Applications¶
Applications is your central registry for documenting the IT application landscape. It covers business applications, productivity tools, infrastructure services, and everything in between. Use it to track ownership, deployments, integrations, financial relations, and compliance information across your entire portfolio.
Application categories¶
Every application or service belongs to a category that describes its primary purpose. This classification helps different stakeholders filter and focus on what matters to them.
| Category | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Line-of-business | Core business applications that support specific business processes | SAP, Salesforce, Workday, custom ERP |
| Productivity | End-user tools for daily work, including utilities and collaboration | Office 365, Acrobat Reader, Teams, Slack, Chrome |
| Security | Tools for protecting systems, data, and access | CrowdStrike, Okta, SIEM platforms, firewalls |
| Analytics | Reporting, business intelligence, and data warehouse tools | Power BI, Tableau, Snowflake |
| Development | Tools used by developers and DevOps teams | Python, Git, Jenkins, VS Code, Docker |
| Integration | Platforms that connect systems and move data | MuleSoft, Kafka, API gateways, ETL tools |
| Infrastructure | Foundational services that other systems depend on | PostgreSQL, Redis, Kubernetes, storage systems |
Tips for classification: - Choose based on the application's primary purpose, not who manages it - When in doubt, ask: "What is this tool mainly used for?" - Categories can be customized in IT Landscape > Settings to match your organization's terminology
Filtering by stakeholder¶
Different teams can use categories to focus on their area of responsibility:
| Stakeholder | Suggested filter |
|---|---|
| Cybersecurity | Security category, or high criticality across all categories |
| Service Desk | Productivity + Line-of-business (user-facing applications) |
| Infrastructure | Infrastructure + Integration |
| Enterprise Architecture | All categories |
Getting started¶
Navigate to IT Landscape > Applications to see your list. Click New App / Service to create your first entry.
Required fields: - Name: A recognizable name for the application or service - Category: The primary purpose of this application (see categories above) - Criticality: How important this is to your business (Business critical, High, Medium, Low) - Lifecycle: Current status (Active, Proposed, Deprecated, Retired, or any custom code defined in Settings)
Strongly recommended: - Supplier: The supplier providing the software (links to your Suppliers master data) - Publisher: The software publisher (e.g., Microsoft, SAP, Oracle) - Description: What this application does
Optional but useful: - Version: Current version identifier (free text, e.g., "4.2.1", "2023", "Q1 2024") - Go live: When this version went or will go live - End of support: When vendor support ends for this version - Retired date: When this version was actually decommissioned - Licensing: License terms and notes - Notes: Free-form internal notes - Can have child apps: Enable to use this application as a "suite" that groups other applications
Once you save, the workspace unlocks all tabs for detailed documentation.
Tip: Start by documenting your most critical applications. Use the Deployments tab to capture which environments exist (Prod, QA, Dev) and which servers run them, then link interfaces, contracts and budget items as you go.
Permissions:
- View: applications:reader
- Create / edit: applications:manager (also called member)
- Import / Export / Delete: applications:admin
Working with the list¶
The Applications grid provides a comprehensive view of your application portfolio.
Top scope filter (Show): - My apps (default): shows apps where you are listed in the properties drawer as either a Business owner or IT owner. Multi-owner entries are supported. - My team's apps: shows apps where any member of your Portfolio team is listed as Business owner or IT owner. Your own ownership is also included in this scope. Disabled if you are not assigned to a Portfolio team. - All apps: shows the full Applications grid with the standard default lifecycle filter behavior. - Your selection is remembered across sessions -- returning to the page restores your last choice.
Default columns: - Name: Application name with category caption and an "Included in: {suite}" badge for components of a suite - Category: The application's primary purpose - Environments: Coloured chips showing active environments (Prod, Pre-prod, QA, Test, Dev, Sandbox). Hover for the base URL and lifecycle. - Lifecycle: Current status - Criticality: Business importance level - Publisher: Software publisher - Derived Users (Y): Calculated user count for the current year (based on the audience set in the properties drawer) - Created: When the record was created
Default sort: Name ascending (A to Z).
Additional columns (via column chooser): - Suites: Parent suites this application belongs to - Supplier: Linked supplier name - Business Owners / IT Owners: Assigned owners (truncated, hover or click to see all) - Hosting: Derived from server locations assigned to app deployments - External Facing: Whether the app is internet-accessible - SSO Enabled / MFA Enabled: Authentication features - Data Integration / ETL: Whether the app participates in data integrations - OPEX Items / CAPEX Items / Contracts: Linked spend and contracts - Components: Child applications (if this is a suite) - Data Class / Contains PII / Data Residency: Compliance information
Filtering:
- Quick search: matches name and editor/publisher
- Most columns use checkbox set filters showing only values present in the current result set; the floating filter shows All, None, or N selected with an x to clear.
