Defining a release pipeline
2 Tasks
1 hr
Scenario
The initial launch of the Delivery Service application is planned for production within 90 days. MDC plans to deliver new application features and fixes daily by the end of the year. MDC considers frequent improvements to the application as a way to gain an advantage in the shipment delivery market. The MDC architecture team believes a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) model meets this objective. MDC does not currently use any automated deployment practices or testing tools.
A team of three developers created the initial version of the application at MDC headquarters. MDC plans to hire five new developers based in India to support the development of new features and fix bugs. MDC plans to transition to a distributed development model within six to nine months, starting with the Delivery Service application. MDC also foresees every developer working in a local environment by the end of the year.
Propose a release strategy and plan to organize the development teams and environment to meet MDC's requirement to deliver new features and fix bugs daily after the initial production launch.
In your recommendation:
- Explain how to manage the work of the development team to deploy the first release application.
- Suggest an approach for transitioning to a CI/CD model.
- Explain how the two teams collaborate in a distributed environment.
The following table provides the credentials you need to log in to the Delivery Service application. However, this challenge is mainly meant for evaluating the design options, and there are no specific implementation tasks.
| Role | User name | Password |
|---|---|---|
| Admin | admin@deliveryservice | rules |
Detailed Tasks
1 Review solution details
For the initial launch, apply the standard release process in Migrating application changes. To support development and deployment tasks during this initial launch:
- Identify someone to fulfill the role of Release Manager (responsible for managing Ruleset versions and overseeing the schedule.
- Use the prpcServiceUtils tool for service-enabled scripting to migrate Rules between environments manually. The preferred method is to implement pipeline Automation for the first release by using Deployment Manager. However, this infrastructure is not readily available.
- Introduce Branch reviews, guardrails, unit testing, and Branches and Branch Rulesets in the non-pipeline model before implementing an automated release pipeline.
After the initial release, work with the Front Stage architecture team to develop an automated pipeline for implementing CI/CD.
Your recommendation includes the following actions:
- Bring someone onto the team with Automation server, repository, and CI/CD experience.
- Determine the Automation server and repository to use.
- Describe how the Automation server invokes automated testing tools, such as PegaUnit.
- Identify release tasks to be automated and in what time frame.
- Identify a release manager to oversee the pipelines.
- Identify who creates new Ruleset versions and branches in the system of record.
- Determine and communicate the process for handling import conflicts.
- Communicate the frequency of development environment rebase.
- Establish pre- and post-import tasks, such as notifications and testing, to refine and improve the continuous integration process.
2 Review solution alternatives
Also, suggest moving to a CI/CD model for the initial launch. Because MDC does not already have a CI/CD model in place, attempting to implement this type of change could put the goal of delivering the application within 90 days at risk. Introduce the practice of unit testing individual Rules, developing test suites, and delivering Rules to target environments through automation by using the Deployment Manager or the prpcServiceUtils utility. This approach prepares the organization for automating the delivery pipeline as the CI/CD processes or the organization matures.
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