Staged continuous integration stories

One particular area about continuous integration servers that interests me as I've yet to see one, first-hand. Thus, I'd really appreciate hearing stories about how others have set up multiple CI machines to collaborate in some kind of a hierarchy, etc.

Originally posted by Lasse Koskela:
Thus, I'd really appreciate hearing stories about how others have set up multiple CI machines to collaborate in some kind of a hierarchy, etc.

I don't have any first-hand accounts of build servers collaborating, but Jared Richardson contributed a story to the book describing how his project uses a server farm to scale CruiseControl up to handle a massive load. The story text is available at:

http://www.pragmaticautomation.com/cgi-bin/pragauto.cgi/Build/CCOnALargeScale.rdoc

Mike

And a good story it was, if only I could see a bit more "skin"

Originally posted by Lasse Koskela:
And a good story it was, if only I could see a bit more "skin"

Yes, I hope to visit Jared's project someday for a first-hand look. If so, I'll try to compile more details.

Mike

You should encourage him to write about the grid as well...

I have one story.

I am trying to sell 'automated unit-testing(using JUnit)' and 'automated build(using ant, clearcase etc)'. But nobody at work is listening to me.

Life sucks.

Originally posted by Kishore Dandu:

I am trying to sell 'automated unit-testing(using JUnit)' and 'automated build(using ant, clearcase etc)'. But nobody at work is listening to me.

What is being currently employed? Not sure how many places enforce unit testing (developer). But automated build and source code control looks too basic to ignore.

Did you try coming up with some simple stories? Am sure you must have, but either way..The simplest i can think of (i have run into this problem quite a few times and so its a no brainer for me):

You check out files from the source and make modifications and sometimes 'add' new files into the version control. You build and it goes through fine on your box. But for others it does not works. If you have an automated build running twice a day ? , you find the problem by say afternoon...and you go and check in the file...else wait for others to figure that out for you.

Meanwhile someone goes ahead and does an update from the version control system. His build would obviously fail and he would be cursing you all along since he w'dn't be able to do anything productive.

These kind of experiences prevent developers from updating their view of the source code and result in conflicts later (i mean merge issues etc).

I know this is pretty basic but happens regularly on projects.

You can come up with few more and am sure you should be able to convince them!

and either way what does it need..

CVS/Subversion
Ant
CruiseControl

they are all apparently free !

Originally posted by Kishore Dandu:
I have one story.
I am trying to sell 'automated unit-testing(using JUnit)' and 'automated build(using ant, clearcase etc)'. But nobody at work is listening to me.
.

What might happen if you set up an automated build on your local machine that just ran in the middle of the night? Every morning you'd know whether all the code in ClearCase compiled. Then you might share the confidence that gives you with others on your team. Or perhaps that local build alerts you to a problem that saves the team time. People might start to take notice and want a centralized automated build that everyone can monitor.

The same goes for automated testing. What might happen if you started writing automated tests for the code you're developing? At the worst, you'd have tests that validate whether the code behaves as you intend. At best, folks might start noticing that you're coding with confidence and want to improve their code (and life!), as well.

Lead by example. People want to see something work more than they want to listen to how well something might work.

Oh, and if that doesn't work, consider buying a copy of Pragmatic Project Automation and placing it on your manager's desk. You might even bookmark a few pages that bolster your argument so she doesn't have to read all 150 pages. Sometimes people need somebody else, outside of the team, to tell them that continuous testing/building is a good thing.

Mike
[ September 21, 2004: Message edited by: Mike Clark ]

Originally posted by Mike Clark:
What might happen if you set up an automated build on your local machine that just ran in the middle of the night?

That's actually how I introduced Cruise Control at my workplace - I just installed it on an machine that wasn't used much, anyway.

At first, people complained about the emails, then they got used to it, and after some weeks they demanded that more projects should be added and the process be moved to a faster machine...

Similar with unit testing - just do it, get good at it and let others notice your successes...
[ September 22, 2004: Message edited by: Ilja Preuss ]