethought the concept of the id card to improve productivity and readability for the users.

The new id card has been redesigned with the goal of providing a more efficient and streamlined workflow when configuring cloud resources. One of the key changes is that users can now start configuring their cloud resources while they are dragging and dropping them onto their architecture diagram. This eliminates the need to switch back and forth between configuring resources and adding them to the diagram, allowing for a more efficient workflow.

In addition to this, the new id card has been optimized for smoother readability. This includes improvements to the layout, typography, and color scheme. The new design is intended to make it easier for users to quickly and easily identify the relevant information for each resource, which can save valuable time when building and managing architecture diagrams.

The new id card also includes advanced automation techniques and more intuitive user interfaces which makes the overall process of configuring cloud resources faster and more user-friendly.


Overall, the redesign of the id card is aimed at improving the productivity and readability of the Brainboard cloud management solution, and providing a better experience for the users.

Start configuring your first resources on Brainboard.

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🎨 Design area
almost 2 years ago

☁️ GCP tags broken

The feature being mentioned in this statement pertains to the handling of tags in the Google Cloud Provider (GCP) for Terraform, a tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure. The issue being addressed is that GCP Terraform tags were not working correctly, resulting in broken functionality.

The development team has fixed this issue and now GCP Terraform tags are correctly handled, meaning that users should no longer experience issues with broken functionality.

In Terraform, tags are used to organize and categorize resources within the cloud infrastructure. 

  • In GCP, Terraform tags are used to add metadata to resources such as virtual machines, disk, and networks. These tags can be used to identify, organize and manage resources within GCP. For example, you can use tags to organize resources by environment, application, or project, and you can also use tags to identify resources for billing and cost management.
  • In AWS, tags are used similarly to GCP, but they are referred to as resource tags. AWS tags provide a way to organize and categorize resources within an AWS account.

In summary, the feature fixed the handling of tags in the Google Cloud Provider (GCP) for Terraform, which were not working correctly, resulting in broken functionality. Terraform tags are used to add metadata to resources such as virtual machines, disk, and networks within GCP, and in AWS it's referred to as resource tags. They are used to organizing and categorize.

Start using tags the proper way with Brainboard.
🎨 Design area
almost 2 years ago

␡ Deleting an item in map deletes all items

The issue being addressed is that when a user added key-value items into a map-like tag and then removed only one item, it would delete all the items in the map.

The development team has fixed this issue and now when a user removes one item from a map, it will only delete that specific item and not all the items in the map. This ensures that users have greater control over the items in their maps and can make changes to them without accidentally deleting all the items.

In summary, this feature addresses a bug in Brainboard where when a user added key-value items into a map-like tag and then removed only one item, it would delete all the items in the map. The development team has fixed this issue and now when a user removes one item from a map, it will only delete that specific item, ensuring that users have greater control over the items in their maps and can make changes to them without accidentally deleting all of the items.
🎨 Design area
almost 2 years ago

␡ Can’t delete a local*

The issue being addressed is that users were unable to delete locals, which are variables with a scope of "local".

The development team has fixed this issue and now users are able to delete locals. This means that users can now delete variables with a scope of "local" without encountering any errors.
*In Terraform, a local is a way to assign a value to a variable, and it's only accessible within the same module where it's defined. A local variable can't be accessed outside of the module where it's defined. It can be used to store temporary values that are used within a module and it's not exposed to other modules.
For example, in Brainboard, a user could define a local variable to store the name of a resource and use it throughout the module, and then delete it when it's no longer needed.

In summary, the bug fix addresses an issue where users were unable to delete locals in Brainboard. Now, users can delete variables with a scope of "local" without encountering any errors. Locals are variables with a scope of "local" in Terraform, and it's used to store temporary values that are used within a module and it's not exposed to other modules.
🎨 Design area
almost 2 years ago

🐞 AWS Gov regions alias

The issue being addressed is that in the providers.tf file, the AWS GovCloud regions were not included.

The development team has fixed this issue and now the GovCloud regions are listed with their own alias in the providers.tf file. This means that users can now use the appropriate alias to specify the GovCloud region they want to work with, instead of having to manually enter the region's endpoint.
AWS GovCloud (US-West) and AWS GovCloud (US-East) are regions that are specifically designed to host sensitive data and regulated workloads in the cloud, and they are isolated to the US Government's infrastructure. These regions provide a high level of security and compliance.

Examples of the regions include:
  • us-gov-east-1
  • us-gov-west-1

In summary, the bug fix addresses an issue where in the providers.tf file, the AWS GovCloud regions were not included. The development team has fixed this issue and now the GovCloud regions are listed with their own alias, which allows users to use the appropriate alias to specify the GovCloud region they want to work with, and it's more convenient, instead of having to manually enter the region's endpoint. AWS GovCloud regions are designed to host sensitive data and regulated workloads in the cloud, and they are isolated to the US Government's infrastructure.

Use AWS GovCloud resources with Brainboard.
🎨 Design area
almost 2 years ago

🐞 Auto-generate the Terraform code

The issue being addressed is that the code was not being generated for a new architecture.

The development team has fixed this issue and implemented auto-generation of Terraform code, which is a first in the cloud computing industry. This means that when a user creates a new architecture in Brainboard, the platform will automatically generate the corresponding Terraform code for that architecture diagram.

This auto-generation feature can help cloud architects go faster in designing and deploying cloud architectures. By having the Terraform code automatically generated, cloud architects can save time and effort that would have been spent on manually writing the code. This allows them to focus on other important tasks, such as designing and testing their architectures.

Additionally, the auto-generation feature can also help to reduce the chances of errors that can occur when manually writing code. By having the code automatically generated, the chances of typos, syntax errors and other issues are greatly reduced, which can lead to a more stable and reliable infrastructure.

