https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/continuous-integration/ Recent content in Continuous Integration on Engineering Leadership in AI & Software Hugo en Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:40:35 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/do-more-staging-environments-really-reduce-deployment-risk/ Wed, 26 Feb 2025 16:30:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/do-more-staging-environments-really-reduce-deployment-risk/ Adding more staging environments does not actually reduce deployment risk; it only delays issue discovery and creates a false sense of security. Real risk reduction comes from investing in automated testing, continuous integration, and quality practices built into the development process. To minimize downtime and deployment risk, focus on modern engineering practices rather than adding more pre-production gates. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/still-deploying-manually-why-automation-is-the-bare-minimum-for-modern-engineering-and-your-business-survival/ Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/still-deploying-manually-why-automation-is-the-bare-minimum-for-modern-engineering-and-your-business-survival/ Manual deployments put your business at serious risk due to inevitable human error, as shown by real-world failures that have caused massive financial losses. Automation of builds, deployments, tests, and quality checks is now the minimum standard for professional software development, enabling faster, safer, and more reliable releases. To protect your business and deliver value consistently, eliminate manual steps and automate every part of your delivery pipeline as soon as possible. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-hoping-for-quality-why-automated-pipelines-are-the-only-way-to-deliver-with-confidence/ Wed, 28 May 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-hoping-for-quality-why-automated-pipelines-are-the-only-way-to-deliver-with-confidence/ Relying on manual quality checks leads to inconsistency and risk because people inevitably forget or make mistakes, no matter their intentions. Embedding automated quality gates like security scans, static analysis, linting, and automated tests directly into your delivery pipeline ensures that nothing is missed and quality becomes the default. To deliver reliably and protect your team and customers, make all critical checks automatic and non-optional in your pipeline. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/branch-promotion-is-a-relic-of-slow-manual-software-delivery/ Sat, 08 Feb 2025 16:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/branch-promotion-is-a-relic-of-slow-manual-software-delivery/ Branch promotion slows down delivery and adds risk, while modern teams merge changes into the main branch as soon as they are ready and use feature flags to separate deployment from release. Testing in production-like environments and instant rollbacks improve speed and safety. Focus on managing the flow of work, not branches, to streamline delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/who-broke-the-build/ Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:47:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/who-broke-the-build/ Explains the importance of passing builds, common causes of build failures, how to identify issues and responsible users, and best practices for build ownership. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/open-source-with-vsts-or-tfs-and-github-for-better-devops/ Tue, 10 May 2016 16:19:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/open-source-with-vsts-or-tfs-and-github-for-better-devops/ You can use VSTS or TFS for full DevOps and agile capabilities while keeping your open-source code on Github by setting up automated two-way synchronization between the platforms. This approach lets you manage private work and processes in VSTS, then publish selected branches to Github for public access and contributions. Set up automated builds in VSTS to sync code in both directions, using personal tokens for authentication, so you get the best of both tools without extra manual effort. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/standard-environments-for-automated-deployment-and-testing/ Sun, 17 Mar 2013 06:23:45 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/standard-environments-for-automated-deployment-and-testing/ Explains how to set up and use Standard Environments in Visual Studio 2012 TFS for automated software deployment and testing, enabling consistent, repeatable pipelines. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-the-minimum-builds-to-create-on-any-branch/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:51:42 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-the-minimum-builds-to-create-on-any-branch/ Explains the essential three build types, Gate, CI, and Nightly, needed per branch to ensure code quality, test coverage, and collaboration in team projects. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-build-vnext-build-definition/ Wed, 04 Mar 2015 17:37:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-build-vnext-build-definition/ Microsoft’s new Build vNext system for TFS and VSO is more modular and user-friendly, offering a wide range of out-of-the-box build and deployment tasks, improved configuration options, and better auditability of changes. It currently supports only Git repositories and continuous integration triggers, with plans for greater extensibility and additional features in the future. Development managers should consider evaluating Build vNext in test environments to prepare for its eventual adoption and to explore its enhanced flexibility and control. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/configure-a-build-vnext-agent/ Wed, 14 Jan 2015 14:55:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/configure-a-build-vnext-agent/ Microsoft’s new modular build system for TFS and VSO, currently in early preview, replaces the old controller model with a more flexible pool and queue approach, simplifying agent management and permissions. Setting up a vNext Build Agent requires spinning up your own VM, installing Visual Studio 2013 or 2015, and configuring the agent via PowerShell. Development managers should prepare for a shift to this new system and consider early testing to understand its benefits and requirements. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/reserve-an-agent-for-a-special-build-in-team-foundation-server-2012/ Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:37:57 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/reserve-an-agent-for-a-special-build-in-team-foundation-server-2012/ Explains how to reserve a build agent in Team Foundation Server 2012 using custom activities, agent tagging, and workflow changes to ensure reliable, isolated build execution. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/azure-pipelines/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/azure-pipelines/ Azure Pipelines is a cloud-based service designed to automate the processes of building, testing, and deploying applications, thereby enabling teams to deliver value in a predictable and sustainable manner. Originating from the need for efficient software development practices, it integrates seamlessly with various version control systems to facilitate continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). This capability allows teams to implement code changes frequently and reliably, significantly reducing manual errors and accelerating feedback loops while enhancing collaboration among cross-functional teams. The importance of Azure Pipelines lies in its ability to streamline workflows and improve overall efficiency throughout the software development lifecycle, supporting a diverse array of programming languages and platforms to meet varied project needs. By offering a consistent framework for managing builds and releases, it promotes a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Furthermore, its integration with Azure DevOps tools, such as Azure Boards and Azure Repos, fosters a cohesive project management environment that enhances visibility into the development process and aligns teams towards shared objectives. This systemic approach ultimately drives organisational agility and resilience, with long-term benefits including increased deployment frequency, reduced lead times, and a heightened focus on delivering high-quality software that aligns with customer requirements. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/continuous-integration/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/continuous-integration/ Continuous Integration (CI) is a software development practice that focuses on the frequent merging of code changes into a shared repository, facilitating early detection of errors and prompt resolution of integration issues. Originating from the need for more efficient collaboration in software teams, CI automates the build and testing processes, allowing developers to concentrate on delivering value rather than troubleshooting. Its importance lies in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration, enabling teams to iterate quickly and adapt to evolving requirements. By promoting regular communication and feedback, CI helps maintain a consistent development pace, resulting in more predictable and sustainable feature delivery. Additionally, CI significantly reduces technical debt by encouraging developers to address issues as they arise, which not only enhances code quality but also boosts team morale through a smoother workflow. Ultimately, CI serves as a foundational element that empowers teams to innovate and effectively respond to customer needs, contributing to long-term success in product development.