- Retired applications are hidden by default; use the Lifecycle filter to include Retired.
Actions:
- New App / Service: Create a new entry (applications:manager)
- Import CSV: Bulk import from CSV file (applications:admin)
- Export CSV: Export the list to CSV (applications:admin)
- Copy item: Duplicate a selected application with all its core relations (applications:manager). See Copying applications for what is and is not copied.
- Delete Selected: Remove selected applications (applications:admin)
The Applications workspace¶
Click any row to open the workspace. The workspace has a header with quick metadata, a properties drawer on the right (the application's identity card -- always visible), and a content area in the centre that switches with each tab.
Header¶
The header shows:
- Application name (editable in place)
- Reference: short identifier you can copy
- Lifecycle chip: click to change
- Criticality chip: click to change
- Version chip (if a version is set): click to copy
- Go live date
- Send link: copy a shareable link to this workspace
- Create new version: launch the version migration wizard (see Version management)
- Delete (applications:admin)
- Previous / Next: walk through the filtered list without returning to the grid
Properties drawer (right panel)¶
The drawer is the application's identity card. It is shown on every tab and edited inline -- changes save automatically.
Identity: - Category, Supplier, Publisher
Lifecycle dates: - Go live, End of support, Retired date
Owners: - Business owners: business stakeholders accountable for this application (multi-select) - IT owners: IT team members responsible for technical support (multi-select)
Audience: - Add Company / Departments rows to record who uses this application. Pick a company and optionally restrict to specific departments. - A live Users count is shown. - Calculation method: Derived (computed from the audience based on master-data IT Users / Headcount metrics) or Manual (a single override number you type in).
Overview¶
The Overview tab is the application's narrative. It contains:
Description: A rich-text description of the application. The editor autosaves as you type.
Connections: A read-only summary built from the application's interfaces. For non-middleware apps it shows two rows: Receives from and Sends to. For ETL/middleware apps it shows a single Connected to row. Each entry is a clickable pill that opens the related application; "+ N more in Interfaces" jumps to the Interfaces tab.
Knowledge: Linked knowledge articles. If you have knowledge:member, you can create new articles directly from this section.
Deployments¶
The Deployments tab documents where the application actually runs -- one block per environment, with the servers attached to each.
Environments: Production, Pre-prod, QA, Test, Dev, Sandbox.
For each deployment you can capture: - Lifecycle: per-environment status (Active, Proposed, Deprecated, Retired, etc.) - Base URL: the access URL for this environment - SSO enabled / MFA supported - Notes
Add deployment opens a dialog where you set environment, lifecycle, base URL, SSO/MFA flags and notes. Each environment can only be added once. The lifecycle chip on a deployment header can also be changed inline from a popup menu.
Servers per deployment: Each deployment block shows a table of assigned servers:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Server | Asset name (clickable) |
| Role | e.g., Web, Database, Application (from the server role list in Settings) |
| Hosting | Derived from the asset's location |
| Since | Date the server was assigned to this deployment |
Click Add server on the deployment header to attach an asset. Cluster assets are excluded -- assign cluster member hosts instead.
Tip: Document servers in IT Landscape > Assets first, then link them here. The asset's Overview tab will show the same assignments in reverse.
Interfaces¶
The Interfaces tab shows all integrations this application participates in -- as source, target, or middleware. The tab badge shows the total count.
Interfaces are grouped by environment (PROD, PRE_PROD, QA, ...). Within each environment they are split into:
- Inbound -- this application receives data
- Outbound -- this application sends data
- Routed -- this application is the middleware/ETL for a flow between two other apps
Each row shows the interface name, the counterpart application, and a Via middleware indicator. Click the row to open the interface workspace; click the counterpart to open the other application.
Tip: Interfaces are managed from the Interfaces page. This tab is a convenience read-only view, but it is the fastest way to navigate between connected applications.
Operations¶
The Operations tab captures how users access the application and who supports it.
