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Descrambling Parallel Build Logs [article]

One of GNU make's many features allows you to shorten build times by running more than one command at a time. If your dependencies are all correct, or nearly correct, this can give you a significant improvement, and since it's built into the tool you get it "for free." But GNU make's parallel build feature—often called "dash j mode," after the command-line option that is used to enable it—is not without drawbacks. The worst of these is that GNU make parallel builds can produce incorrect results if the build dependencies are not sufficiently correct.

In a Flat World There are Many Potholes [article]

Imagine that you are the project manager of a software delivery program. Say someone on your team has been stumped by a problem for numerous hours and needs to resolve this "show stopper" to move to the next delivery phase of the project. You have called an emergency meeting and gathered a group of analysts, architects, software developers, and testers in a room for you all to work towards solving the issue. What do you do? David Lipien and Nicolas Concha explain how to handle this stressful situation as well as the lessons to be learned.

Guidelines for Building a Monolithic Release Management System [article]

The release management system is an important component of the service-transition process. This article highlights the importance of building a monolithic release management system, which encompasses all of the functions and processes necessary to support application build, package, and deployment. The monolithic release management is holistic, comprehensive, and based upon industry best practices. These guidelines are applicable for any type of organization or projects of any size.

Behaviorally Speaking: How DevOps Drives InfoSec [article]

While DevOps is typically thought of as being the relationship and interaction between development and operations, the truth is that DevOps impacts QA, testing, and—most importantly—information security (InfoSec). DevOps is, above all else, a set of principles and practices tailored to improve communication between all stakeholders, of which InfoSec is a key part. This article will help you integrate your InfoSec into DevOps.

Green IT: A Sustainability Perspective for Portfolio Optimization [article]

As organizations grow and diversify, they end up with a large number of IT systems. However, by quantifying sustainability metrics, they can optimize their IT infrastructures and introduce a greener side of IT.

Personality Matters: The DevOps Divide [article]

IT organizations often face challenges ranging from complex technology to even more complex personalities. DevOps attempts to address the dynamics between IT operations and highly skilled software and systems delivery teams. Read on if you would like to improve your skills in dealing with these challenging dynamics.

Why NoSQL Matters and What Configuration Management Experts Need to Know About it [article]

NoSQL is a new approach to data storage that addresses many problems associated with relational databases. Many highly popular websites—including Facebook, Netflix, and Digg—are using NoSQL to crunch large volumes of data. Eugene Dvorkin gives us insight into why NoSQL is important and what CM experts need to know about it.

Agile ALM for Delivering Customer Value: Getting Started [article]

In this first part of a two-part series, Mario Moreira writes that a reasonable application lifecycle management (ALM) product will have a common user interface for utilizing the ALM functionality. It will also include a meta-model and process engine to parse and share information across and amongst the various functions within the ALM framework. These technical needs must be accompanied by a strong business case for delivering higher customer value and new approaches for seamless integration.

Behaviorally Speaking: Putting the "Ops" into DevOps [article]

Much of what is written about DevOps—a set of principles that helps development and operations teams work more effectively together—is delivered from the perspective of developers. In my opinion, DevOps needs to also take an operations point of view in order to be effective and practical. This article is all about putting the “ops” back into DevOps, so to speak.

Choose Your Tools Wisely: An Interview with Joe Townsend [interview]

We recently spoke with Joe Townsend, a software configuration manager with more than twelve years' experience in the field, about which CM tools work best for him—and which ones don't. Joe discusses the need for scalability and honest integration when selecting the right tools for any project.