DevOps for Mobile Applications
DevOps ensures that all different teams become more productive in terms of execution.
Why Mobile DevOps?
Mobile DevOps can be defined as a capability for continuous mobile app delivery that enables reduced time-to-market and seizes new market opportunities simultaneously. The key principle in DevOps is continuous delivery, which means deploying the software (in this case a mobile app) and the environment on which it runs, automatically and on-demand, during any stage of the mobile app development cycle. It combines great automated tooling with a “continuous everything” culture.
CI/CD
Using builds developers can set up automated builds, by using scripts to run builds as needed on separate build servers. Manage build scripts and assign versions just like code, ensuring that each build can be reproduced at any time and by any team member.
Testing and monitoring
Most mobile developers test extensively on a simulator but not on physical devices. Even testing on a simulator is mostly manual. Given the speed of development and the inherently agile nature of mobile development, automated functional regression testing is the only real way to ensure quality.
App delivery
Continuous delivery refers to the practice that makes sure the code is deployed to the production environment by submitting each change to the production-like environment. After continuous delivery is done successfully each change is then deployed to production.
Challenges in Mobile App Development Projects
PWSLab to the rescue
Destroy Silos
Using PWSLab you can get rid of silos and streamline the process between the build and the production (including testing and deployment) phases. By bringing together developers and operations, the team is able to continuously deliver their product based on continuous feedback.
Continuous integration
PWSLab ensures that the code delivered by one team works with the code delivered by the other team. Frequent builds can be done and new code can be integrated with the code previously developed. You can automatically deliver apps to PlayStore and AppStore faster and with continuous updates.
Automates App Testing
Mobile app testing is one of the most important stages in the development process. With PWSLab the entire testing process can be automated, thus saving your precious time. In fact, developers can adopt the testing-as-a-service strategy that allows them to test the entire app or selected features as and when required.
Benefits of PWSLab in Mobile App Development
PWSLab helps companies to reduce time-to-market new features and seize new market opportunities simultaneously. It unites the development and operations team to deliver faster with consistency.
Increase Transparency
DevOps ensures a transparent process, increases better communication among various teams, and helps in building better products.
Faster Release Time
DevOps increases the collaboration among the different departments and teams and simplifies the process of information sharing which results in faster code release.
Better applications
PWSLab DevOps enables instant reporting and feedback, regression testing, transparent development process which results in faster troubleshooting of the errors and faster fixes.
Reduced Bottlenecks
DevOps removes several bottlenecks including – Inconsistent development process, Lack of ownership, Manual testing process, Instability in a workflow and Poor communication.
Adopt Mobile DevOps using PWSLab
Using our methodology and philosophy of implementing DevOps an organization can migrate to Mobile DevOps in six simple steps.
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1.
Code
PWSLab continuous integration produces lots of data about the mobile application, regressions, and compatibility of each developer’s contribution, and discovering issues at an early stage, and makes better time consumption and schedule estimating easier and more accurate.
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2.
Build
Organizations use PWSLab version control, source code management (SCM), practices for merging code and notifying everyone about the build status. Branching needs to go inline with the entire development team and the same procedures must be used by all contributors.
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3.
Test
Continuous testing basically means testing each regression, build, and continuously practice this throughout the development lifecycle. Early testing, validation, and frequent testing ensure the quality of the application and issues associated with it can be tackled using PWSLab.
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4.
Package
The packaging step includes tools for package repositories and other storage mechanisms for the binaries created in the build step. This step clearly supports the goal of continuous deployment to package and release new versions of applications (with new features) to end-users.
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5.
Release
PWSLab helps in packaging and deploying an application from development to production. It allows organizations to plan and execute releases, provide a single collaboration portal for all stakeholders in a release and provide traceability for its components.
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6.
Monitor
PWSLab continuous monitoring provides data and metrics to organizations to evaluate all different functions of the process: development, operations, testing/QA, personnel and other individuals involved in the process and it should be measured in the process itself.