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Frequently Asked Questions

General​

Which deployment options does Txture offer?

Txture offers both a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and an on-premises deployment. Which one is more suitable for you depends on the situation. Some considerations are explained in the operations manual, but if you have more questions please get in touch with our team at info@txture.io.

How do release updates work?

If you decide to go for a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) deployment you will not have to worry about that and always be running the latest and greatest version of Txture.

Even for on-premises deployments the upgrading effort is kept to a minimum. A new release is typically available every 2 months. Installing is usually just a matter of restarting the container. No manual effort is required and migrations are done automatically (with the notable exception of the upgrade from version 33 to 34).

In which location are Txture SaaS instances deployed?

By default, Txture SaaS deployments are running in Frankfurt, Germany. If you need another location please get in touch with info@txture.io so we can arrange a custom solution.

Is there any information available about what changed in a new release or patch?
  • For each new release, a changelog can be found in the documentation.
  • You can find version updates also in your Txture instance's dashboard: Admin --> Overview --> Txture Version
How can data be exported from Txture?

Txture allows exports from the repository via CSV or Excel. Additionally, it is also possible to access data via Txture's REST API or to retrieve a CSV export of a query result at a static URL.

Modeling​

How can I change the structure?

Use the structure editor to change your structure online.

How does one change the options of an enumeration property?

In the structure editor select a new "Edit -> Change property type" operation. Proceed to select the property in question and set the Property Type to Enumeration. You are now presented with the current enumeration options and free to change them.

Which type of asset duplicate check exists in Txture?

Txture does not check itself for duplicate entries, because the criteria for what is considered a duplicate can be manifold and names in Txture do not have to be unique. However, Txture offers an option to consolidate duplicate assets using a set of rules. Typical examples include merging virtual machines imported from several sources by their IP.

I added a new property, but it's not showing up in the asset detail sidebar! What am I doing wrong?

Two likely causes:

  • Click on the new timestamp available icon in the main navigation. Maybe the new timestamp hasn't been loaded yet.
  • Adding a new property is a two-step process: Since properties can be used for many asset-types it is necessary to first create them and then link them to the asset-type. If you have an unlinked property, there will be a yellow warning below your operations list in the structure editor. Click on "Edit -> Link property" to link the newly created property to an asset-type.
How can I undo changes and jump to a prior state?

All data stored in Txture is versioned. This means that all previous states are kept and can, therefore, be restored. Jumping to a prior state is done via the Time Machine. From version 16 on, the time machine can be accessed via the Time Machine and Scenarios button in the main navigation.

Reporting​

Why does a dependency report not automatically include a new depending asset?

Reports are query-based. This means that the Dependency Report depicts just assets and links which result from a specific query.

When a report is saved, only the location of the resulting assets of the query, and the query are saved. To inspect the query, click on the Filters tab in the left sidebar. For example, if a add neighbors" query is executed on a node, all neighbors of this node are displayed. If another neighbor is added to this node in the future, it will be displayed dynamically. However, if on the same node a query is executed to show a specific neighbor, the newly added neighbor is not rendered automatically.

Example: Assume a service is running on a virtual machine. This underlying virtual machine may change over time. Depending on how the query was formulated, the virtual machine might be displayed or not. If the query was formulated to "add neighbors" of the service in question, the report will automatically show the new virtual machine. However, if the virtual machine was added to the report explicitly in the query bar (by name), it will not update when the service is running on a new virtual machine.

In this dependency report the neighbors of "test-instance" were added as well as explicitly the asset "test-vm-2". If the "runs on"-link of "test-instance" is now changed to "test-vm-2", the asset "test-vm" will disappear as it is neither explicitly added nor a neighbor of "test-instance".

Importer​

Do I get duplicate assets if I rerun an importer?

No! Txture's importers provide a syncing mechanism that allows for rerunning importers and simply updating previously imported assets to the newest state of the data source.