Technical: - Access methods (multi-select): how users access this application. Options are configurable in IT Landscape Settings. Defaults include Web, Locally installed application, Mobile application, Proprietary HMI (industrial interface), Terminal / CLI, VDI / Remote Desktop, Kiosk. - External facing: whether the application is accessible from the internet - Data integration / ETL: whether the application participates in data integration pipelines (also flips this app into "middleware" mode for the Interfaces and Connections views) - Can have child apps: turn this application into a Suite that groups other applications
Support: - A table of support contacts pulled from your Contacts master data. Each row shows the contact name, email, phone, and a free-text role (e.g., Account Manager, L1 Support). - Add contact opens a dialog to pick a contact and set a role. - Support notes: free-form text for support arrangements (SLA, escalation paths, on-call info).
Compliance¶
The Compliance tab captures data protection and regulatory information.
What you can edit: - Data class (required): sensitivity level (Public, Internal, Confidential, Restricted, or any custom code defined in Settings) - Last DR test: date of the most recent disaster recovery test - Contains PII: whether the application stores personally identifiable information - Data residency: countries where data is stored (multi-select, ISO codes + names)
Tip: Data Classes are configurable in IT Landscape > Settings. Customize them to match your organization's data classification policy.
Relations¶
The Relations tab links this application to your financial, contract, project and task records. The tab badge counts all linked items. Changes save automatically.
Components (only when "Can have child apps" is enabled): a table listing the child applications of this Suite, with their lifecycle and criticality. Click a row to open the child workspace.
Relations: - OPEX items: recurring costs associated with this application - CAPEX items: capital expenditure projects - Contracts: vendor contracts - Projects: portfolio projects linked to this application - Tasks: tasks linked to this application. This list is read-only here -- tasks gain or lose this link when you set the App / Service field on a task in the Tasks page.
Relevant websites: add URLs with optional names -- useful for vendor portals, monitoring dashboards, or documentation links. Add URL opens a dialog; existing entries can be edited or deleted.
Attachments: Drag and drop files or click Select files to upload. Click an attachment chip to download it. Delete is available to managers.
Version management¶
KANAP offers two ways to manage application versions, depending on how your organization handles upgrades:
| Approach | Best for | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | Most applications | Update the version fields in the properties drawer or in the create form -- same record, new version number |
| Sophisticated | Major migrations | Use Create new version to create a new application record with lineage tracking -- run old and new versions side by side |
Simple version tracking (in-place updates)¶
For most applications -- where you upgrade and the old version simply goes away -- update Version, Go live, End of support and Retired date in the create form or the properties drawer. The header version chip and the Go live metadata reflect what you set.
This approach keeps everything in a single record. When you upgrade, update the version fields and you're done. History is tracked in the audit log.
Use this when: upgrades happen in place with no overlap -- one version replaces another.
Creating a new version (parallel migrations)¶
For major application upgrades where you need to run old and new versions in parallel across different environments (e.g., SAP S/4HANA 1909 in Prod while 2023 is in QA), use Create new version in the workspace header.
The wizard has three steps:
- Version details -- new application name, version label, Go live and End of support dates.
- Copy options -- choose what to copy from the source. Defaults shown below.
- Interfaces -- pick which interfaces to migrate to the new version.
The new version is created as a separate application with: - A Proposed lifecycle (ready to configure before go-live) - A link to its predecessor (used by the version timeline) - Copied data based on your selections - Duplicated interfaces pointing to the new version
What gets copied¶
| Option | Default |
|---|---|
| Owners (business and IT) | On |
| Companies (audience) | On |
| Departments | On |
| Data residency | On |
| Links | On |
| Support contacts | On |
| Budget items (OPEX + CAPEX, paired) | On |
| Contracts | On |
| Deployments | Off |
| Deployment bindings | Off (only available when Deployments is selected) |
Not copied (must be set up fresh): suite membership, attachments, server assignments.
Interface migration¶
During version creation, the wizard shows all interfaces where this application is source, target, or middleware (when ETL is enabled). Selected interfaces are duplicated with their references updated to the new version. Each migrated interface includes its legs, owners, companies, key identifiers, links, and data residency. Migrated interfaces start with a Proposed lifecycle. The original interfaces stay linked to the old version.
Copying bindings: If you select both Deployments and Deployment bindings, interface bindings are also copied. Bindings are mapped to the new application's deployments (matched by environment); environment-specific details (endpoints, authentication, job names) are cleared, and binding status is reset to Proposed.
ETL/Middleware applications: If the application has Data integration / ETL enabled, the wizard also shows interfaces that flow through this application as middleware. These are interfaces where another source sends data to another target via your ETL. Copying them creates new interface definitions for the upgraded ETL with middleware references properly updated.
