Continuous Integration

Question 1

Name the steps of the deployment pipline

Answer 1

1. Compile code
2. Run unit tests
3. Commit code (Maybe now or later)
4. Put on a server that : Runs longer tests and builds installers
5. Acceptance testing (Could involve human testers)
6. Production

Question 2

Name and describe the 3 common software release “Anit-patterns”

Answer 2

1. Deploying software manually
   a. Reliance on manual testing to confirm that the application is running correctly.
2. Deploying to a production - like environment only after development is complete.
3. Manual configuration management of production evironments.

Question 3

What is staging?

Answer 3

Environment as product-like as possible where you deploy your application for testing.

Question 4

What is continuous integration?

Answer 4

The practice of merging all developer working copies to a shared mainline at frequent intervals (Ideally daily)

Question 5

What are the six core principles of CI?

Answer 5

1. Create a repeatable and reliable process for releasing software.
2. Automate almost everything.
3. Keep everything in version control.
4. If it hurts, do it more frequently.
5. Everyone is responsible for the delivery process.
6. Continuous improvement.

Question 6

What are the pros of CI

Answer 6

1. Problems caused by interactions b/w different developers are discovered & repaired.
2. The most recent system in the mainline is the definitive working system.
3. ’’’’’’’’ Systems | Dev vs. Production ‘’’’’’’

Question 7

What are the cons of CI

Answer 7

1. If the system is very large, may take a long time to build & test.
2. If dev platform is different from target platform, may not be possible to run system tests in dev’s private workspace.

Solutions to both of these: Split your tests, run the ones that are fast & work on dev machines every time you compile.

Question 8

What is a daily build?

Answer 8

Practice of performing full development once per day (typically after working hours)

Question 9

What are the pre-requisites for CI?

Answer 9

1. Check-in regularly.
2. Must have a comprehensive automated testing suite.
3. Keep the build & test process short.
4. Managing your development workspace.
   a. Configuration management of source code, test data, and database/build/development scripts.
   b. Configuratino management of 3rd party dependencies, libraries, and components.
   c. Make sure that automated tests can be run on developer machines (Including smoke test).

Question 10

What is a smoke test?

Answer 10

Test that confirms that the application can be run.

Question 11

What are the essential practices of CI?

Answer 11

1. Never check in on a broken build.
2. Always run all commit tests locally before committing.
3. Never go home on a broken build.
4. Always be prepared to revert to the previous revision.
5. Don’t comment out failing tests.
6. Take responsibility for all breakages that result from your changes.