Merge pull request #525 from amplication/docs/platform-console

Docs: Platform Console
amplication · Sep 24, 2024 · 6ad6f99 · 6ad6f99
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diff --git a/docs/how-to/assets/amplication-platform-console.png b/docs/how-to/assets/amplication-platform-console.png
diff --git a/docs/how-to/assets/create-service-from-template.png b/docs/how-to/assets/create-service-from-template.png
diff --git a/docs/how-to/assets/platform-changes.png b/docs/how-to/assets/platform-changes.png
diff --git a/docs/how-to/assets/template-name-and-stack.png b/docs/how-to/assets/template-name-and-stack.png
diff --git a/docs/how-to/platform-console.md b/docs/how-to/platform-console.md
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+---
+title: Platform Console
+description: Learn about Amplication's Platform Console, including templates and private plugins for standardizing service creation and management.
+sidebar_label: Platform Console
+slug: /platform-console
+---
+
+The **Platform Console** is a powerful new feature in Amplication that allows your team to define, manage, and maintain standardized templates and private plugins for their backend services.
+
+:::note
+The Platform Console features, including the usage of templates and creation of services based on templates, are **currently in beta**.
+:::
+
+## Overview
+
+The Platform Console introduces two main components:
+
+1. **Platform Console Templates**: Pre-configured service templates that serve as a blueprint for creating new services.
+2. **Private Plugins**: Custom plugins visible only to your organization that can be added to templates or services to extend functionality and/or keep your organization's best practices and standards.
+
+These components are managed through a new dashboard interface, separate from the existing services view.
+
+![Amplication Platform Console](./assets/amplication-platform-console.png)
+
+## Benefits
+
+- **Standardization**: Ensure all services follow organizational best practices and configurations.
+- **Customization**: Create and use private plugins to tailor services to your organization's specific needs.
+- **Efficiency**: Quickly create new services based on pre-defined templates.
+- **Smooth Maintenance**: Update multiple services from a single location. When you update a template, all services using that template can automatically get a PR with the required changes.
+- **Technical Debt Prevention**: Implement organization-wide best practices across all services through templates and private plugins, creating a scalable architecture that resists the accumulation of technical debt as your project grows.
+
+## Platform Console Templates
+
+Platform Console Templates allow you to create a single source of truth for your services' architecture. These templates can include:
+
+- Pre-configured settings
+- Standard plugins
+- Custom private plugins
+
+### Creating a Template
+
+To create a new template:
+
+1. Navigate to the Platform Console dashboard.
+2. Click on "Create Template".
+3. Provide a name for your template (e.g., "Node.js with PostgreSQL").
+4. Select the desired components (e.g., Admin UI, GraphQL API, REST API).
+5. Choose a database (e.g., PostgreSQL).
+6. Click "Create" to finalize the template.
+
+![Amplication Create New Template](./assets/template-name-and-stack.png)
+
+### Managing Templates
+
+Managing and updating templates is very similar to updating individual services. You have access to the same settings and most of the options available for services, including:
+
+- Viewing all templates in the Platform Console dashboard.
+- Adding or removing plugins, including custom plugins.
+- Renaming templates and updating their descriptions.
+
+To edit a template:
+
+1. Navigate to the Settings tab to update the configuration or the Plugins tab to install and update plugins.
+2. Make your desired changes.
+3. All changes are saved automatically.
+
+<!-- :::note
+When you update a template, **all services using that template will be updated in your next build**, ensuring consistency across your infrastructure.
+:::
+-->
+
+### Using Templates
+
+To create a new service based on a template:
+
+1. Click on the "Add Resource" button.
+2. Select "Service from Template" from the available options.
+3. In the modal that appears, choose a specific service template.
+4. Provide a name for your new service.
+5. Click "Create" to generate the new service based on the selected template.
+
+This process ensures that the new service inherits all the pre-configured settings and plugins defined in the template.
+
+![Amplication Create Services From Template](./assets/create-service-from-template.png)
+
+## Private Plugins
+
+Private plugins allow you to create custom functionality specific to your organization's needs. These can be added to templates or directly to services.
+
+:::note
+Creating and managing private plugins requires an Enterprise plan.
+:::
+
+### Creating a Private Plugin
+
+To create a private plugin:
+
+1. In the Platform Console dashboard, navigate to the "Private Plugins" section.
+2. Click on "Create Private Repository".
+3. Connect to your plugin repository and add your existing private plugins to the project.
+
+## Platform Changes Sidebar
+
+The Platform Console introduces a new **_Platform_ Changes** sidebar that replaces the **_Pending_ Changes** sidebar. It's only visible when you're viewing the Platform Console.
+
+"Platform Changes" shows changes made to templates and private plugins, while "Pending Changes" still shows service-level changes.
+
+:::note
+Platform changes are separate from service-level changes. Make sure to review and commit platform changes separately from service changes.
+:::
+
+![Amplication Create Services From Template](./assets/platform-changes.png)
+
+## Conclusion
+
+The Platform Console feature is designed to enhance the maintainability of your backend services, ensure organizational standardization, reduce technical debt, and streamline collaboration between platform and development teams.
+As this feature is currently in beta, we encourage you to explore its capabilities and share your feedback to help us further improve and refine it.
+
+:::tip
+For any questions or issues related to the Platform Console, please contact us or write your feedback on our [GitHub discussion](https://github.com/amplication/amplication/discussions/8979).
+:::
diff --git a/docusaurus.config.js b/docusaurus.config.js
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ module.exports = {
           label: "Plugins",
         },
         {
-          to: "/how-to/import-prisma-schema/",
+          to: "/platform-console/",
           position: "left",
-          label: "Import DB",
+          label: "Platform Console",
         },
         /* {
           to: "/deploy",

diff --git a/sidebars.js b/sidebars.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const sidebars = {
         "getting-started/set-up-entities",
         "getting-started/configure-roles-and-permissions",
         "getting-started/add-plugins-for-service",
+        "how-to/platform-console",
         "getting-started/commit-changes-and-build-new-versions"
       ],
     },