Application Lifecycle Management (17% Weighting) Flashcards
- Given the project risk and customer requirement, explain how to assess the benefits and risks of the different development methodologies and recommend the appropriate methodology based on the customer environment. - Given a customer scenario, describe and recommend an appropriate release management strategy.
What are the 9 steps to effective change management?
- Get a strategy
- Engage an executive sponsor
- Collect input from end-users
- Define scope and impact
- Prioritize
- Configure and test
- Communicate and train
- Deploy
- Follow up & Support
How does a sponsor help in change management?
The sponsor (an engaged executive sponsor) will guide the change management group by defining the process and establishing strategic objectives. The sponsor should also contribute to communication plans and help define the message to your users to drive adoption
Where does Release Management fall in the ITIL framework?
ITIL Service Transition process
What is a Release (ITIL Term)
A collection of authorized changes to an IT service i.e. A collection of hardware, software, documentation, processes or other components required to implement one or more approved changes to IT services. The contents of each release are managed, tested and deployed as a single entity.
What is a Release Unit (ITIL Term)
It describes the portion of a service or IT infrastructure that is normally released together according to the organization’s release policy.
What is a Release Package (ITIL Term)
A single release unit or a structured set of release units, including the associated user or support documentation that is required.
What is Change Management (ITIL Term)
Change management processes are used to deliver a finalized and tested change into a pre-production environment along with a set of tools and/or procedures for migrating the change into the live production environment
What is Build Management (ITIL Term)
The software, hardware and documentation that comprise a release unit should be assembled in a controlled manner to ensure a repeatable process. This should include automation where possible for its compilation and distribution, which for large organizations can significantly reduce the Total Cost of Ownership for the services involved
What is Release Management (ITIL Term)
Key technology for distributing the project/product to the consumer
What is Deployment (ITIL Term)
The activity responsible for movement of approved releases of hardware, software, documentation, process, etc. to test and move to production environments
What is DSL (ITIL Term)
The definitive Software Library (DSL) must hold a copy of all the software installed in the IT environment. This includes not just operating systems and applications, but also device drivers and any associated documentation. The DSL should contain the complete release history of each piece of software in order to provide the necessary version in the event that back-out plans should be implemented
What is DHS (ITIL Term)
The definitive Hardware Storage (DHS) contains spare parts for the CIs in the production environment. The assets stored must be included on the CMDB if the corresponding CIs are listed on it
What type of release classifications are there? (Name 3)
Major releases
Minor releases
Emergency releases
Name a couple of different Release Design Options
Big Bang option
Phased approach
Push and Pull
Automation vs Manual
What is a Big Bang Release option?
The new or changed service is deployed to all user areas in one operation
What is a phased approach in release management?
The service is deployed to a part of the user base initially, and then this operation is repeated for subsequent parts of the user base via a scheduled rollout plan
What is the difference between a Push and Pull approach in release management?
Push is where the service component is deployed from the center and pushed out to the target locations. (Both Big Bang and Phased approaches constitutes push
A pull approach is used for software releases where the software is made available in a central location but users are free to pull the software down to their own location at a time of their choosing
Would you choose Agile or Waterfall if:
- The work is simple and predictable
- Anyone can determine how to complete the work
Waterfall
Would you choose Agile or Waterfall if:
- The work is predictable, but requires expertise
- The work can be automated
Waterfall
Would you choose Agile or Waterfall if:
- The work is based on consistent feedback, risk and innovation
Agile
Why did Salesforce adopt agile processes?
A. We needed to slow down our delivery
B. We had to up the ante at Dreamforce
C. We needed a better process to help support our growth
D. All of the big companies had adopted agile practices
C. We needed a better process to help support our growth
What are some of the key benefits of an agile approach?
A. It prescribes one very rigid process for everyone to follow
B. It ensures one big delivery at the end of the process.
C. It places our teams at the center of everything
D. It allows teams to continuously adapt based on current knowledge
D. It allows teams to continuously adapt based on current knowledge
How do we define Scrum at Salesforce?
A. A centralized framework that enables managers to own work for the team
B. An adaptable framework that that empowers teams to own their deliverables and process
C. A structure that creates a large team of people to work together
D. A process that creates uncertainty and instability
B. An adaptable framework that that empowers teams to own their deliverables and process
What do we mean by “definition of done”?
A. Definition of done is a way to tell if your design is ready.
B. Definition of done ensures we have finished everything we expect, so there are no surprises down the line.
C. Definition of done is a standard that cannot be changed or evolved
D. Definition of done helps push partially tested work to deployment
B. Definition of done ensures we have finished everything we expect, so there are no surprises down the line.
What is one reason to choose agile processes?
