ODC Development Basics for New Developers
What ODC is
OutSystems Developer Cloud (ODC) is the cloud-native evolution of the platform. It uses a containerized, Kubernetes-based architecture, separates build and runtime environments, and introduces concepts like Stages (Development, Test, Production) and Assets (reusable modules published to a catalog). ODC apps are built in O11-style development but deployed through a modern pipeline.
Concepts you must understand
- Stages and deployments: Code moves from Development to Test to Production. Each stage is an isolated environment. A trap is assuming you can deploy directly to Production without passing through configured stages.
- Assets and dependencies: Modules reference other modules as dependencies; publishing an asset makes it available to consumers. Versioning matters - a breaking change to a shared asset affects dependents.
- Environments: ODC separates build-time and runtime concerns; the runtime is managed by the platform.
- Security and identity: ODC uses built-in identity providers and role-based access; end-user authentication is configured per app.
- Observability: Logs, metrics, and traces are built in; developers should know where to look for runtime errors.
Traps to watch
Questions conflate ODC with traditional OutSystems 11 hosting. ODC is cloud-native and managed; you do not provision servers yourself. Another trap: confusing Assets (published, versioned modules) with Applications (deployable units composed of modules).
Rule of thumb
"Build in Development, promote through stages, publish shared logic as versioned Assets." This single sentence answers most ODC lifecycle questions.