1 click deployment to the Automation Node and UI enhancements
We recently got Dataiku Profesional Services to demo a project which had a scenario which allowed a 1 click deployment to the Automation Node. The scenario would perform all the activities required via the Dataiku Python API and create the bundle, push to Deployer, create the deployment and deploy it. While obviously this idea can be achieved via the Dataiku Python API I think this should be a standard feature in the product so that Administrators could easily setup a 1 click deployment to the Automation Node without having to deal with the Dataiku Python API. This is of particular importance now that Dataiku has given us the ability to have Deployer pre and post hooks in v12.2.0 which allows to integrate all other artifacts and infrastructure as part of a Dataiku deployment.
Most of our users find the Deployer too complex to use and too many steps are required to do a deployment from scratch. While some of the complexity comes from all the different settings that need to be handled as part of a deployment there is also a component in the UI design and the terminology used. For instance Dataiku calls "deployment" to two diffewrent things:
- A deployment configuration: This is a configuration created to be able to an actual deployment. Using "deployment" for this is confusing and should be renamed
- A deployment action: The act of deploying something somewhere. So when you "deploy" a bundle to an infrastructure using a "deployment configuration". This is what most people would consider a "deployment"
In the Deployments screen for instance you have a NEW DEPLOYMENT button on the left which creates a new Deployment Configuration and can actually Deploy a new Bundle too. And on the left you have Bundles with a DEPLOY button which can either create a new Deployment Configuration or deploy via an existing one. It's just too confusing.