In modern software development, it is typical for projects to integrate code written by multiple developers at different times. Collaborative development necessitates the movement of code between environments, as do the multiple levels of testing involved in the lifecycle of a software release. When code is moved, developers must prepare environments for the introduction of new code and resolve the resulting instabilities, a process that can be expensive and time-consuming. Automating code drop can streamline this process, delivering stable working code immediately while saving precious time and labor for developers. 

What Is Automated Code Drop? 

Automated code drop, or ACD, leverages the automated continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to synchronously move code from one environment to another. CI/CD brings automation into the application development cycle. With CI/CD, each release is pushed into the appropriate environment as it is developed. Code must be moved between environments from development to user acceptance testing. Generally, this is accomplished via the pipeline with every developer moving their code asynchronously; however, this method introduces instability to the environment. Automated code drop can eliminate this volatility, saving developers and testers crucial time. Though an anti-pattern of CI/CD, it solves the code movement problem effectively and helps increase developer productivity.

Companies do not have to utilize new technology to begin using automatic code drop. Instead, ACD leverages and builds on existing CI/CD technology. ACD is a turnkey process ready to be leveraged by a variety of companies.

How Does ACD Fit Into Agile Methodology?

Agile is a cyclical software development life cycle in which work is done in regularly iterated cycles, known as sprints, that usually last two to four weeks. The focus is on developing software that fits the requirements while moving quickly through development, testing, and shipping. Automated code drop fits naturally into the agile software development life cycle. Agile methodology requires collaborative decision-making between requirements and solutions teams. Because multiple environments are involved in the development, regression, and performance test, code needs to move between various environments. As the CI/CD pipeline is asynchronous by nature, moving the code introduces instability into the testing environments, especially at the start of a phase of development or testing in the sprint cycle, as per the release calendar. Automated code drop enables synchronous movement of the code, saving precious time in the agile cycle. 

How Does ACD Work? 

There are six orchestration steps in ACD: 

1. Syncing the timestamp 
2. Searching 
3. Comparison 
4. Sequencing 
5. Pushing, and 
6. Validation. 

First, a timestamp from the release calendar determines when the code executable will be picked up from the source environment. Then, the executable for the code that has changed in the source environment is searched for and identified. The package label for that code is compared with the version in the target environment. The newer version will replace the older packages. The deployment packages will then be sequenced and pushed to the target environment. Finally, a health-check script will run to validate the target environment end-to-end, e.g., login and dashboard flows should work. In other words, the entire orchestration can be automated. Once the process orchestration is stabilized, the DevOps team can package the changes and push them as a bundled release. 

What Are the Benefits of Using Automated Code Drop?

The most obvious benefit of ACD is that by streamlining the testing and deployment process, ACD saves money for the company and increases developer productivity. Automated code drop eliminates the need for developers to spend time preparing the environment or resolving instability. Instead, they can focus on business delivery. The time leading up to a release is often stressful for companies and developers, involving long hours and sleepless nights. Automatic code drop has the potential to make the release process painless. Companies can use it strategically to move from monthly to daily release in the future. Additionally, ACD reduces defects associated with asynchronous movement of code. This can result in more accurate tests and fewer bugs overall, both streamlining the testing process and providing a higher quality product to the user. 

Senior management who are interested in taking the lead in moving from DevOps to NoOps (no operations) should pay close attention to ACD. Automated code drop can bring companies one step closer from DevOps to NoOps and AIOps (artificial intelligence for IT operations), as it involves automating a process that would previously involve the labor of developers. Senior leadership can leverage this automated movement to reduce the manual churn of developers that results from the movement of code and environment readiness. If ACD is not adopted, companies will continue to waste time and money in the development process, and asynchronous movement of code will continue to result in unnecessary churn in the software development life cycle. 

Reap the Benefits of ACD

Environment readiness takes up a significant amount of developer time. Automated code drop leverages existing CI/CD technology to streamline the software development process by reducing the time spent on environment readiness and preventing instability that results from moving code. Financial companies are already using this technique to their advantage, but all organizations that use the CI/CD pipeline, from healthcare to IT, stand to benefit. By taking the lead in adopting this initiative, companies can save time and money, allowing them to move to a more frequent release schedule and ensuring a less stressful and more generative work environment for developers.