Overview

The Deployment Manager (or Site Creator) App is allows the creation of sites and/or deployment of artifacts within those sites. Here is an example of a site deployed using a site package, the foundation site:

These are called "Site Packages", and are available for selection via the deployment manager:

Site packages can also deployed using continuous integration via a console app.

Each site package has properties defined, which allow the end user to enter the value in the process of creating or deploying a site. These properties can be simple types such as a textbox, checkbox, dropdown, etc, or more complex such as an image upload, as shown below:

The site package is a collection of steps that get executed by the Deployment Manager; those steps in turn execute instructions. It is a programmable framework using the SDK and for more information look at the SDK documentation here.

Site Package folders

The Site Package instructions are located in AppManager path/SiteDefinitions/ - and inside each folder are the instructions needed for the common steps in the site packages.

NOTE: not every site package will use all of the folders.

Folder	Description
_catalogs	Items to be placed into the master page gallery, such as a search display template at /_catalogs\masterpage\Display Templates\Search .
Apps	AppManager app definitions, that get created when a site package is deployed.
Branding	JavaScript and CSS artifacts that get deployed into the /Style Library/DigitalWorkplace/ directory.
ContentEditor	AppManager system default.
ContentTypes	SharePoint content types to be deployed.
ListDefinitions	SharePoint list, library, calendar, etc definitions.
MasterPages	SharePoint Masterpages to be deployed.
PageContent	Content definition for SharePoint pages - ex, the zones, controls, and content.
PageLayouts	SharePoint page layouts to be deployed.
Pages	SharePoint pages in the site package (without content)
ProvisionerFiles	Any supporting Javascript, Css, and other artifacts to customie the end user experience inside the Deployment Manager. For example, if selection of a dropdown changes another field, that is located here.
SecurityGroups	Groups that get created for the site.
Solutions	WSP solutions that get placed into the solutions gallery and deployed automatically.
Taxonomy	SharePoint Taxonomy term store definitions that are deployed.
UploadFiles	Each top level folder represents a document library (or equivalent); inside the folders represents the files and folders to deploy to that location.
Workflow	Workflow definitions.