Tip: Use this when upgrading your ERP or ETL: migrate the critical interfaces and optionally copy bindings to get a head start on environment configuration.
Copying applications¶
There are two ways to copy an application in KANAP:
Copy item (from the Applications grid)¶
Use this when you want to create an independent duplicate of an application -- typically to create a similar application entry without version lineage.
- Select an application in the grid
- Click Copy item
- The system creates a copy with " (copy)" appended to the name
- You're navigated to the new application to make changes
What gets copied: All core fields (except last DR test date), owners, companies, departments, suites, OPEX/CAPEX items, contracts, links, data residency, and support contacts.
What does NOT get copied: Deployments, interfaces, server assignments, attachments, version fields (version, go-live date, end of support).
Comparison: Copy item vs Create new version¶
| Aspect | Copy item | Create new version |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Independent duplicate | Versioned successor with lineage |
| User options | None (automatic) | 3-step wizard |
| Lineage | No predecessor link | Sets predecessor |
| Lifecycle | Preserved | Reset to Proposed |
| Name | "(copy)" suffix | User-specified |
Relations:
| Relation | Copy item | Create new version |
|---|---|---|
| Owners (business and IT) | Yes | Optional (default: yes) |
| Companies (audience) | Yes | Optional (default: yes) |
| Departments | Yes | Optional (default: yes) |
| Data residency | Yes | Optional (default: yes) |
| Links | Yes | Optional (default: yes) |
| Support contacts | Yes | Optional (default: yes) |
| Suites (membership) | Yes | No |
| OPEX items | Yes | Optional (default: yes) |
| CAPEX items | Yes | Optional (default: yes) |
| Contracts | Yes | Optional (default: yes) |
| Deployments | No | Optional (default: no) |
| Bindings | No | Optional (default: no) |
| Interfaces | No | User-selected |
| Server assignments | No | No |
| Attachments | No | No |
Core fields:
| Field | Copy item | Create new version |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Yes | Yes |
| ETL enabled | Yes | Yes |
| Support notes | Yes | Yes |
| Last DR test | No | No |
| Version fields | No | User-specified |
| Users override | Yes | Reset to null |
| Users year | Yes | Reset to current year |
CSV import/export¶
Maintain your application inventory at scale using CSV import and export. This feature supports bulk operations for initial data loading, periodic updates from external systems, and data extraction for reporting.
Accessing CSV features¶
From the Applications list: - Export CSV: Download applications to a CSV file - Import CSV: Upload a CSV file to create or update applications - Download Template (from inside the import dialog): Get a blank CSV with correct headers
Permissions required: applications:admin for import/export operations.
Export options¶
Presets:
| Preset | Description |
|---|---|
| Full Export | All exportable fields including computed/read-only data (timestamps, data residency, user metrics) |
| Data Enrichment | Only importable fields -- ideal for round-trip editing workflows |
Template export: Downloads headers only -- useful for preparing import files with the correct structure. The template includes all importable fields.
Custom selection: Choose specific fields to include in your export.
Import workflow¶
-
Prepare your file: Use UTF-8 encoding with semicolon (
;) separators. Download a template to ensure correct headers. -
Choose import settings:
- Mode:
Enrich(default): Empty cells preserve existing values -- only update what you specifyReplace: Empty cells clear existing values -- full replacement of all fields
-
Operation:
Upsert(default): Create new applications or update existing onesUpdate only: Only modify existing applications, skip new onesInsert only: Only create new applications, skip existing ones
-
Validate first: Click Preflight to validate your file without making changes. Review errors and warnings.
-
Apply changes: If validation passes, click Import to commit changes.
