Integrated Feature Management - Using Feature Flags - PHPSerbia

@danaluther
Integrated Feature Management
Using Feature Flags
Dana Luther

@danaluther
What are we going to do today, Brain?

@danaluther
What are feature flags?

@danaluther
Why do we want to use them?

@danaluther
Why do we want to use them?
How do we use and integrate them?

@danaluther
What is a feature flag?

@danaluther
A variable that defines a condition

@danaluther
A variable that defines a condition
A feature toggle (also feature switch, feature flag, feature
flipper, conditional feature, etc.) is a technique in software
development that attempts to provide an alternative to maintaining
multiple source-code branches (known as feature branches), such that
a feature can be tested even before it is completed and ready for
release. Feature toggle is used to hide, enable or disable the feature
during run time.
“
“
— Wikipedia

@danaluther
https://featureflags.io

@danaluther
What is integrated management?

@danaluther
Defining your conditional such that you don’t need to update your
codebase to switch features.

@danaluther
Defining your conditional such that you don’t need to update your
codebase to switch features.
Avoiding feature branches for the win!

@danaluther
Feature branch misery
…the struggle is real…

@danaluther
Feature branch misery …

@danaluther
Feature branch misery …
2 logic * 3 UI =

@danaluther
Can we make it better?

@danaluther
Can we make it better?
Of Course! (Or we wouldn’t be here right now)

@danaluther
Use conditional statements to
consolidate the logic branches

@danaluther
Consolidate logic branches …
master
sleepy-greeting

@danaluther
Consolidate logic branches …

@danaluther
Consolidated but separated

@danaluther
YAY!!
We can get rid of the sleepy branches!

@danaluther
YAY!!
(And there was much rejoicing)

@danaluther
YAY!!
…but what about our UI features?

@danaluther
Establish condition for view rendering

@danaluther

@danaluther
Why do we want to use feature flags?

@danaluther
A/B Testing

@danaluther
A/B Testing
Canary Rollouts

@danaluther
A/B Testing
Canary Rollouts
Maintenance Windows (internal and/or third party)

@danaluther
A/B Testing
Canary Rollouts
Seasonal Content / Calendar Driven

@danaluther
A/B Testing
Canary Rollouts
Seasonal Content / Calendar Driven
See more at: http://featureflags.io/feature-flag-uses/

@danaluther
A/B Testing
Version A - 50%

@danaluther
A/B Testing
Version A - 50% Version B - 50%

@danaluther
Canary Testing
Version A - 90%

@danaluther
Canary Testing
Version A - 90% Version B - 10%

SIDEB
AR:
@danaluther
Why do they call it canary testing?
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/story-real-canary-coal-mine-180961570/

@danaluther
Maintenance Windows
“Offline” Mode

@danaluther
Maintenance Windows
“Normal” Mode “Offline” Mode

@danaluther
Seasonal Content
“Normal” Mode

@danaluther
Seasonal Content
“Normal” Mode “Annual Contest” Mode

@danaluther
How do we use feature flags?

@danaluther
PHP Libraries:

@danaluther
PHP Libraries:
https://featureflags.io/php-feature-flags/

@danaluther
PHP Libraries:
https://packagist.org/ (feature flag search)

@danaluther
PHP Libraries:
https://packagist.org/packages/zumba/swivel

@danaluther
PHP Libraries:
https://packagist.org/packages/zumba/swivel
https://packagist.org/packages/dhluther/yii2-swivel

@danaluther
Key Concept: User Experience Groups
The Cohort

@danaluther
User “Buckets”
Bucket ID 1

@danaluther
User “Buckets”
Bucket ID 1
Bucket ID 2

@danaluther
User “Buckets”
Bucket ID 1
Bucket ID 2
Bucket ID 6

@danaluther
User “Buckets”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Each bucket = 10% of visitors

@danaluther
User “Cohort”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
If they all experience the same thing - they are in the same cohort.

@danaluther
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The cohort is defined by the experience.
}
}
Feature A - Cohort A Feature B - Cohort B

@danaluther
We know our groups, but does
Google?