In summary, the feature fixed the issue where the code was not generated for a new architecture and implemented auto-generation of Terraform code, the first in the cloud computing industry. This auto-generation feature can help cloud architects go faster in designing and deploying cloud architectures by saving time and effort that would have been spent on manually writing the code, and reducing the chances of errors.
🎨 Design area
about 2 years ago

📥 Terraform Reverse is open for early access!

Terraform Reverse is a feature that allows users to automatically generate Terraform diagrams and code from their existing resources on AWS and Azure, which is now available for early access. This means that users can now convert their existing resources on these cloud providers into actionable diagrams and Terraform code, which can be used to manage and maintain their infrastructure as code.

The feature is designed to save users time and money by allowing them to quickly and easily migrate their existing resources to Terraform. It takes less than 30 minutes to migrate 2500 resources instead of 6 months, which represents a significant time savings. Additionally, the feature can save users money by reducing the cost per resource migrated, which can add up to thousands of dollars at scale.

The feature also allows users to achieve a much faster time to infrastructure as code (IaC) and automation, with up to 100x faster time. This allows users to quickly and easily automate the management of their infrastructure, which can lead to increased efficiency and reduced human error.

Overall, Terraform Reverse is designed to help users save time and money by making it easy to migrate their existing resources to Brainboard and automate the management of their infrastructure. With this feature, users can take advantage of the benefits of IaC, such as increased efficiency and reduced human error, while minimizing the time and effort required to do so.
🎨 Design area
about 2 years ago

⬇ Export your diagram into svg, png or pdf

The feature being mentioned in this statement is the ability to export architecture diagrams in Brainboard, a cloud management solution, into various file formats, such as SVG, PNG, or PDF. This feature allows users to save their diagrams in a format that is compatible with various image editing and presentation software.

The export feature allows users to take a snapshot of their current architecture diagram and save it as an image file, which can be useful for sharing with others, such as a boss or team members, or for keeping a record of the diagram for later reference.

Additionally, this feature also allows users to export their diagrams in different formats, like SVG, PNG and PDF. SVG format is vector based format which can be zoomed without losing quality, PNG format is raster based format which can be used for images, PDF format is used for document sharing. Users can choose the format according to their needs.

The statement also mentions that the export feature has been reintroduced, indicating that it may have been removed or absent in previous versions of Brainboard. This feature is also useful for those who missed the Screenshot feature, which is now back and improved. With the export feature, users can quickly export their cloud architecture diagrams and drop it anywhere they would like, such as in a presentation or in an image editing software for further annotation.

In summary, this feature allows users to export their architecture diagrams in Brainboard into various file formats, such as SVG, PNG and PDF, enabling them to save and share their diagrams in a format that is compatible with various image editing and presentation software, and it also allows users to take a snapshot of their current architecture diagram and save it as an image file.

Start exporting your cloud architecture on Brainboard.
Screenshot 2022-03-08 at 10.51.18.png 115.92 KB

You can export your architecture as an image (svg, png or pdf).
🎨 Design area
over 2 years ago

🔗 ☁️ Import Terraform V02

This feature is a tool that allows users to import Terraform, a tool used for infrastructure as code, and manage it visually. We've been collecting feedback from users since its release last month and has been making improvements and releasing new versions daily. 

Reverse Terraform is a feature of Brainboard that allows users to automatically generate Terraform diagrams and code from an existing Terraform file, a public or private repository, and connect to their cloud provider's credentials. This feature enables users to create visual representations of their infrastructure and quickly understand the relationships between resources, as well as generate Terraform code for those resources, making it easier to manage and maintain their infrastructure. Additionally, by connecting to cloud provider credentials, Brainboard can also pull in information about existing resources and use that to generate the Terraform code, allowing users to easily import their existing infrastructure into Terraform.

The new versions include features such as: 
  • Private Repositories (Only GitHub): This fix allows users to connect to their private GitHub repositories and import their Terraform code. This is useful for users who want to keep their infrastructure code private and only accessible to authorized users.
  • Supports count, timeouts, depends_on (add connector with the dedicated connector.link.type): This fix enables the tool to support count, timeouts, and depends_on Terraform resources, which are used to create multiple instances of a resource, set timeouts for resources, and specify dependencies between resources. The tool also allows users to add connectors with the dedicated connector.link.type.
  • Supports terraform functions (like format, substr, ...), string interpolation (like “aaa$[var.test]”): This fix enables the tool to support Terraform functions, such as format and substr, and string interpolation. Terraform functions are used to perform various operations on strings and variables, while string interpolation allows users to include variables within strings.
  • Some resource attributes not parsed: This refers to an issue where some resource attributes were not being parsed correctly by the tool. This fix addresses this issue, ensuring that all resource attributes are parsed correctly.
  • Create module idcard on the fly: This fix allows users to create module idcards on the fly. A module idcard is a summary of a module's inputs, outputs, and resources. This allows users to quickly understand the purpose and structure of a module without having to examine its code.
  • Import code with module fails: bad source, no version: This refers to an issue where importing code with modules would fail if the source or version was not specified correctly. This fix addresses this issue, allowing users to import code with modules correctly.
  • Git root/base repo URL doesn't work: This refers to an issue where the git root or base repo URL was not working correctly. This fix addresses this issue, ensuring that the git root/base repo URL works correctly.
  • Support EOF in resource attribute: This fix enables the tool to support EOF in resource attribute. EOF, short for End-of-file, is a control code used to indicate the end of a file or stream. This fix allows the tool to correctly handle EOF in the resource attribute.

Migrate your cloud infrastructure on Brainboard for a better process standardization. 

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