Ordering an application by a client

The article describes the process of ordering from the application store in the client area and on the storefront. 

Application ordering is available:

• in the client area;
• on the storefront;
• in the administrator area — the Clients → Orders section.

List of applications when ordering

The list of application tariffs when ordering is formed in the usual way: availability and the limits set in the tariff are checked — number of services, client group, number of trial services, and so on. Tariffs are displayed as cards.

Application card

The Application tariff card contains the following information:

• application name;
• short description, if it is set in the tariff settings;
• application icon uploaded in the recipe;
• tags — the color and content are set by the administrator.

To view detailed information about the application, click the link under the data center name or the button in the card header. The description opens in a new tab in Markdown format. 

Filtering and search

For easier application selection, the following tools are available:

• system filters — hardcoded and not configured by provider staff, for example Payment period;
• customizable filters — defined and configured by provider staff in the Products → Filter groups section, and not limited in the number or composition of options;
• search — by substring in the application name.

Service parameters

After an application is selected, a service card of the Application type is created. The data center is determined by the infrastructure plan. The recipe and infrastructure parameters are shown in separate blocks.

Recipe parameters

The appearance, required status, and field type are defined for each recipe in the Products → Application recipes → click Parameters. The client fills in the parameters when ordering — for example, the application version or the monitoring server IP address.

If no parameters are created for the recipe, deployment is fully automatic and the parameters block on the order form is empty.

Infrastructure parameters

When ordering, the client manages the main parameters of the deployed infrastructure. The operating system is defined in the recipe and is not shown to the client.

1. Infrastructure plan — a list of tariffs linked to the Application tariff. The client selects the server configuration. The list shows the tariff name and the estimated cost for the selected ordering period, including the discount. If only one infrastructure tariff is specified in the tariff settings, the field is hidden or becomes unavailable. When the tariff changes, the costs of the configuration parameters and the total block are recalculated.
2. Number of CPUs, RAM, Disk space — available for editing. The change limits are determined by the formula:

   [max (Recipe, OS template, Included in infrastructure tariff); Maximum value in infrastructure tariff]

   When the value changes, the cost calculated by the infrastructure tariff is displayed on the right. The total block is recalculated with discounts applied.

The behavior of the other blocks on the order form does not change: total block, bonuses, auto-renewal, payment.

Payment and order confirmation

Order confirmation

At the order confirmation step, the description contains the application parameters and infrastructure data: the selected tariff, server configuration, and recipe parameters. You can proceed to payment from the service card by clicking Pay or from the cart. When paying again, it is possible to move to the payment confirmation step.

Payment

If the service and infrastructure are free, payment is not required and the Activate button is shown.

After payment or activation, the system performs the following actions:

1. Sends a request to deploy the infrastructure: the number of CPUs, RAM, and disk space are taken from the Application service parameters, the OS from the recipe, and the other parameters from the infrastructure tariff.
2. Installs the OS using the external platform tools.
3. Runs the deployment script with the parameters passed from BILLmanager.
4. Activates the services and sends an opening notification.

Ordering scenarios

The client can initiate an application order in several ways. The main scenario is to go to the Application store from the client area menu. Additional scenarios are related to ordering a server with preinstalled software.

Ordering from the Application store

The client goes to the Application store section, selects an application from the list, fills in the recipe and infrastructure parameters, confirms and pays for the order. After activation, the client receives the Application service and access to the deployed software and server.

Ordering a server with preinstalled software

If the client orders a virtual or dedicated server and selects preinstalled software, the system checks for a related application recipe:

• if the selected instance has a related application recipe, the system offers to go to the Application Store to place the order;
• if the selected instance has no related recipe, the order continues along the standard path without additional offers;
• if the client orders a server without preinstalled software, the order continues along the standard path.