Category Archives: Release Management

Conflict

Avoiding Test Environment Conflict

I. Introduction

Test environment conflict is a common challenge faced by organizations during software development. It occurs when multiple release trains or testing teams are trying to access a shared test environment simultaneously, leading to conflicting actions and potential issues such as broken test cases, incorrect data, and delays in testing.

The importance of test environments in the software development process cannot be overstated, as they provide a crucial step in ensuring the functionality and reliability of applications before they are released to production.

In this post, we will discuss the causes of test environment conflict, its consequences, and strategies for avoiding it to ensure a smooth and efficient software development process.

II. Causes of Test Environment Conflict

A. Multiple teams accessing a shared test environment – Shared test environments are often used by multiple teams within the same organization or across different organizations, allowing for a centralized management of resources and reducing the cost of setting up separate environments for each team. However, this can lead to conflicting actions when multiple teams are trying to access the same environment simultaneously.

B. Lack of proper planning and management processes – Proper planning and management processes are crucial in avoiding test environment conflict. Without these processes in place, there is a risk of conflicting actions and potential issues such as incorrect data and broken test cases.

C. Inconsistent communication between teams – Communication is key in avoiding test environment conflict. When teams are not communicating effectively, there is a risk of conflicting actions, duplicated work, and other issues that can slow down the software development process. Inconsistent communication between teams can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications, causing test environment conflict to occur.

III. Consequences of Test Environment Conflict

A. Delays in testing – When test environment conflict occurs, it can cause delays in testing as teams try to resolve the issues caused by conflicting actions. This can slow down the entire software development process and impact the release schedule.

B. Loss of data – Conflicting actions in a shared test environment can result in the loss of data, making it difficult to accurately test applications. This can have a negative impact on the quality of the applications being developed.

C. Issues with reproducibility – Conflicting actions in the test environment can make it difficult to reproduce test results, which is crucial for debugging and fixing issues. This can further delay the software development process and impact the quality of the final product.

D. Incorrect test results – When test environment conflict occurs, it can lead to incorrect test results, which can result in incorrect conclusions about the functionality of the applications being tested. This can have a negative impact on the overall quality of the applications and the credibility of the testing process.

IV. Strategies for Avoiding Test Environment Conflict

A. Implement proper planning and management processes as part of your Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

  1. Reserve the environment for each team – Designating separate test environments for each team can prevent conflicting actions and ensure that each team has the resources they need to test their applications effectively.
  2. Set up proper change control procedures – Establishing change control procedures helps ensure that changes to the test environment are well managed, preventing conflicting actions and ensuring the accuracy of test results.
  3. Create a clear communication plan between teams – Establishing clear communication channels between teams can help prevent misunderstandings and conflicting actions in the test environment.

B. Use test environment management tools

  1. Automate and simplify management of shared test environments – Utilizing test environment management tools can automate many manual tasks and simplify the management of shared test environments, reducing the risk of conflicting actions. One such tool is Enov8 Environment Manager.
  2. Streamline communication and collaboration between teams – These tools can also provide a centralized platform for communication and collaboration between teams, reducing the risk of miscommunications and conflicting actions.
  3. Ensure consistent access to the test environment – Test environment management tools can also help ensure consistent access to the test environment for all teams, reducing the risk of conflicting actions and ensuring that each team has the resources they need to test effectively.

C. Ensure Environments are Readily Available

  1. Establish Dedicated Test Environments – To prevent conflicts, assign dedicated test environments to significant projects and phases of the Software Lifecycle. For continuous delivery, projects should always have dedicated development and test environments.
  2. Enable On-demand Test Environments – Additionally, ensure the ability to quickly spin up and down environments, using automation, based on necessary demand.

V. In Conclusion

In conclusion, test environment conflict can have a negative impact on the software development process, resulting in delays, loss of data, incorrect test results, and other issues. To avoid these issues, teams should implement proper planning and management processes and make use of test environment management tools. With effective communication and collaboration between teams as well as automated process management, teams can ensure a smoother testing process and better quality applications.

ERM 101

Enterprise Release Management 101

Enterprise Release Management Introduction

At the core of any successful enterprise is a well-coordinated release management process. Enterprise release management refers to the technical and logistical processes involved in managing the various stages of releasing new software or updates to existing software. This includes planning, testing, deploying, and monitoring releases across multiple environments within an organization.