A. The project’s objectives and outcomes are crystal clear.
B. The team’s project has a lot of unknowns, and we need to adapt to discovery as we go.
C. The team has all the expertise and knowledge already.
D. The team has been given a project plan with all the steps defined.
B. The team’s project has a lot of unknowns, and we need to adapt to discovery as we go.
What are the four values of Agile (From the Agile Manifesto)?
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
What is one of the most valued parts of the agile manifesto?
A. Working software
B. Processes and tools
C. Comprehensive documentation
D. Following a plan
E. Contract negotiation
A. Working software
Which statement is true regarding agile principles and practices?
A. Agile principles are the detailed logistics of how a team works
B. Agile practices defines the frameworks teams use to get things done
C. Agile practices are a wide variety of methods for helping us get work done.
D. Agile frameworks provide guidelines for roles and meetings
C. Agile practices are a wide variety of methods for helping us get work done.
How can we tell if a team is truly agile?
A. the team is improving and evolving heir product and process
B. The team follows the exact process every time
C. The team infrequently delivers something of value to our customers
D. Team activities focus on technology
A. the team is improving and evolving heir product and process
What are the Salesforce version of the seven values (Lean Software Development practices)?
- Respect People
- Eliminate Waste
- Deliver Fast
- Just-in-Time Decisions
- Optimize the Whole
- Create Knowledge
- Build Quality In
How can you build quality in?
A. Avoid making our code too simple
B. Make sure everyone is responsible for quality
C. Assign the testing role to one person
D. Split our teams into “engineers” and “quality engineers”
B. Make sure everyone is responsible for quality
What is an example of eliminating waste?
A. Making sure you make the most of your time and multitask on different things
B. Lots of meetings that help you plan the next meeting
C. Forgetting to use the recycling and compost bins
D. Work that is incomplete when the deadline arrives
E. Creating a team definition of ready that guides what the team needs before they start work
E. Creating a team definition of ready that guides what the team needs before they start work
What is a lean principle that mirrors the Salesforce Ohana culture?
A. Just-in-Time Decisions
B. Build Quality In
C. Respect People
D. Deliver Fast
C. Respect People
What’s one way the lean principles influence our agile process at Salesforce?
A. We believe that multitasking is an efficient way of working
B. The roles of quality engineer and engineer were merged so that everyone focused on quality.
C. We expect to tell people how to do their job
D. We make large decisions as far in advance as possible so that we can plan better
B. The roles of quality engineer and engineer were merged so that everyone focused on quality.
When building out an agile program (as you are transitioning from traditional project management), what are the two important concepts that you must embrace?
1- Product owners prioritize work
2- Development teams select work
What is a roadmap (from an Agile perspective)?
It outlines how a product or solution develops over time. They are composed of initiatives, which are large areas of functionality, and include timelines that communicate when a feature is available. As the program develops, it’s accepted that the roadmap will change
What are requirements (From an Agile perspective)?
Each initiative in the roadmap breaks down into a set of requirements. Agile requirements are lightweight descriptions of required functionality and evolve over time.
What is the backlog (From an Agile perspective)?
The backlog sets the priorities for the agile program
What are some of the Agile Delivery Vehicles?
Various frameworks can be used to implement Agile (like Scrum and Kanban)
What is the main benefit of agile project management versus waterfall?
A) You don’t need to worry about due dates
B) You can respond quickly to market trends and incorporate customer feedback
C) You can research and plan large projects before shipping anything to the customer
D) You don’t need to structure your work
B) You can respond quickly to market trends and incorporate customer feedback
Who prioritizes the work on the backlog for the engineering team?
A) Product owner
B) Scrum master
C) Development team
D) Business executives
A) Product owner
Which of the following describes the deliverables of the requirements mechanism?
A) A list of broad ares of required functionality with timelines for when each feature will be complete
B) A lightweight description of an individual initiative’s required functionality
C) A prioritized list of new features, bugs, and architectural tasks
D) A list of work organized by epic and version
E) Burndown and control charts
B) A lightweight description of an individual initiative’s required functionality
What are Tuckman’s Four Stages of Group Development?
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
If a high degree of guidance is needed from managers, individual roles are unclear and the process is not well established, in which stage of Group Development would you be?
Forming
If you are trying to understand how team decisions are made, the purpose is clear but the team relationships are blurry, in which stage of Group Development would you be?
Storming
If relationships are well understood in the team, there is commitment to clear goals and you are beginning to optimize processes, in which stage of Group Development would you be?
Norming
If your team is performing well, focus is on being strategic and the team is running well with little oversight, in which stage of Group Development would you be?
Performing
Who is involved in the make triad?
A) Design, support and ops, marketing
B) Product management, development, support and ops
C) Product Management, marketing, design
D) Development, design, product management
D) Development, design, product management
Who is involved in the sell triad?
