A Digital Twin Approach for the Systematic Improvement of DevOps Processes
Francis Bordeleau
Ecole de technologie superieure (ETS) Montreal
DevOps emerged in the last decade as the prominent approach to increase productivity and system quality in the software industry. It advocates for continuous improvement through the use of automation and monitoring at all stages of software development and operations, and aims for shorter development cycles, increased frequency of deployment, and more reliable releases. Its adoption by industry leaders (e.g. Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Netflix) has resulted in spectacular progress. However, the evolution/improvement of DevOps processes remains a main challenge for many companies. The lack of a systematic approach makes continuous improvement an ad hoc journey in which decisions are based on intuition rather than facts.
To enable the systematic improvement of DevOps processes, we propose a Digital Twin approach that is based on process telemetry and model-based engineering to provide support for taking decisions on a scientific basis rather than in an ad hoc manner. This approach addresses two main challenges: 1) the continuous monitoring and measurement of DevOps process; and 2) the evaluation of modification alternatives to reach specific DevOps process improvement objectives.
In this presentation, we will present the approach and discuss main challenges and issues that need to be addressed in its implementation in an industrial context. We will also report on our experience and lessons learned in a project focused on the improvement of the code review process in collaboration with one of our industrial partners.
Speaker bio: Francis is professor at Ecole de technologie superieure (ETS) in Montreal and the chair holder of the Kaloom-TELUS ETS Industry Research Chair in DevOps. His current research focuses on the use of Model-Based Engineering (MBE) to support the systematic improvement of DevOps processes. He has over 25 years of experience researching, working, consulting, and collaborating with companies worldwide in software engineering, software process improvement, and Model-Based Engineering (MBE). Prior to joining ETS, he was the founder of Cmind (2017-2020), product manager of Software Development at Ericsson (2013-2017), founder and CEO of Zeligsoft (2003-2013), director of Tooling Business at PrismTech (2010-2013), and assistant professor at Carleton University (1997-2006). Francis has been part of the organizing and program committee of many international conferences and workshops.