Whether you are working on a large-scale software project, or quickly updating and releasing new features for an existing product, effective release management is essential to ensure the smooth operation of your business. In fact one might say Enterprise Release Management is the bridge between IT Teams, Devops and your Business. With the right tools and processes in place, you can effectively manage releases across all environments, minimize risk, and optimize resources to get your projects done on time and within budget.

If you are looking to learn more about enterprise release management in depth and the best practices for effectively managing your releases, this guide is a great place to start.

What is Enterprise Release Management?

Enterprise Release Management is a process that is used to help organizations manage and control the release of their software and applications. It is designed to ensure that all software components and applications are tested, packaged, and released in a timely, secure, and compliant manner. The practice of Enterprise Release Management is often implemented using the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), which provides guidance to organizations on how to plan, coordinate, and execute the release process. SAFe also provides a framework for structuring teams, roles, and responsibilities to ensure that the release process is efficient and effective. This framework helps organizations standardize their release process and ensures that all components and applications are released on time and in accordance with industry standards.

What are the benefits of Enterprise Release Management?

The benefits of Enterprise Release Management are numerous. By using this practice, organizations can ensure the timely and secure release of their software and applications, while also reducing the risk of errors or compliance issues. It also helps to standardize the release process across teams, roles, and responsibilities, ensuring that all components and applications are released in a consistent and controlled manner. Additionally, Enterprise Release Management can improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the release process, helping to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction.

What are common pitfalls when implementing Enterprise Release Management?

Common pitfalls when implementing Enterprise Release Management include not having a clear understanding of the process, not having the proper tools and resources in place, and not having the right teams, roles, and responsibilities in place. Additionally, without proper planning, coordination, and execution of the release process, organizations risk errors, compliance issues, and delays in the release of their software and applications. Finally, without the right governance and oversight, organizations risk releasing software and applications that are not secure or compliant. To avoid these pitfalls, organizations should implement Enterprise Release Management using the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and use the available tools, such as Enov8, to simplify and automate the process.

How does Release Management relate to Test Environment Management?

Release Management and Test Environment Management are closely related, as they both work together to ensure the successful release of software and applications. Test Environment Management is the process of setting up and managing a testing environment that is used to test and validate the software and applications prior to release. This environment must be set up and maintained in such a way that it is isolated from other environments and is used only for testing purposes. It also must include all the necessary tools, frameworks, and libraries needed for the testing process. Release Management then takes over to package and deploy the tested software and applications. Enov8 is a tool used for Release Management and Test Environment Management that simplifies and automates the process.

How does Release Management relate to Deployment Management?

Release Management and Deployment Management are closely related, as they both work together to ensure the successful release of software and applications. Release Management is the process of planning, coordinating, and executing the release process of software and applications, while Deployment Management is the process of actually deploying the software and applications to the target environment. Release Management is responsible for creating the release package and ensuring all components and applications are tested and ready for deployment. Deployment Management is then responsible for taking the release package and deploying it to the target environment. Enov8 is a tool used for Release Management and Deployment Management that simplifies and automates the process.

How does Release Management relate to Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)?

Enterprise Release Management (ERM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) are two closely related processes in the software development life cycle. ERM focuses on the coordination, planning and execution of software releases across an enterprise, including code branching, merging, versioning and deployment. PLM encompasses all aspects of product development and management from conception to retirement. In the context of SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), ERM is part of the Portfolio level while PLM is incorporated into the value stream. In summary, ERM ensures that software releases meet business objectives while PLM covers all aspects of product development and management.

What is a Enterprise Release Managers’ primary responsibilities?

An Enterprise Release Manager’s primary responsibilities are to plan, coordinate, and execute the release process of software and applications. This includes creating and managing the release package, testing and validating the software and applications, and deploying the applications to the target environment. The Release Manager is also responsible for ensuring that all components and applications are released in a timely, secure, and compliant manner. Additionally, the Release Manager should be familiar with the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and have experience in using the available tools, such as Enov8, to simplify and automate the release process.

What characteristics makes a good Enterprise Release Manager?

A good Enterprise Release Manager should have excellent organizational and communication skills. They should have a good understanding of the release process and be able to plan, coordinate, and execute the release process in a timely and effective manner. They should also be familiar with the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and have experience in using the available tools, such as Enov8, to simplify and automate the release process. Additionally, the Release Manager should be detail-oriented, have strong problem-solving skills, and be able to work in a fast-paced environment.

What tools are available for Release Management?

