Tanzu Operations Manager Tile Developer Guide

You can use the following VMware Tanzu Partners information to learn how to build and publish processes for an Tanzu Operations Manager tile on the Broadcom Support portal.

For advanced developers with previous experience building tiles, see Property and template references and Development workflow reference.

What is a tile?

You can integrate tile software into VMware Tanzu Operations Manager and install tiles on VMware Tanzu Operations Manager. Developers can use these services after they are installed.

Tile developers can publish tiles on the Broadcom Support portal, where services and tiles are available for download.

Tile structure

Tiles are packaged as compressed files with a .pivotal file extension. These compressed files require three subdirectories: metadata, migrations, and releases.

When you package your software with Tile Generator, it generates these subdirectories for you. You can perform different actions within each subdirectory:

Directory	Description
metadata	Configure settings for your software in a YAML file.
migrations	Track changes across different releases in a .js file. Only tiles with multiple releases use this subdirectory. Do not edit the files in this subdirectory during your first tile release.
releases	Deploy your service source code and other inputs for your build, such as a BOSH release.

Why build a tile?

There are multiple reasons to build and publish a tile on the Broadcom Support portal.

Tiles can help you:

• Find the widest possible audience for your service.
• Join a growing ecosystem that can integrate your service.
• Enable operators and app developers to interact with your service in an accessible and standardized way.

Building your first tile

Creating a tile is a complex process. You can contact Partner Support with questions if you register for the Broadcom Partner program (for Tanzu).

Step 1: Decide what to build

If you use the Tile Generator to package your software, you must verify the inputs you must build before development. Inputs for your tile also depend on the service you are providing.

Before you start tile development, see How TAS for VMs and VMware Tanzu Operations Manager services work.

Depending on what you build, you might need to install the following tools:

• Tile Generator: Used to package your software into a tile.

• BOSH Command Line Interface (CLI): A CLI for running BOSH commands. You need BOSH commands to run Tile Generator.

• Cloud Foundry Command Line Interface (cf CLI): A CLI for deploying and managing apps on Cloud Foundry. If you are developing on Cloud Foundry, you use the cf CLI when building your tile.

• Kubernetes Command Line Tool (kubectl): A CLI for deploying and managing apps on Kubernetes. If you are developing on Kubernetes, you use kubectl when building your tile.

Step 2. Generate a tile

Tile Generator simplifies building tiles. To use the Tile Generator, upload your software components, such as the service broker, buildpack, and Docker image, and then the Tile Generator generates a base tile.

For information about setting up the Tile Generator and building a base tile, see Tile Generator.

Step 3. Test your tile

Before you publish your tile, you can test it manually using a Partner Integration Environment (PIE). In PIE, you can see how the tile functions on an IaaS like Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Google Cloud Platform (GCP). You can upload, configure, and install your tile in PIE as an operator does.

To gain access to your PIE, reach out to your contact at VMware or register as a partner.

If you already have access to your PIE, see Development Environments for information about how to log in.

Step 4. Document your tile

When you are ready to publish your tile, write documentation. Documentation is valuable for operators who use your tile.

For more information about how to write and publish documentation for your tile, see Tile Documentation.

Step 5. Publish your tile on the Broadcom Support portal

Contact your VMware representative to guide you through uploading your tile to the Broadcom Support portal. When you upload your tile to the Broadcom Support portal, it becomes available for operators and developers.

Audience	Benefits
Operators	Download and install your service as a tile. Configure your service using a UI. Update your service with a single click.
Developers	See your service on the [Broadcom Support Portal](https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/downloads). Subscribe to the service plans you want. Create instances of your service and call them from their apps. Support a continuous and fast development cycle.

For information about the release cycle for Partner tiles, see Partner Software Release Cycle.