DevOps tooling

How to simplify the introduction of the CD across business units? Read the case study about the DevOps tooling. Check needs, approach and results.

Introduction:   

ArdentCode partnered with Wolters Kluwer to simplify the introduction of the Continuous Deployment/Delivery approach across business units in the organization.​ 

Focus: 

Objective:  

Create a SaaS solution that supports Continuous Deployment of microservice-based applications available for all business units in the organization.​ 

Needs: 

  1. Support AWS and Azure clouds
  2. Support zero downtime release roll out/back (blue/green, canary deployment)
  3. Allow developers to deploy and test their code in the feature branch environment
  4. Provide UI and CLI interfaces
  5. Let the application development team use the infrastructure with not need of deep knowledgeknowledge of AWS/Azure
  6. Provide logging, monitoring, and alerting to support and troubleshoot the applications in production
  7. Provide a solution to run automated tests (UI, API) to detect bugs before release promotion and to monitor the application availability

Approach: 

  1. Build extendable architecture that allows to deploy to different Clouds
  2. Follow the principle of “infrastructure as a code” to track any changes done to the application and roll them back if needed
  3. Allow to define the single endpoint version using simple schema
  4. Build API layer to be used by UI and CLI interfaces
  5. Build a central mechanism to collect metrics and set up of alerts
  6. Follow best practices and organization standards (HA, security, naming)
  7. Build a service allowing the execution of automated tests at large scale
  8. Build a service executing the automated tests on the new release deployments
  9. Allow to set up synthetic tests monitoring with alerting

Results: 

  1. Onboarded hundreds of products (VitalLaw is one of them, read previous case study here)
  2. Products confirmed that the solution allowed them to:
  1. The support teams are using the synthetic monitoring solution to monitor the availability and performance of the application
  2. The automated tests execution service allows the execution of a huge number of regression tests in minutes instead of hours.

Conclusion:

The partnership between ArdentCode and Wolters Kluwer resulted in a powerful SaaS solution that redefines deployment practices. By enabling seamless Continuous Deployment, the solution empowers teams to deliver high-quality applications faster, with improved reliability and reduced costs. Its cloud-agnostic capabilities, robust testing mechanisms, and comprehensive monitoring set a new standard for efficiency and collaboration across business units. This achievement underscores the transformative potential of well-designed, scalable infrastructure.

The role of the CTO in building high-performance development teams

The role of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in building high-performance development teams is becoming more and more important. One of the tasks of the CTO is managing technology and innovation. Apart from that, he or she shapes the work culture, implements effective practices and selects tools that support team effectiveness.

To effectively manage high-performing teams, the CTO should focus on certain key areas. These include implementing Agile and DevOps practices, using tools for collaboration and communication, and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous development.

1. Implementing Agile and DevOps practices

Agile and DevOps practices are the cornerstone for building high-performing development teams. Agile focuses on iterative development and regular adaptation to changing requirements. As a result, it allows teams to respond quickly to changes and adapt the product to the customers’ needs. DevOps, on the other hand, integrates development and operations teams, automation and continuous integration that make software delivery faster and more reliable.

According to The 15th State of Agile Report from Digital.ai and the 2021 State of DevOps Report from Puppet’s, both Agile and DevOps practices will evolve to further support remote working. What is important, according to the DevOps report, in 2010 only 10% of organizations had highly developed DevOps practices, while in the report of 2021, this number increased to 18%. This shows how much opportunity and growth prospect there can be for companies that, like ArdentCode, offer these practices to their business partners. At the same time, implementing DevOps in partnership with customers allows to save the time required to implement needed changes. 

2. Using tools for cooperation and communication

Effective collaboration and communication play an important role in building high-performing teams. The CTO should take care to implement tools for project and code version management, source code management, progress planning and verification, and testing. Below is a list of suggested tools., Most of them are used daily at ArdentCode:

– Architectural decisions that span more than a single task can be recorded in shared documents, created for a collaborative environment. These include solutions offered by Google Workspace, MS 365 or Atlassian Confluence;

– Source Control Manager (SCM), which supports the team’s code review process, is crucial for information flow and communication. Examples of tools that support this process include: Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, GitHub or GitLab. 

– Bug tracking system reduces the work time of Project Managers and more experienced developers on the team. The most popular and intuitive tools in the industry include Asana and Jira, as well as tools that come with GitLab and GitHub. 

– New solutions require an environment that allows them to be built and tested in a way that is accessible and understandable to the organization. Hence, the need for a CI/CD environment. It should be well integrated with progress planning and source code management tools. Examples of this class of solutions include CircleCI, Bamboo Data Center, Azure DevOps, GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, TeamCity, and Travice CI.

From the point of view of the CTO and the company, these tools should be interconnected to facilitate workflow and communication across the organization.   

3. Promote a culture of innovation and continuous development

Promoting a culture of innovation and continuous development is a key aspect of the CTO’s role. High-performing development teams need an environment that fosters experiments and implementing new technologies and methodologies. The CTO should support his or her employees by providing them with access to training, workshops and the latest educational resources to help them develop their skills and knowledge.

Investing in the professional development of employees and promoting innovative thinking improve team engagement and satisfaction. This translates into better company performance, as confirmed by numerous studies. Analyzing the satisfaction and key talents of individual team members also has a positive impact on understanding their natural aptitudes and limitations. There are many tools and methodologies to support such research and talent development in teams. The most popular ones are CliftonStrengths™, DISC, MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), and Hogan Assessments.

At ArdentCode, we use the CliftonStrenghts™ survey, also known as the Gallup Test, to assess talents both individually and in teams. Such knowledge makes it easier to decide which talents may be missing from the team and which are secured. This, in turn, makes it easier to manage the planning and work of the team. The CTO, by creating such an environment, not only motivates the team to achieve higher results, but also ensures that the company remains competitive in the market.

Summary 

The role of the CTO in building high-performance development teams is extremely complex. It requires the ability to manage both technology and people. It seems that the latter aspect, i.e. working with the people using the tools, can determine the success or failure of the CTO. Since it is people who use the tools and technology, at the same time, through communication, they develop them and make improvements. It is the people who make up the commitment and effectiveness of the company. And these values, especially in an environment as complex and dynamic as IT, can give an organization a competitive advantage.