My MariaDB / MySQL connection runs into a timeout error. Any advice?

SQL importers can run into timeout under certain circumstances. This typically leads to error message similar to:

"\[...\ caused by: SocketTimeoutException: \[Read timed out\]"

You can modify the timeout of the connection via the JDBC connection string parameter socketTimeout. You can set it to 0 in order to deactivate the timeout. A full connection string could then look like this:

jdbc:mysql://hostname/database?socketTimeout=0
How can I track what has been added to or changed in the repository by executing an importer?

Each importer has a Reports section where you can check when an importer has been executed. In this section, you can open logs for each importer-execution or show all changes in a list.

Surveys​

Which credentials can I use?

Depending on the configuration that your Txture administrator chose, there are several options:

  • If you received a second email with a password setting link, please first finish the password creation process. After setting a password, proceed to answer the questions in the survey using the newly configured credentials.
  • In case your organization uses OAuth / OpenID Connect you are presented with an option to use these credentials.
  • Txture could be configured to use your company-wide Active Directory credentials.
Why do I have to log in?

Txture tracks information about all data entered in a timeline. In order for your Txture administrator to be able to contact you in case of questions, you are required to login.

I am not the correct person for this survey. Can I forward it to my colleague?

Yes, please do so.

What if I don't know the answer to a question?

No problem. Just proceed to the next question. In case the unanswered question was marked as mandatory, you might receive an email reminder in a few days. If this is the case, please contact your Txture administrator (via the "Need Help" button) to exclude you from further reminders. Additionally, feel free to forward your invitation to someone who knows the answer.

Do I have to answer all questions?

Please answer as many questions as possible. If you do not know the answer to a mandatory question, ask someone else or contact your Txture administrator (via the "Need Help" button).

Can I assign surveys to roles like for example, to "Application owners"?

In addition to adding new survey recipients by user, new recipients can be added by links on assets. Such links could be:

  • Application --> owner --> Stakeholder
  • Application --> caretaker --> Stakeholder

Selecting a link allows to add all users (asset-type: stakeholder) who have the chosen link to an asset-type of the parameter asset. For more information about configuring surveys, please consult the survey administration documentation.

Cloud Transformation​

Based on what data are target architecture proposals calculated?

Quite a few properties of the application stack as well as structural information are considered during the calculation. The most important ones are the following properties:

  • Technology
  • Sizing properties such as: CPU Cores, RAM, Scaling factors
  • Operating System for servers
  • Container image

The better the information in a stack, the better the proposals. For example, if a database has a known technology (such as PostgreSQL), Txture can propose to use appropriate Platform-as-a-Service offers (such as AWS RDS for PostgreSQL or Google Cloud SQL PostgreSQL in this example). More details can be found in the Data Requirements section.

How does the data collection work? Are there bots installed?

Data collection in Txture relies on external data sources such as hypervisors, CMDBs or existing cloud estates. Typically, in a second step, application owners and other technical staff are involved in the application landscape discovery using Txture's surveys or collaborative modeling capabilities.

Can I create a business case calculation for an application or an application portfolio?

In case cost data for the on-prem infrastructure is available, Txture allows comparing the cost of an application’s on-prem infrastructure with the cost that can be expected in the cloud. Txture propagates the costs along the deployment stack and allows a cost overview at every infrastructure level up to the application or even business level. The cloud business case is a fundamental indicator to decide if migrating an application does make sense from financial aspects. For propagating costs along the deployment stack, Propagation Rules can be used.

How can one adapt the Assessment Rules for the assessment?

Given that the rules are dependent on the properties of the applications and underlying deployment stack assets, they cannot be edited in the Txture instance. It is however possible to deactivate certain rules. If you would like to have a new Assessment Rule implemented, please do not hesitate to contact your Txture consultant. Typically, new rules can be implemented in the time frame of a few weeks.