A) Design, support and ops, marketing
B) Product management, development, support and ops
C) Product Management, marketing, design
D) Development, design, product management
C) Product Management, marketing, design
Who is involved in the operate triad?
A) Design, support and ops, marketing
B) Product management, development, support and ops
C) Product Management, marketing, design
D) Development, design, product management
B) Product management, development, support and ops
Which of the following ceremonies occurs at the end of a Scrum sprint?
A) Retrospective
B) Iteration review
C) Stand-up
D) Sprint planning
B) Iteration review
Which of the following ceremonies generally occurs in both Scrum and Kanban agile frameworks?
A) Retrospectives, iteration reviews, and daily stand-ups
B) Sprint planning, iteration reviews, and daily stand-ups
C) Sprint planning, daily stand-ups and retrospectives
D) Sprint planning, iteration reviews and retrospectives
A) Retrospectives, iteration reviews, and daily stand-ups
What are the four ceremonies for Scrum?
- Sprint planning
- Daily stand-up
- Sprint demo
- Sprint retrospective
What is one key characteristic that differentiates Scrum from other agile frameworks?
A) The product is built in one long phase
B) Work items on the backlog are pulled in for development as soon as the previous work item is complete
C) The product is built in a series of short, fixed-length iterations
D) Features are prioritized by product owners and placed into sprints in the exact order they’re prioritized
C) The product is built in a series of short, fixed-length iterations
Which of the following artifacts is commonly used in Scrum?
A) Sprints
B) Kanban cards
C) Work in progress (WIP) Limits
A) Sprints
Which of the following tasks is the responsibility of the Scrum Master?
A) Prioritize work items
B) Manage the product backlog
C) Estimate how much work can be completed in a sprint
D) Protect the development team from external distractions
D) Protect the development team from external distractions
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if your cadence is regular fixed-length sprints (that is, 2 weeks)
Scrum
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if your cadence is a continuous flow?
Kanban
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if your release methodology is at the end of each sprint (if approved by the product owner)
Scrum
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if your if your release methodology is continuous delivery, or at the team’s discretion
Kanban
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if you have the following roles: Product owner, scrum master, and development team
Scrum
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if you no existing roles. Some teams enlist the help of an agile coach.
Kanban
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if your key metrics are velocity?
Scrum
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if your key metrics are cycle time?
Kanban
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if your change philosophy is that teams should strive to not make changes to the sprint forecast during the sprint. Doing so compromises learnings around estimation.
Scrum
Are you using Scrum or Kanban if your change philosophy is that change can happen at any time
Kanban
What workflow stages are represented on a basic Kanban board?
A) Backlog, To Do, In Progress, Completed
B) To Do, In Progress, Ready for Review
C) To Do, Fixed, Closed
D) To Do, In Progress, Done
D) To Do, In Progress, Done
Which of the following is a core feature of the Kanban framework?
A) Short work sprints
B) Changes can happen until the work enters the development cycle
C) Continuous delivery
D) Developers work on multiple work items at the same time
C) Continuous delivery
What are the three development models in the Application lifecycle management (ALM) process?
Change set development
Org Development
Package development
What are the 6 steps in Application Lifecycle Management?
- Plan Release
- Develop
- Test
- Build Release
- Test Release
- Release
How does using the ALM process help development go faster?
A) You know which ALM steps you can skip to save time
B) The process helps you avoid breaking things, so the work proceeds more smoothly
C) You don’t have to invest as much time into testing the release
D) It takes the guesswork out of development by enforcing which tools you can use
B) The process helps you avoid breaking things, so the work proceeds more smoothly
How does using org development help with change-management challenges?
A) Developing programmatically ensures there are fewer changes to manage in the first place
B) The team can do all of their development in a single org to avoid conflicting changes to apps
C) Changes between team members can be merged in a controlled manner
D) They can use a scratch org as their version control system
C) Changes between team members can be merged in a controlled manner
The org development model:
A) Uses packages to move metadata between environments
B) Requires that you develop all customization in your sandbox
C) Externalizes changes in a source control repository to keep environments in sync
D) Uses a source control repository so developers don’t have to track changes manually
C) Externalizes changes in a source control repository to keep environments in sync
What is one benefit of using a source control system with the org development model?
A) It allows developers to work on the same set of files at the same time
B) You no longer need to track changes made in the sandbox
C) It provides a snapshot of your production org at a specific point in time
D) It prohibits a developer from seeing changes and metadata created by others
A) It allows developers to work on the same set of files at the same time
What are the steps in the Salesforce release strategy?
Learn, Educate, Plan, Communicate, Test, Go Live, Iterate
What is the bare minimum stages in the software development lifecycle?
Build
Test
Live
Who owns the Build stage in the software development lifecycle?
Developer, and the environment used in the build stage will not need a large amount of storage
Who owns the Test stage in the software development lifecycle?
The Quality Assurance Team.
