Pipelines

A pipeline is a chain of databases, such as dev → staging → prod. Running it compares each stage with the next. Each comparison is a step, and you can deploy each step from the pipeline.

Create a pipeline

You need at least one connection.

1. Open Pipelines and choose New pipeline. It starts with three stages: dev, staging and prod.
2. Enter a Name, such as Release train.
3. For each stage, enter a Label and choose a Connection, a Database and, except on MySQL, a Schema. Stages after the first only list connections of the first stage’s engine.
4. Optionally, open Comparison options. They are the same options as a project’s and apply to every step. See Comparison options.
5. Choose Create pipeline.

A pipeline needs a name and at least two stages, each with a label, a connection and a database.

• Add stage adds a stage at the end.
• Move up and Move down change a stage’s place.
• Remove stage removes one. A pipeline keeps at least two.
• Add stages from a project… turns a project’s source and target into two stages. On a blank pipeline, it also takes the project’s name and options.

The Same objects section lists renames declared from the pipeline’s comparisons. See Renames.

Run a pipeline

Choose Run on a pipeline’s card, or Run all on its page. Every step runs at once; results appear as each comparison finishes. When it ends, Parallax says how many steps have differences, or “Every stage matches the next”.

To compare just two stages again, choose Re-run on that step.

The pipeline page

The diagram shows each stage, with a line for each step coloured by its result. The badge on a line says “Identical”, “<n> differences”, “Failed” or “Not run”. Choose it to see the step’s result, with Open comparison, Deploy and Re-run this step.

Drag a stage to move it; Parallax remembers where. Choose Tidy to lay the stages out left to right.

The steps table lists each step with its result and number of differences:

• Open opens the step’s comparison.
• Deploy opens the comparison with the deploy wizard. See How deployments work.
• Re-run compares the two stages again.

If any ignore option is on, the header says “Ignoring <options>”. Choose Edit to change the pipeline.

Deploy a step

When you deploy a step from the pipeline, the step then shows the comparison made after the deployment, and “Deployed <ago>”. The next step is compared again, since its source changed.

Run history

Choose History to see past runs, newest first. Choose a step in a run to open its comparison. Clear history deletes the runs.