1. Continuous Integration
- A Framework for Better Quality Software
Richmond SPIN
Richmond
Eric Pugh
May 13th, 2009
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2. Who am I?
 Principal of OpenSource Connections
Contributer to CruiseControl and
Continuum CI projects
Member of Apache Software Foundation
Presenter at many conferences
including OSCON, ApacheCON, jTDS,
ExpoQA
Fascinated by the art of software
development
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3. What are we talking about?
What is CI?
Why does it matter to me?
What do I need to use CI?
Demonstration of Hudson
Where does CI fit into the SPIN World?
Questions!
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4. What is Continuous Integration?
From Martin Fowler:
“a fully automated and reproducible build,
including testing, that runs many times a day”.
http://martinfowler.com/articles/continuousIntegration.html
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5. Rapid Feedback
< 10 minutos
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6. How is CI important to different members of a team?
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7. Life of a programmer without CI...
 Unstable code, integration is difficult
Many build errors reported
Only one person on the team can build the entire
project
Demonstrations require extensive planning
Feedback cycle is long
Every day is a struggle to be productive
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8. Life of a programmer with CI...
 The build process is simple and repeatable
Elimination of Human Error
Demo’s are quick and easy
Feedback cycle is very rapid
Every day you know you can code!
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9. For a tester
control

 What is in the build?
 What has changed between builds?
 How do I verify functionality?
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10. For a Project Manager
Visibility

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11. For a Project Manager
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12. For a development team
security

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13. For a development team
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14. For a development team
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15. For a development team
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16. What is needed to get started?
A dedicated machine
Source Control
Automated Build Script
Method of notification
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17. What are the challenges to using CI?
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18. Challenge One: Cultural Change
 CI needs a champion who acts as the ambassador to the leaders of the
organization.
Thought leaders in the organization who can help encourage
developers to accept the process changes that CI brings
 A very successful test case
¿A greenfield project if possible?
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19. Challenge Two: Environmental Difficulties
 All the tests should be true unit tests, not
integration tests
 Few or no external dependencies
 A beefy build server...
 A strategy for deploying code into the CI
environment
Database changes are SIMPLE
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20. Challenge Three: Project Characteristics
Fewer branches to the code makes life easier
Many small code changes. Code is committed throughout the day.
There are good unit test coverage.
The code is ready for deployment, not in pieces.
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21. Challenge Four: Stability of CI Tool
X
The CI system must be as well maintained as
the Source Control system.
The CI system performs builds very quickly.
Who has responsibility for CI? It’s very
important to have a “throat to choke”.
No false alarms. If there are false alarms
then the developers lose confidence in the CI
✓
system.
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22. Demo of Hudson
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23. Where does CI fit into the SPIN World?
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24. CI Maturity Model?
Fewer branches to the code makes life easier
Many small code changes. Code is committed throughout the day.
There are good unit test coverage.
The code is ready for deployment, not in pieces.
http://www.anthillpro.com/blogs/anthillpro-blog/2009/05/05/1241542860000.html
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25. Virtuous Circle?
Metrics are hard to get
Developers rebel against on high management
Need good processes that support and encourage other good
processes
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26. HackyStat
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27. Test Automation
CI increases the rewards for doing test automation
unit
integration
functional?
system?
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28. Where to next?
 Continuous Integration: Improving Software Quality
and Reducing Risk
CITConf is the conference for CI. This year it was
April 24, 25 in Minneapolis, MN.
Take a handout with reference links!
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29. Matrix of 22 differences in CI systems
http://confluence.public.thoughtworks.org/display/CC/CI+Feature+Matrix
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30. Why CI?
Eliminate human errors
Tests that run frequently are more valuable
A CI system is the foundation of a project status dashboard
Eliminate integration problems!
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31. RICHMOND
Eric Pugh epugh@opensourceconnections.com
May 13th, 2009
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