1. Improving Software Quality with Continuous Integration
Chris Farrell
Quick Solutions

2. Questions Anytime
Ask questions whenever you want

3. What is CI? NOT a software program you install
NOT something you buy or pay for
NOT a new idea
NOT specific to .Net or Java
Is a set of process best practices applied during development to
Reduce defects by doing QA during development
Improve productivity by automating manual tasks
Facilitate collaboration and teamwork

4. Who Created Continuous Integration

6. Why Do CI?
Source:

7. Problems solved with CI
Integration Hell
Difficult, Stressful deployments
Human Error in Deployments
Late feedback from QA

8. Benefits of CI Reduced Cost Improved Quality Stable velocity
Easy, more accurate/consistent deployments
Can demo at any time
Can deploy at any time
Improved Transparency
Improved QA

9. #1 – Single Source Repository
Everyone works from the same codebase *during* development
Repository contains *all* needed files including SQL Scripts, Reports, Code, Dependencies, etc
Tools: VSS, CVS, SVN, GIT, TFS,etc
Client with multiple copies of the code!!!!!
Have code but can’t find dependencies(or right versions)
Not putting reports or db scripts in VCS

10. #2 Automate the Build
Make it so that anyone can build with a single command
Build could involve multiple projects and dependencies
Multiple project build
Automated Build should be able to build pieces AND the whole

11. Build Triggers Manual Build Build on Check-In Scheduled Build
CI server detects check-ins and triggers build
Scheduled Build
Nightly Builds

12. #3 Make the Build Self Testing
Does the latest version compile?
Quality Metrics – Performance, Test Coverage
Automated Tests
FX Cop Style Guidelines
UI/Functional Tests
Integration Tests
Unit Tests

13. #3 Tooling Build Tools Unit Testing Functional Testing UI Testing
MS Build, Nant, Rake, Maven
Unit Testing
Resharper, Nunit, MS Test, Gallio/MBUnit, etc
Functional Testing
SpecFlow, Cuke4Nuke
UI Testing
Microsoft Test Manager, WATIN, Selenium

14. #4 – Everyone Commits to the mainline every day
“Mainline” does not mean prod
Typically you commit multiple times per day
Commit at least at end of day in case someone is sick, a hard drive dies, workload shifts, etc
Anyone can get the latest code at any time
Provides support for versioning

15. #5 – Every Commit Should Build on an Integration Machine
Ensures that all code to build the project has been checked in to source control
Doesn’t need to be a high end PC. Can be a VM or an obsolete dev machine

16. #6 – Keep the Build Fast
The entire point of CI is to provide fast and frequent feedback
If the build is broken, you want to find out before someone else checks out broken code
Short feedback cycles
For slow builds..prestage when needed

17. #7 – Test in a Clone of the Production Environment
Should be a close as possible. Every difference is a risk that what works in QA will not work in Production
Might involve testing on multiple targets
Should have similar
Database size
Quality of Test Data
Network Security Configuration
Server and Client Software

18. Database Deploy to Production Backup Database from Prod
Copy Database to CI Server
Restore DB each build
Apply Migrations

19. #8 – Make it Easy for Anyone to Get the Latest Executable
Business Analyst should be able to do Show & Tell at any time
QA should be able to test at any time
QA can trigger builds
Sales should be able to see current version

20. #9 – Everyone can see what is happening
CI is about feedback and transparency
CI should provide visibility towards
Is the Build broken
Who checked in code, when, for what feature
Code Quality Metrics
Automated Test Results
Code Coverage
Performance Metrics

21. #10 Automate Deployment
When you have to deploy at 5pm on Friday or 6am on Monday
So your QA testers can test without asking you if the latest version is out

22. #10 – Automate Deployment
CRITICAL
Deployment is a deliverable that needs to be tested before deploying to production
Speed of Deployment
Labor Cost of Deployment
Accuracy of manual deployments
non-tech users must be able to deploy to test
target multiple environments for testing
Greatly reduces deployment stress

23. #10 – Automate Deployment
Automate *all* of deployment
Backup of Production
Database updates
Data Migrations
Code Deployment
Report Deployment
Practice makes perfect!!!

24. Other Uses/Benefits Can use CI to automate almost anything
Data Migration Jobs
Backup local or remote data/files
Send Reports
Reset environments
Sync environments(ex move AD from Prod to Dev)

25. Selling CI Issue – Time/Cost to Setup
Issue – No access for automated deploy due to politics/firewall
Issue – Sensitive data
Issue – Limited access to dev environment
Time/Cost
-use old pc
-use free software
-start small, improve incrementally
-measure cost of defect and ROI from decreased defects
Permissions
-restrict prod move permissions to approved persons
-deliver a zip file that can be x-copied
-multiple CI environments.
-compare risks/benefits – error prone, expensive deployments with less QA vs restricted build without qa and higher defects
Sensitive Data
-have scripts to scrub and obfuscate data
Limited access to dev(ex, only the dba can update DB or only network admins can change AD even in dev)
-make it their problem
-promote visibility
-find compromises. Make them a part of the solution instead of a part of the problem
-share credit
-escalate!

26. Free VCS www.unfuddled.com www.gitHub.com www.assembla.com
200 mb free SVN & GIT
Free for public repositories/OSS
Free private GIT repos(?2gb limit?)
free TFS for OSS
2gb GIT, Mercurial, SVN

27. Popular CI Servers Hudson (Free) Jenkins (Free)
Jenkins (Free)
TeamCity (sort of free)
Free up to 20 build configurations/3 agents
CruiseControl.Net (free)
Team Foundation Server
Included with MSDN Pro and higher

28. Build Automation Tools
MS Build
C:\
Nant (port of Ant)
Rake(Ruby Make)

29. Other Tooling SSRS Report Deployment DB Comparision FluentMigrator
DB Comparision
Visual Studio 2010 Database Projects
RedGate SQL Compare($395)
FluentMigrator

30. TFS Demo Work Item Tracking Source Control Project Mgmt Charts
CI Build
Unit Tests
Integration Tests
Automated Deployment

31. Jenkins Demo

32. QSI is Hiring

33. Chris Farrell Website: www.chrispfarrell.com Twitter: @chrispfarrell