G-Cloud Framework
Service Definition
Continuous Integration Service
Version: 1.0
Copyright: © Acuma Solutions Ltd
Acuma Solutions Ltd Waterside Court 1 Crewe Road Manchester M23 9BE Tel: 0870 789 4321 Fax: 0870 789 4250 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://www.acuma.co.uk/
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SERVICE OVERVIEW
Acuma’s Continuous Integration Service provides a cost-effective method of accessing Acuma’s wealth of experience and expertise in Continuous Integration. A Continuous Integration approach reduces solution risk, testing effort and overall delivery cost and timescales and improves the quality of overall solution delivery by automating build, test and deployment activities. Our consultants provide specialist knowledge across a number of Continuous Integration techniques and technologies (including CruiseControl, Hudson, Bamboo, Anthill Pro, Ant & Maven), with large scale
implementation experience in both private and government sectors. Continuous Integration is a fundamental part of an Agile Software Development approach which is a core capability of Acuma’s development services.
The Continuous Integration Service offered by Acuma can be tailored to meet the client’s needs and can be implemented as a “standalone” service or in combination with other Acuma services such as Business Analysis Service.
The role of the Continuous Integration Service is to reduce development risk and error-prone repetitive manual processes by automating build, test and deployment activities.
Information management implementations of any size require a complex array of different
components, technologies and standards and they generally need to integrate and co-exist with other systems. Acuma is a veteran of many hundreds of enterprise scale information management
implementations in both the private and public sectors. Acuma therefore has the broad range of skills and expertise needed to ensure that system designs and subsequent development meet customer requirements.
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CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION SERVICE APPROACH
Acuma’s Continuous Integration Service enables organisations to adopt a continuous integration approach to software development projects within a structured framework of automated build, test and deployment activities. Our expertise encompasses the full range of activities associated with establishing a continuous integration approach, from framework design and planning through to setup, configuration and operation of the continuous integration environment.
The steps involved in a continuous integration engagement would typically include the following: Initial roadmap definition and planning activity to align the continuous integration framework
with the client’s environment and project structure;
Design, setup and configuration of the Continuous Integration Framework, to establish automated process for integrating many times a day;
Design, setup and configuration of the automated build processes, to regularly create and deploy developed solution components automatically;
Design, setup and configuration of automated test processes which would typically include: o Code-driven testing: Automated testing of software components with a variety of input
arguments to validate that the correct results are returned;
o Graphical testing. A testing framework generating user interface events such as keystrokes and mouse clicks, and observes the changes that result in the user interface, to validate that the observable behaviour of the program is correct.
Design, setup and configuration of automated deployment processes, for distribution and deployment of software artefacts.
Acuma’s consultants have extensive experience of the implementation, configuration and operation of many continuous integration tools such as CruiseControl, Hudson, Bamboo, Anthill Pro, Ant, Maven and JUnit.
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SERVICE IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH
Whether the Continuous Integration Service is implemented standalone or in combination with other Acuma services the basic approach to providing the service is the same:
- Understand the client’s business and business strategy by:
o Reviewing relevant material in advance (E.g. strategy documents) o Clarification workshop(s)
o Presenting back Acuma’s understanding
- Understand the client’s technical landscape and strategy by:
o Reviewing relevant material in advance (E.g. enterprise architecture documents) o Carrying out a Technical Assessment
o Clarification workshop(s)
o Presenting back Acuma’s understanding
- Understand detailed requirements for the solution(s) in scope by: o Reviewing relevant material in advance such as:
Functional Requirements specification Non-Functional Requirements specification Programme / Project Plans
Design documents produced to date (assured or not) o Clarification workshop(s)
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- Agree Continuous Integration Service Terms of Reference (i.e. what it has responsibility for) by: o Producing and presenting draft ToR
o Re-drafting based on formal feedback o Sign-off by the client
- Agree Service Design (i.e. how the service will operate including SLAs) by: o Producing and presenting draft Service Design
o Re-drafting based on formal feedback o Sign-off by the client
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SERVICE DESIGN
The Service Design for the Continuous Integration Service is based on a template which includes:
- Service Catalogue (what service elements are in scope)
- Service Implementation Plan (schedule of key activities including those listed above)
- Governance structure (where the Continuous Integration Service sits in relation to governance bodies)
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Standard Operating Procedures as they relate to the Continuous Integration Service - Service Levels (E.g. ratio of system test activity to development activity)
- Risk and Issue Management process including escalation routes - Service Review process and schedule
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5.
PRICING
The Acuma Continuous Integration Service is based on resources charged at daily rates according to the pricing matrix submitted to the G-Cloud portal.
The resource mix and number of days needed will be discussed with each client and tailored to fit specific requirements.