Can I import architecture data from GCP, AWS or other hyperscaler and generate recommendations on how to improve my architecture?

The Txture platform can integrate data from the key hyperscalers and visualize these multi-cloud environments. Additionally, Txture supports cloud to cloud migration recommendations between the providers.

How do I handle the situation when only a CMDB with low data quality is available?

In addition to automated data imports from external data sources like CMDBs, Txture provides Surveys to gather data from stakeholders like technical application owners. This can be especially useful to evaluate data quality and fill gaps. Also, the platform provides data completeness analysis that shows where data is missing.

How does Txture keep track of whether a service is migrated or not?

The Application Migration State can either be changed manually or imported from an external data source.

What are the prerequisites and what is the approach until reports can be received from the platform?

The usual approach in the Data Collection phase is to automate as much as possible. Prerequisites for this are to get credentials to possible data sources like hosts, monitoring systems, a central CMDB or Enterprise Architecture Management applications and application portfolios. If no such credentials are available, one can work with data extracts in Excel/CSV format. The survey mechanisms and manual graphical modeling can be used to interact with the application owners and to fill in data gaps.

Reports on cloud readiness and potential target architectures for applications can be received in the platform continuously, also throughout the data collection process. The more complete the data is the more confidence can be associated with the results.

Is there a standard method and sequence of working through all the data aspects during data collection?

This depends on the individual client situation and available data sources. Still, experience has shown that often Data Collection starts with a list of predefined in-scope applications or the integration of an application portfolio. If there are virtualization environments or a CMDB in place the data collection can take technical architecture and IT-infrastructure into account in parallel.

Can versions or states of the assessment be stored as snapshots to refer to them in a later stage for comparison?

Yes, this is possible. Txture keeps track of every single change that has been applied to its managed data assets. By using Txture's Time Machine or scenario functionality, one can compare alternatives or access past assessment stages by means of labels or date and time.

Does Txture suggest a 6 R's migration strategy for assessed applications?

Yes, Txture's rule-based assessments can give recommendations on preferred cloud migration strategies. Txture uses the 6 R's migration strategy framework.

Is it possible to show Cloud Proposals only for a selection of public cloud providers?

Yes, this is possible by adjusting settings in the Target Architecture Preferences of the Txture platform.

Can deployment cost consider different availability characteristics?

Yes, required availability for production or development environments can be specified in the application asset as well as in the runtime section of the price view and configuration of each Cloud Proposal. This directly influences the forecast cloud operations cost for an application.

Does Txture offer a forecast-overview of total spends per cloud provider?

Yes, such an overview is provided in the Target Architecture section in the Transformation Cockpit.

How does Txture handle the current use of outdated technologies or operating systems?

Txture keeps track of outdated technologies in its technology catalog. During the assessment, Txture evaluates the potential need for a re-platforming / refactoring due to the use of such technologies.

Where does Txture get the product prices for the Cloud Proposals?

The prices of cloud products of the various cloud vendors are automatically saved in the Txture Cloud Knowledge Base, a central data set for cloud products and on-premises technologies. The prices for cloud proposals are drawn from this knowledge base.

Can the costs for reserved instances be calculated?

Yes, reserved instances can be selected in the Price & Bill of Materials tab in the Target Architecture section in the Transformation Cockpit. For each cloud proposal different price models are shown.

Does Txture show me, if a specific cloud service leads to a vendor lock-in?

If a cloud proposal in the Transformation Cockpit's Target Architecture section contains products that lead to a vendor lock-in effect, this is shown in the "The Cloud Proposals Score Explanation" as a score between 0 and 100.

Can I add my in-house developments to the Txture Knowledge Base?

New technologies such as in-house developed services can be added to the knowledge base in the admin console in the Taxonomy section.

Is it possible to do right-sizing based on monitoring data?

Yes, the logic can be defined in Propagation Rules. In the Target Architecture Preferences you can enable or disable it or set custom factors.