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Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) is a technique in agile methodology in which teams develop, review, and deploy incremental code changes using a structured manner and extensive automation. This allows engineers to keep software apps up to date with minimal downtime.
While CI/CD is recognized as an industry best practice, it is one that is often aspirational rather than implemented. Tricon Infotech, however, makes it a standard practice across its engineering teams. By not only prioritizing the initial product rollout but also focusing on delivering ongoing improvements and robust access with minimal downtime, Tricon achieves business continuity, operational efficiency, and sustained value for clients and users alike.
The client, a major international scholarly publisher, operates numerous websites and online products catering to individuals, libraries, and institutions. They needed a new online experience that would deliver content with the latest search and reading features, with zero downtime between releases.
Tricon Infotech designed a CI/CD-based workflow that would deliver regular updates, accurate code, and seamless upgrades.
In accordance with its signature teams-based approach, Tricon Infotech assigned a team of experienced engineers to collaborate on and create all the client software, enabling the engineers to leverage one another’s knowledge and skills. By following CI/CD practices, this team could work together to thoroughly test and validate code changes before deploying them to the live environment, minimizing the risk of disruptions.
The implementation of CI/CD normalized the way engineers developed and reviewed code, resulting in improved collaboration, reduced errors, and enhanced code quality.
Tricon’s engineers utilized NX Dev Tools, a powerful set of development tools and libraries designed for monorepos resulting in faster build times, improved developer experience, and distributed task execution.
The team also implemented extensive automated pre-commit checks, which ensured that code changes underwent rigorous testing before being released.
Additionally, Sonar Cloud, a static code analyzer, helped identify security vulnerabilities, bugs, and other code issues. This comprehensive testing and code improvement approach resulted in a highly reliable and stable codebase.
Tricon utilized Git Flow, a branching model for version control, to facilitate efficient collaboration and code management. This structured approach enabled teams to work on feature branches and then merge them into the main branch after thorough review. By following Git Flow, Tricon ensured code stability and scalability, leading to more reliable and maintainable software.
Tricon prioritized deploying code changes during low-traffic periods to minimize user impact as an extra precaution. By following CI/CD practices, Tricon’s engineers were able to release new versions of the client’s application without disruption.
By employing a blue/green deployment strategy, Tricon’s engineers would always have a parallel track that they could quickly switch back to if any issues arose with the live version. This approach reduced downtime and provided a seamless experience for end-users.
Tricon leveraged GitHub for release management, enabling transparent communication and improved collaboration. Engineers could add release versions and release notes in GitHub, providing clear documentation of the changes made in each release to ensure business continuity.
Tricon is committed as an organization to continuous improvement in service of its client outcomes. To that end, it is constantly exploring innovative tools and technologies to further streamline code delivery, increase automation, and reduce cycle times.
Tricon is developing a one-touch deployment system. By leveraging CloudFlare and GitHub APIs, this system automates the release process, reducing manual effort and minimizing the potential for human error.
Automatic generation of release notes through comparison with previous versions adds further efficiency and accuracy to the deployment process. This streamlined approach saves time and improves the overall efficiency of the deployment process.
By staying at the forefront of industry advances, Tricon ensures their clients benefit from the most efficient and effective CI/CD practices.
Tricon’s unique approach to CI/CD has yielded exceptional outcomes for its client. By prioritizing outcomes, focusing on code quality, collaboration, and efficient delivery, Tricon has achieved significant benefits such as reduced downtime, improved user experience, and enhanced business continuity. Through its commitment to continuous improvement and innovative solutions, Tricon has ensured that its client receives the most robust and reliable software services in the publishing industry.