There are a variety of tools available for Release Management, including Enov8 Release Manager and Plutora. Enov8 Release Manager is a tool that simplifies and automates the release process, from planning and coordinating to executing the release. It provides an end-to-end solution for Release Management, including features such as automated testing, deployment tracking, and governance. Plutora is another tool that can be used to manage, plan, and execute the release process. It provides features such as test case management, environment tracking, and automated deployment. Both tools provide an efficient and effective way to manage the release process of software and applications.

Enterprise Release Management Conclusion

In conclusion, Release Management is a process that helps organizations manage and control the release of their software and applications. It is important to have the right tools, resources, and teams in place to ensure that all components and applications are tested, packaged, and released in a timely, secure, and compliant manner. The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) provides guidance on how to plan, coordinate, and execute the release process and a framework for structuring teams, roles, and responsibilities. Tools such as Enov8 and Plutora can further simplify and automate the process and ensure that the release process is efficient and effective. With the right resources and tools in place, organizations can ensure the successful release of their software and applications.

deployment-tools

The Top Deployment Strategies Explained

As a DevOps engineer, you need to be familiar with various software deployment strategies and know when to use which one. In this article, we’ll look at what software deployment strategies are available, how they work, and the typical strengths & weaknesses of each.

In software development, a deployment strategy is a set of instructions that dictate how our software code or applications should be transferred from one environment to another during the software development life cycle.

What is a Release

The process of “shipping” new features or bug fixes, usually more than one, to users is known as a software release. A software release can be a patched version, a major new version, or a hotfix for an issue found in a previous version. Software releases go through several development stages before they are ready to be made available to users (in what is called production).

A typical software development life cycle includes the following stages:

  • Development
  • System, Integration, and User Acceptance Testing
  • Staging
  • Production

Your deployment process, or deployment plan, defines the rules and steps of how software code should be moved (or deployed) from one stage to the next. It is important to have a well-defined deployment strategy because it will help ensure that code changes do not break the software in production and that users always have access to the latest version of the software.

To complete this important job, the DevOps team incorporates deployment procedures into their day-to-day operations. Various approaches have been developed throughout time to help software companies with application deployments.

What Is a Deployment Strategy?

A deployment strategy is a technique used by DevOps teams to launch a new version of their software. These strategies cover how traffic is transitioned from the old version to the new version and can influence downtime and operational cost. Depending on the company’s specialty, the right deployment strategy can make all the difference.

Various Types of Deployment Strategies

There are several types of deployment strategies, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The right strategy for your company will depend on your needs and goals.

1. Blue/Green Deployment

This type of deployment process involves maintaining two identical production environments—one is the “live” environment that serves customers, while the other is the “staging” environment. When it’s time to release a new version of the software, the staging environment is switched to live, and vice versa.

Benefit:

  • This strategy minimizes downtime because there is always a production environment available.

Disadvantage:

  • However, it can be costly to maintain two identical production environments.

2. Canary Release

In this strategy, the new version of the software is first released to a small subset of users. If there are no major issues, the new version is then gradually rolled out to a larger subset of users until it is finally made available to the entire user base.

For example, the older version may retain 90% of all traffic for the software at a certain point in time during the deployment process, while the newer version hosts 10% of all traffic. This method helps DevOps engineers to test the new version’s stability. It utilizes real traffic from a fraction of end-users at different phases throughout production.

Benefit:

  • Better performance monitoring is possible with Canary deployment. It also aids in the quicker and more successful rollback of software if a new version fails.

Disadvantage:

  • However, it does require more effort and typically, a long deployment cycle.

3. A/B Testing

May, also be called Incremental Rollout

In the A/B testing deployment process, developers deploy the new version alongside the older version. This type of testing is used to compare two versions of a software feature to see which performs better. Version A is the control and is made available to the entire user base, while version B is the test and is only made available to a subset of users.

A/B testing has several deployment process benefits:

  • It allows software developers to compare two versions of a software feature to see which performs better.
  • It is easier and less risky to test a new version of the software on a small subset of users before rolling it out to the entire user base.
  • Developers can easily accept/reject either version.

Disadvantage:

  • Increased user/customer coordination.

4. Feature Toggles (Feature Flags)

Feature flags are a type of deployment strategy that allows developers to turn on or off certain features of the software for different users. This allows developers to test new features without making them available to the entire user base. Feature flags can be used in conjunction with other deployment strategies, such as A/B testing, to help developers test new features before

5. Recreate Deployment

In this deployment approach, the development team completely shuts down the old software, then deploys and reboots the new version. This method causes a system outage between shutting down the old program and booting up the new one.