SIDEB
AR:
@danaluther
https://tagmanager.google.com
https://analytics.google.com
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1009612
https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/6164391
GTM and Analytics Resources

@danaluther
GTM to Google Analytics - dataLayer
dataLayer = [{
"visitorType":"guest",
"bucketId":2,
"ecommerce":{
"promoView":{
"promotions":[{
"id":"FANCY_WIDGET",
"name":“Fancy Widget",
"creative":"featured-index",
"position":"featured"
}]
}
}
}];

@danaluther
Set GTM Variable from dataLayer

@danaluther
Set the Variable to a Dimension value

@danaluther
Google Analytics - Add Dimension

@danaluther
Google Analytics - A/B Segments

@danaluther
Google Analytics - Bucket Segments

SIDEB
AR:
@danaluther
Instana APM Resources
https://instana.com

@danaluther
Google is ready … lets try our features

@danaluther
Scenario: Canary Release

@danaluther
Define Feature Slugs
IndexStyle.Fancy IndexStyle.Fancier
IndexStyle

@danaluther
Assign Features to Buckets / Cohorts
Feature Slug Buckets
IndexStyle 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
IndexStyle.Fancy 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
IndexStyle.Fancier 9,10
Canary Rollout of IndexStyle.Fancier

@danaluther
How Swivel interprets the feature slugs

@danaluther
Decouple from code deployment

@danaluther
Canary release the fancier UI

@danaluther
User Breakdown
Default
UI
Fancy
UI
Fancier
UI
80% Users
0% Users
(Killswitch Fallback)
20% Users

@danaluther
Check Analytics Performance

@danaluther
Fully Release the Feature
IndexStyle 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
IndexStyle.Fancy 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
IndexStyle.Fancier 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

@danaluther
Updated User Breakdown
Default
UI
Fancy
UI
Fancier
UI
0% Users
0% Users
(Killswitch Fallback)
100% Users

@danaluther
Real World Example: New UI

@danaluther
Scenario: A/B Test

@danaluther
Define Feature Slugs
Greeting.Sleepy
Greeting

@danaluther
Greeting 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Greeting.Sleepy 6,7,8,9,10
AB Test Sleepy Greeting

@danaluther
Flashback - Consolidated Greeting

@danaluther
Vanilla Swivel Install - Swivel Feature

@danaluther
Swivel Feature - A or B

@danaluther
User Breakdown
Default
Greeting
Sleepy
Greeting
Greeting.Sleepy
50% Users
50% Users
Cohort A Cohort B

@danaluther
Using Google Analytics: A -vs- B

@danaluther
Greeting 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Greeting.Sleepy
AB Test Sleepy Greeting - A Wins

@danaluther
Deleted all Greeting features
AB Test Sleepy Greeting - A Wins

@danaluther
User Breakdown - Sleepy Disabled
Default
Greeting
Sleepy
Greeting
Greeting.Sleepy
0% Users
100% Users
Cohort A Cohort B

@danaluther
Greeting 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Greeting.Sleepy 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
AB Test Sleepy Greeting - B Wins

@danaluther
Greeting
Greeting.Sleepy 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
AB Test Sleepy Greeting - Oops

@danaluther
User Breakdown - Sleepy Disabled
Default
Greeting
Sleepy
Greeting
Greeting.Sleepy
100% Users
0% Users
Cohort A Cohort B

@danaluther
Real World Example: A/B Location
Covid.A Covid.B

@danaluther
Scenario: Maintenance Window

@danaluther
ThirdPartyAPI 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
ThirdPartyAPI.UnderMaintenance 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

@danaluther
Real World Example: Maintenance
QuotingTool.ProductA.Unavailable

@danaluther
Scenario: Seasonal Content

@danaluther
OurCrazyContest 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
OurCrazyContest.AcceptingEntries 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
OurCrazyContest.VotingOpen
OurCrazyContest.FinalistsAnnounced

@danaluther
Real World Example: Seasonal/Temp.
ISI.Coronavirus.Alert

@danaluther
Automate Feature Toggling

@danaluther
Cron or system.d timers

@danaluther
Services that trigger database updates

@danaluther
Sequential API failures automatically trigger ClientApi.Unavailable slug
creation

@danaluther
Sequential API failures automatically trigger ClientApi.Unavailable slug
creation
?? You tell me!

@danaluther
Questions??
🤔
?
? ?
?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaluther
dluther@envisageinternational.com

Integrated Feature Management - Using Feature Flags - PHPSerbia

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