This post leads on from DBAs: Relax! (Part 1) where I discussed Continuous Integration (CI). In this post I’m going to discuss Automated Deployment, Continuous Delivery and Continuous Deployment and the very important, and often overlooked, differences between what these terms actually mean. Let’s re-vist the workshop where Tom and I were teaching about a dozen SQL Server professionals how…
Observations
DBAs: Relax! (Part 1) – Continuous Integration is your friend
DBAs: the world is out to get you. I know that those pesky devs are actively trying to make your life difficult by constantly devising ever more insane ways to trample all over your precious database. I know they don’t care enough about the hallowed data. Some go as far as calling you paranoid – and I say “let them!”…
Don’t be a brick in the wall – Part 2
So – my prediction wasn’t far off… About three weeks before the world cup started, I posted an observation that footballers know more about teamwork than IT guys. I predicted that the world cup final would be a match between Brazil and Argentina and I imagined what would happen if the Brazilian team acted like a traditional IT team, with…
Does automation result in job cuts?
Despite this blog largely being about technology, I often talk about people. This is because Continuous Delivery (CD) is not just a tool – it is a mind-set. If the people are not on board, you won’t get anywhere. The trouble is, people tend to have a polarised opinions about CD. Individuals often either love it or hate it. This…
Woodland creature story sizing in practice
Today was my last day in Oslo, a chance to reflect on NDC and spend some time with the people I met. I had the pleasure of spending my last day with @toddhgardner, @mgasca, @reverentgeek and @timgthomas. Somewhere between the Maritime museum and the Viking museum we got talking about estimating, velocity and feature sizing. I mentioned that some time last…
Two things I learned at NDC Oslo 2014: Coffee break builds and the bus factor
I spent most of this week in Norway at NDC Oslo. It was fun. I met some cool people. I saw some fun talks. I learned some interesting things. To avoid writing a very long review I thought I would write about two simple concepts that make a lot of sense to me. In my opinion, everyone responsible for delivering…
Don’t be a brick in the wall
Software geeks have a reputation for being pretty smart. Footballers… not so much. But footballers understand something that software geeks don’t. Imagine this: It’s 5 minutes to 4pm on Sunday July 13th 2014. The sun is high in the sky and the whole world is electric in anticipation. Rio de Janeiro is buzzing with a carnival atmosphere in that way…
A brief anecdote that demonstrates the value of automated builds and unit tests for your database
On Wednesday I put on a suit and boarded a train to the city. Then I went to a high up meeting room in a skyscraper with spectacular views and started working with the lead database architect and build manager at a large international bank. It was strange. I missed my jeans, my SQL Saturday t-shirt and my odd shoes. What…
For a reliable CI process start with the source
Yesterday I nearly crashed my car on the magic roundabout in Swindon. (For non-Brits: don’t ask! 🙂 ) I had gone to visit a client who wanted some advice about how to achieve continuous delivery for their legacy SQL Server databases. This near death driving experience (slight risk of exaggeration) seemed like a good metaphor. About feedback loops… One of…
hello world
I didn’t take the conventional path to database Continuous Delivery (CD). CD for databases is a really interesting problem, and when you get it working it’s beautiful. I’ve spent quite a lot of time playing with differing database CD approaches using various tools. The revealing thing is my perspective on it. I’m not a developer… I’m a pre-sales engineer at…