Benefits:

  • It is less expensive and is primarily utilized when the software company wishes to rewrite the application from the ground up. There’s no need for a load balancer since there are no changes in traffic flow in the live production environment.

Disadvantages:

  • This method has a significant impact on end-users since it is unavailable/suspended. Users must wait until the software is reactivated before using it. As a result, few developers employ this technique unless they have no other option.

6. Trunk-Based Deployment

In this strategy, all code changes are first merged into a main trunk or branch. Developers then create a new branch for each new feature. Once the feature is complete, it is merged back into the main trunk. This strategy eliminates the need for long-running feature branches and makes it easier to deploy new changes.

Note: This is more a pre-deployment method of Software Version Control.

7. Ramped Deployment

The ramped deployment method moves from one version to the next in a gradual process. Unlike canary deployment, which replaces instances of the old application version with those from the new application version one at a time, the ramped deployment approach makes its change by replacing instances of the old application version with new applications. The rolling upgrade deployment strategy is another name for this method.

The second method, as the name implies, is to delete the old version from production. When all of its instances are deleted, the older edition is manually shut down. The new edition then controls all production traffic.

Advantages:

  • No need to take the entire application offline for an upgrade.
  • The process is gradual, so it’s less risky.

Disadvantages:

  • Takes longer to complete than other methods.
  • Requires more instances to be available during the process.
  • Rollback is more complicated & long.

8. Rolling deployment

For those using containers.

Rolling deployment is a gradual process of replacing pods running the old version of the application with the new version, one by one, without downtime to the cluster. It is less risky and takes longer to complete than other types of deployment, but it doesn’t require taking the entire application offline.

Advantage:

  • Lower Risk
  • High Availability

Disadvantage:

  • Only really applicable for container-based architectures.

9. Shadow Deployment

Developers deploy the new version alongside the existing one in this deployment method. Users, on the other hand, won’t be able to access it right away. The newest version hides in the shadows, just as its name implies. Developers send a fork or copy of the previous version’s requests to the shadow version so they can examine how the new variant will work and if it can process the same amount of requests.

When the shadow version can handle the same load as the original, the traffic is finally routed to the new version, and it becomes live. The cutover from the original to the new version happens without any significant downtime since there’s no need to take down or restart either version.

Advantages:

  • valuable feedback can be gathered about how the new version will work in production
  • there’s no need to take down or restart either version during the cutover process

Disadvantages:

  • more complicated to set up and maintain than other deployment strategies
  • if not done correctly, it can cause issues with the live version

When to use:

  • when you want to gather feedback about how the new version will work in production
  • when you want to avoid any significant downtime during the cutover process

Deploy Better with a Software Deployment Tool

Managing your deployments without tools can be fraught with danger.

As seen above, the different deployment processes can be quite fragile/awkward, and if done incorrectly could lead to production issues, outages, and the need to roll back.

Using tools to control your “implementation day events” can uplift visibility, improve collaboration, support rehearsal, standardize your operations and also streamline the tasks*.

*Tasks that may be manual or preferably automated.

Fortunately, there are various Release Management tools that can help your organization with the various aspects of Environments, Release Management & Application Deployment.

The best software deployment tools included features like:

  • Release Management Governance for Scale Delivery*

*for managing the End to End Release / Release Train.

  • Implementation Plans (for Deployment Planning)
  • Operational Runsheets / Standardized Operating Procedures
  • DevOps Automation e.g. Software Deployments
  • Orchestrations / Integration with other tools*

*deployment tools, ticketing tools, CI/CD i.e. continuous integration, and continuous delivery tools

  • Deployment Version Tracking

*tracking code deployments across Environment Instances, Components & Microservices.

  • Environment Drift Reports

*supporting holistic, cross-environment, version control

Conclusion

You may use any of these methods to upgrade your applications. Each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages, and each is appropriate in certain circumstances. The only question now is which one makes the most sense for your DevOps team to utilize.

Consider the demands of your team, project, and company as well as corporate objectives. Also, keep track of how much downtime your business can tolerate and any other cost limitations.

Make your go-live events into non-events!

Uplift your Implementation Planning, and Deployment Management capability today. Find the best software deployment tool (or tools) to help with your automatic deployments.

Author: Mark Dwight James

This post was written by Mark Dwight James. Mark is a Data Scientist specializing in Software Engineering. His passions are sharing ideas around software development and how companies can value stream through data best practices.