Field reference¶
Overview fields:
| CSV Column | Description | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
id |
Application UUID | No | For updates; leave blank for new applications |
name |
Application name | Yes | Used as unique identifier for matching |
description |
What the application does | No | |
category |
Primary purpose | No | Accepts code or label from Settings |
supplier_name |
Vendor name | No | Must match existing supplier |
editor |
Software publisher | No | Free text (e.g., Microsoft, SAP) |
criticality |
Business importance | No | business_critical, high, medium, low |
lifecycle |
Current status | No | Accepts code or label from Settings |
is_suite |
Can have child apps | No | true or false |
status |
Enabled/disabled | No | enabled or disabled |
Version fields:
| CSV Column | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
version |
Current version | Free text |
go_live_date |
When version went live | Date format: YYYY-MM-DD |
end_of_support_date |
Vendor support end date | Date format: YYYY-MM-DD |
retired_date |
Decommission date | Date format: YYYY-MM-DD |
Technical fields:
| CSV Column | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
access_methods |
How users access | Comma-separated codes or labels from Settings (e.g., web,mobile,vdi) |
external_facing |
Internet accessible | true or false |
etl_enabled |
Data integration | true or false |
support_notes |
Support information | Free text |
licensing |
License terms | Free text |
notes |
Internal notes | Free text |
Compliance fields:
| CSV Column | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
data_class |
Data classification | Accepts code or label from Settings |
last_dr_test |
Last DR test date | Date format: YYYY-MM-DD |
contains_pii |
Stores personal data | true or false |
data_residency |
Data storage countries | Export only (ISO codes) |
Owner fields:
| CSV Column | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
business_owner_email_1 through _4 |
Business owner emails | Must match existing users by email |
it_owner_email_1 through _4 |
IT owner emails | Must match existing users by email |
Export-only fields (included in Full Export but not importable):
| CSV Column | Description |
|---|---|
data_residency |
Data storage countries (ISO codes, comma-separated) |
users_mode |
User count method (manual, it_users, headcount) |
users_year |
Reference year for user calculations |
users_override |
Manual user count override |
created_at |
Record creation timestamp |
updated_at |
Last modification timestamp |
Label and code acceptance¶
For fields configured in IT Landscape > Settings, you can use either the internal code or the display label:
| Field | Example codes | Example labels |
|---|---|---|
| Category | lob, productivity, security |
Line-of-business, Productivity, Security |
| Lifecycle | active, proposed, deprecated |
Active, Proposed, Deprecated |
| Data Class | public, internal, confidential |
Public, Internal, Confidential |
The system automatically normalizes values during import, so Line-of-business, line-of-business, and lob all resolve to the same category.
Matching and updates¶
Applications are matched by name (case-insensitive). When a match is found:
- With Enrich mode: Only non-empty CSV values update the application
- With Replace mode: All fields are updated, empty values clear existing data
If you include the id column with a valid UUID, matching uses ID first, then falls back to name.
Limitations¶
- Deployments not included: Environment deployments (Prod, QA, Dev) require workspace configuration
- Server assignments excluded: Server bindings must be set up in the Deployments tab
- Interfaces excluded: Integration definitions are not part of CSV import/export
- Maximum 4 owners per type: Up to 4 business owners and 4 IT owners can be imported/exported
- User metrics are export-only: Audience and user count fields (
users_mode,users_year,users_override) are managed in the workspace - Data residency is export-only: Country selections must be managed in the Compliance tab
Troubleshooting¶
"File isn't properly formatted" error: This usually indicates an encoding issue. Ensure your CSV is saved as UTF-8:
- In LibreOffice: When opening a CSV, select
UTF-8in the Character set dropdown (not "Japanese (Macintosh)" or other encodings). When saving, check "Edit filter settings" and choose UTF-8. - In Excel: Save As > CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited), then open in a text editor to change commas to semicolons.
- General tip: If you see garbled characters (
?¿,) at the start of your file, the encoding is incorrect.
Example CSV¶
name;category;supplier_name;criticality;lifecycle;go_live_date;external_facing
Salesforce CRM;Line-of-business;Salesforce Inc;business_critical;Active;2020-01-15;true
Microsoft 365;Productivity;Microsoft;high;active;2019-06-01;false
Custom ERP;lob;;medium;Active;2018-03-20;false
Tips¶
- Start with critical apps: Document your business-critical applications first, then work down the criticality levels.
- Use Suites for grouping: Enable "Can have child apps" in the Operations tab to mark an application as a Suite that groups related components (e.g., SAP modules under an SAP Suite).
- Link to spend early: Connect OPEX, CAPEX and contracts in the Relations tab to see the full cost picture for each application.
- Keep deployments current: The Deployments tab drives the environment chips in the list -- keep it updated for accurate visibility.
- Document the audience: Set company and department audiences in the properties drawer; the user count is then derived automatically and used in reports.
- Leverage category filtering: Use the Category column filter to focus on specific application types (e.g., show only Line-of-business apps, or exclude Productivity tools).
- Attach knowledge early: Link runbooks and architecture documents from the Overview tab so the team knows where to look during incidents.
- Tasks come from the Tasks page: To attach a task to an application, set the App / Service field on the task itself; it will then appear under Relations > Tasks.