Please stop modernizing lightning 10m - agile dc - 2018-10-15
•
1 like•143 views
The federal government loves modernizing software systems and it isn't wrong: stale, decaying software leads to major headaches and eventual catastrophe. Modernization efforts, however, have big risks and big failures. There is an alternative: software renovation. That is improving, updating, and upgrading the software system one piece at a time while it continues to operate. Dane has participated deeply in three US government modernization projects. Each project followed a pattern of pitfalls, scary "go-live" transitions, and unpleasant trade-offs. Renovating legacy software is frequently a better option. The software system continues to gain functionality at the same time that its design and performance are improved.
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to Please stop modernizing lightning 10m - agile dc - 2018-10-15
Similar to Please stop modernizing lightning 10m - agile dc - 2018-10-15 (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Please stop modernizing lightning 10m - agile dc - 2018-10-15
- 1. excella.com | @excellaco Please Stop Modernizing! By Dane Weber
- 2. excella.com | @excellaco Legacy System Definitions Modernization Modern System
- 3. excella.com | @excellaco The old system you don’t like. Legacy System Definitions Modernization Modern System
- 4. excella.com | @excellaco The old system you don’t like. Legacy System Definitions Modernization The replacement that will make all of your dreams come true. Modern System
- 5. excella.com | @excellaco The old system you don’t like. Legacy System Definitions Modernization The replacement that will make all of your dreams come true. Modern System
- 6. excella.com | @excellaco Why Modernize?
- 7. excella.com | @excellaco Why Modernize?
- 8. excella.com | @excellaco “Traits of a system that increase the difficulty of safely modifying and enhancing the system.” — Dane Weber, 2018 Technical Debt
- 9. excella.com | @excellaco “Traits of a system that increase the difficulty of safely modifying and enhancing the system.” — Dane Weber, 2018 Technical Debt
- 10. excella.com | @excellaco “Traits of a system that increase the difficulty of safely modifying and enhancing the system.” — Dane Weber, 2018 Technical Debt
- 11. excella.com | @excellaco “Traits of a system that increase the difficulty of safely modifying and enhancing the system.” — Dane Weber, 2018 Technical Debt
- 12. excella.com | @excellaco “Traits of a system that increase the difficulty of safely modifying and enhancing the system.” — Dane Weber, 2018 Technical Debt
- 13. excella.com | @excellaco What’s the obvious solution?
- 14. excella.com | @excellaco What’s the obvious solution?
- 15. excella.com | @excellaco “Product” is a problematic metaphor Trucks, pens, laptops, and code?
- 17. excella.com | @excellaco The Promise of Agile Delivery
- 23. excella.com | @excellaco The Problem of Modernization
- 39. excella.com | @excellaco Dirty Secret: The modernization was “rushed”
- 44. excella.com | @excellaco Every Legacy System was once “Modern” Congratulations! You just built another legacy system.
- 45. excella.com | @excellaco Instead: Maintain and Renovate
- 48. excella.com | @excellaco How to renovate a software system
- 49. excella.com | @excellaco Technical Debt is a huge topic. • Lack of process or understanding • Tightly-coupled components • Lack of a test suite • Lack of documentation • Lack of collaboration • Parallel development • Delayed refactoring • Lack of alignment to standards • Lack of knowledge • Lack of ownership • Poor technological leadership “As an evolving program is continually changed, its complexity, reflecting deteriorating structure, increases unless work is done to maintain or reduce it.” — Meir Manny Lehman, 1980 Reduce Technical Debt
- 50. excella.com | @excellaco Technical Debt is a huge topic. • Lack of process or understanding • Tightly-coupled components • Lack of a test suite • Lack of documentation • Lack of collaboration • Parallel development • Delayed refactoring • Lack of alignment to standards • Lack of knowledge • Lack of ownership • Poor technological leadership “As an evolving program is continually changed, its complexity, reflecting deteriorating structure, increases unless work is done to maintain or reduce it.” — Meir Manny Lehman, 1980 Reduce Technical Debt
- 51. excella.com | @excellaco Technical Debt is a huge topic. • Lack of process or understanding • Tightly-coupled components • Lack of a test suite • Lack of documentation • Lack of collaboration • Parallel development • Delayed refactoring • Lack of alignment to standards • Lack of knowledge • Lack of ownership • Poor technological leadership “As an evolving program is continually changed, its complexity, reflecting deteriorating structure, increases unless work is done to maintain or reduce it.” — Meir Manny Lehman, 1980 Reduce Technical Debt
- 52. excella.com | @excellaco Technical Debt is a huge topic. • Lack of process or understanding • Tightly-coupled components • Lack of a test suite • Lack of documentation • Lack of collaboration • Parallel development • Delayed refactoring • Lack of alignment to standards • Lack of knowledge • Lack of ownership • Poor technological leadership “As an evolving program is continually changed, its complexity, reflecting deteriorating structure, increases unless work is done to maintain or reduce it.” — Meir Manny Lehman, 1980 Reduce Technical Debt
- 53. excella.com | @excellaco Technical Debt is a huge topic. • Lack of process or understanding • Tightly-coupled components • Lack of a test suite • Lack of documentation • Lack of collaboration • Parallel development • Delayed refactoring • Lack of alignment to standards • Lack of knowledge • Lack of ownership • Poor technological leadership “As an evolving program is continually changed, its complexity, reflecting deteriorating structure, increases unless work is done to maintain or reduce it.” — Meir Manny Lehman, 1980 Reduce Technical Debt
- 54. excella.com | @excellaco A Few Ideas to Start Stop the bleeding Create time and space Ensure safety
- 55. excella.com | @excellaco • Every piece of work should result in equal or reduced technical debt. • Boy Scout Rule: leave it better than you found it. • Refactor as you go. • Fix defects ASAP. Stop the Bleeding
- 56. excella.com | @excellaco • Software development teams usually feel pressure to deliver new functionality rapidly, both explicit and implicit. • Paying down technical debt, including major re- writes, should be supported, rewarded, and celebrated. • Educate stakeholders about the effort: these systems are long-term investments. Create Time and Space
- 57. excella.com | @excellaco • Psychological safety: re-writes can be risky. • Risks can be reduced in many ways. Learn about them and use what makes sense. • Testing, especially automated testing, is huge. • Blue/green deployments & shadowing (running new code in parallel with the old) can be even more effective. • See DevOps. Ensure Safety
- 58. excella.com | @excellaco One Bite at a Time
- 59. excella.com | @excellaco Never Stop Modernizing! DO IT CONTINUOUSLY
- 60. excella.com | @excellaco Another Metaphor: Your Home Does it really need to be demolished?
- 61. excella.com | @excellaco • Long-term investment • Needs maintenance • Renovate as needed • Make it safe to renovate with girders, braces, shoring, & jacks • It is one thing to build a new house, but to build a new house in the same exact spot? The “Home” Metaphor
- 62. excella.com | @excellaco Next Episode…
- 63. excella.com | @excellaco Never Stop Modernizing! DO IT CONTINUOUSLY