a CTO’s Story why and how Ruby was introduced and what it meant for IndependentIP Robert Bor – IndependentIP http://www.independentip.com

“ It’s going to change the music business as we know it.” Morten Lund, LundKenner About us – IndependentIP

“ It’s going to change

the music business

as we know it.”

Morten Lund, LundKenner

Fuga architecture Channels Labels Webclient Core Vault Delivery Reporting Content Ingestion

Why did it disintegrate? Ajax enabled website with Java technology – not tested anywhere! Build by just one man – did not scale for team development Started as short-lived mock and lived up to its promise of short-lived ness The Problem... ... disintegration of webclient! young as it was – implementing new functionality was a fraught process Webclient

Why did it disintegrate?

Ajax enabled website with Java technology – not tested anywhere!

Build by just one man – did not scale for team development

Started as short-lived mock and lived up to its promise of short-lived ness

Why Ruby? Ruby potential in-house testability of the source code efficiency of the language power of Rails promise of productivity Enter Ruby

Why Ruby?

Ruby potential in-house

testability of the source code

efficiency of the language

power of Rails

promise of productivity

How Ruby was introduced Webclient Ruby Java Java Java Webclient Webclient Ruby Ruby gradually... February 2007 - March 2007 - April 2007 - May 2007 - Webclient

Would I do a gradual introduction again? No. Reasons we had problems with keeping two sessions in sync resources were lost on building struts to support two simultaneous apps introduction takes longer than it otherwise would have Advantage you can introduce new functionality while migrating Advice reserve a time window and migrate within that window. Freeze introduction of functionality. Introduction of Ruby

Would I do a gradual introduction again?

No.

Reasons

we had problems with keeping two sessions in sync

resources were lost on building struts to support two simultaneous apps

introduction takes longer than it otherwise would have

Advantage

you can introduce new functionality while migrating

Advice

reserve a time window and migrate within that window. Freeze introduction of functionality.

Another problem... ... import and export in many different formats Many custom processes had to be built with a focus on data manipulation Why Ruby here? If there is one thing Ruby is good at, it is data manipulation Extremely cheap to build custom tooling to do the job There was immediate payoff for using Ruby here. Delivery Content Ingestion

Why Ruby here?

If there is one thing Ruby is good at, it is data manipulation

Extremely cheap to build custom tooling to do the job

There was immediate payoff for using Ruby here.

How about... the Database? runs now on trusted and well-tested Spring-Hibernate stack there is no intention to migrate to Ruby here however, ActiveRecord and Migrations made the Ruby proposition very tempting the Vault? the specialization in storing and fetching binary files stresses the need for performance – this effectively eliminates Ruby as a choice

the Database?

runs now on trusted and well-tested Spring-Hibernate stack

there is no intention to migrate to Ruby here

however, ActiveRecord and Migrations made the Ruby proposition very tempting

the Vault?

the specialization in storing and fetching binary files stresses the need for performance – this effectively eliminates Ruby as a choice

Fuga architecture – Ruby impact Delivery Reporting Content Ingestion Channels Labels Ruby Ruby Ruby Webclient Core Vault

Did Ruby live up to the promise? Productivity is indeed significantly higher Quality of website has much improved New functionality can be introduced with less risks Unforeseen benefits developers truly enjoy working with Ruby there are many excellent Ruby developers looking for a job – you can cherry pick the best But not all is roses... Performance of the application has fallen after the migration Ruby is a dangerously powerful language – total power corrupts totally! Evaluating the choice

Did Ruby live up to the promise?

Productivity is indeed significantly higher

Quality of website has much improved

New functionality can be introduced with less risks

Unforeseen benefits

developers truly enjoy working with Ruby

there are many excellent Ruby developers looking for a job – you can cherry pick the best

But not all is roses...

Performance of the application has fallen after the migration

Ruby is a dangerously powerful language – total power corrupts totally!

Questions