Project Views

CloudStation offers two distinct ways to visualize and manage your application's services within a project: Diagram View and List View. Each view serves a different purpose and enhances the developer experience based on project scale, service interdependencies, and user preferences.

Overview

Project views provide different perspectives on your application architecture, making it easier to understand service relationships, monitor deployment status, and manage your infrastructure. You can switch between views using the toggle buttons located below the project selection area.

Diagram View

The Diagram View is CloudStation's visual representation of your application architecture, designed to be intuitive and accessible for both technical and non-technical users. This view displays services as interconnected nodes on a canvas, making it easy to understand dependencies and data flow at a glance.

Key Features

Visual Service Representation

• Service Cards: Each service is represented by a rectangular card with:
  • Service icon (database, application, or custom icons)
  • Service name and status indicators
  • Resource usage information (e.g., "0.21GB of 10GB")
  • Last update timestamps
  • Allocation status (e.g., "1/1", "2/3")
  • Action buttons ("Open App", "Ready to Deploy")

Logical Grouping

• Service Groups: Services can be organized into logical groups (e.g., "Group", "NBN")
• Individual Services: Standalone services displayed outside main groups
• Visual Hierarchy: Clear distinction between grouped and individual services
• Drag-and-Drop Grouping: Drag any service into a group to organize related applications together
• Template Applications: Template applications can be placed inside groups for better organization
• Flexible Organization: Any application can be grouped together based on your preferences

Connection Visualization

• Service Relationships: Connections show the relationships between two services
• Service Discovery Variables: Connection lines represent service discovery variables and dependencies
• Bidirectional Relationships: Visual representation of service interdependencies

Interactive Controls

• Zoom Controls: Plus/minus buttons for detailed inspection
• Pan and Navigation: Drag to move around the diagram
• Fit to Screen: Magnifying glass icon to view entire diagram
• Full Screen: Expand diagram for detailed analysis
• Layout Options: Customize diagram arrangement
• Add New Services: Quick access to service creation

Mini-map Navigation

• Overview Thumbnail: Bottom-right corner shows entire diagram
• Current View Indicator: Highlighted rectangle shows visible area
• Quick Navigation: Click to jump to different diagram sections

Benefits for Non-Technical Users

The Diagram View is particularly beneficial for non-technical users because:

1. Intuitive Visual Design: No technical knowledge required to understand service relationships
2. Drag-and-Drop Interface: Easy service creation and connection
3. Visual Feedback: Immediate understanding of service status and health
4. Simplified Workflow: Visual representation reduces complexity
5. Quick Problem Identification: Visual cues help identify issues at a glance

Use Cases

• Architecture Planning: Design and visualize application structure
• Onboarding: Help new team members understand system architecture
• Stakeholder Communication: Present technical concepts to non-technical audiences
• Dependency Management: Understand and manage service relationships
• Troubleshooting: Quickly identify affected services when issues arise

List View

The List View provides a comprehensive, tabular representation of all services within your project. This view is ideal for detailed service management, monitoring, and administrative tasks.

Key Features

Service Grid Layout

• Service Cards: Each service displayed as a card in a grid format
• GitHub Integration: Octocat icons with status indicators (green/red dots)
• Branch Information: Current branch for each service (e.g., "main", "railpack-plugi...")
• Last Update Tracking: Timestamps showing recent activity

Status and Resource Information

• Health Indicators: Color-coded status dots (green for healthy, red for issues)
• Resource Allocation: Visual representation with green squares and numerical counts
• Deployment Status: "Open App" buttons for deployed services
• Ready to Deploy: Status indicators for services pending deployment

Management Tools

• Environment Selection: Dropdown for choosing deployment environment (e.g., "production")
• Bulk Actions: "Add New..." button with service type options
• System View: Access to system-wide monitoring
• Log Insight: Advanced logging and debugging tools

Service Details

Each service card displays:

• Service Name: Clear identification of each component
• Branch: Current Git branch being deployed
• Action Buttons: Direct access to deployed applications
• Update History: Last modification timestamps
• Allocation Status: Resource usage and availability

Benefits for Technical Users

The List View is particularly beneficial for technical users because:

1. Detailed Information: Comprehensive service metadata and status
2. Quick Access: Direct links to deployed applications
3. Resource Monitoring: Clear visibility into resource allocation
4. Deployment Management: Easy access to deployment controls
5. Bulk Operations: Efficient management of multiple services

Use Cases

• Service Monitoring: Track deployment status and health
• Resource Management: Monitor and optimize resource allocation
• Deployment Operations: Manage deployments and rollbacks
• Performance Analysis: Review service metrics and usage
• Administrative Tasks: Bulk service management and configuration

Switching Between Views

You can easily switch between Diagram and List views using the toggle buttons:

1. Navigate to your project in the CloudStation dashboard
2. Locate the view toggle buttons below the project selection
3. Click "Diagram" for visual architecture representation
4. Click "List" for detailed service management
5. Your preference is maintained when navigating between project sections

Choosing the Right View

Use Diagram View When:

• Designing Architecture: Planning new service relationships
• Onboarding Team Members: Explaining system structure
• Presenting to Stakeholders: Communicating with non-technical audiences
• Understanding Dependencies: Analyzing service interconnections
• Quick Overview: Getting a high-level understanding of the system

Use List View When:

• Managing Deployments: Monitoring deployment status
• Resource Optimization: Analyzing resource usage
• Bulk Operations: Managing multiple services simultaneously
• Detailed Monitoring: Reviewing service metrics and logs
• Administrative Tasks: Configuring service settings

Best Practices

For Diagram View:

• Group Related Services: Organize services into logical groups for clarity
• Use Meaningful Names: Ensure service names clearly indicate their purpose
• Regular Updates: Keep the diagram current with actual service relationships
• Document Dependencies: Use connection lines to show actual data flow
• Review Regularly: Periodically review the diagram for accuracy

For List View:

• Monitor Resource Usage: Regularly check allocation status
• Track Updates: Pay attention to last update timestamps
• Use Environment Selection: Ensure you're viewing the correct environment
• Leverage Bulk Actions: Use "Add New..." for efficient service creation
• Utilize System Tools: Take advantage of System View and Log Insight

Conclusion

CloudStation's dual view system provides flexibility for different user types and use cases. The Diagram View excels at making complex architectures accessible to non-technical users through visual representation, while the List View offers comprehensive management capabilities for technical users. By understanding when to use each view, you can maximize your productivity and effectively communicate with all stakeholders in your project.