Automated Release Readiness Scoring for Software Deployment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for assessing software application release readiness are inefficient, prone to manual errors, and lack automation, making it difficult to ensure compliance and stability before deployment, especially in complex environments and regulatory-compliant industries.

Innovation Solution

A system that automates the collection and analysis of technical attributes from application lifecycle management tools to generate a release readiness score, preventing deployment if the score is below a threshold and providing a user interface for easy audit and compliance integration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual release readiness checks are performed, then flexibility in assessment is maintained, but error-proneness and inefficiency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of release readiness assessmentVSAvoidlevel of manual intervention

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service automated assessment by collecting data from multiple ALM tools and automatically generating release readiness scores without requiring manual intervention. The system autonomously evaluates code quality, test coverage, security vulnerabilities, and compliance requirements, eliminating human error while maintaining comprehensive assessment capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical assessment processes are replaced with an automated computational system that interfaces with ALM tools through standardized APIs. The system substitutes human reviewers with algorithm-based evaluation that consistently applies assessment criteria across all software releases, improving reliability and eliminating variability in manual assessments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Loss of information

If comprehensive technical attributes are collected from multiple ALM tools, then assessment completeness improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of release readiness informationVSAvoidcomplexity of data collection system

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a universal multi-functional platform that can collect and process diverse technical attributes from multiple different ALM tools through standardized interfaces. The single system performs code quality analysis, test coverage evaluation, security scanning, and compliance checking across various tool ecosystems, reducing the need for separate specialized systems for each assessment type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary layer that standardizes data collection from multiple ALM tools with different data formats and interfaces. This intermediary component translates various tool-specific formats into a unified assessment model, simplifying the integration complexity while maintaining comprehensive data collection capabilities across source code management, issue tracking, and testing tools.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If automated deployment blocking is implemented based on release readiness score, then production stability improves, but deployment speed may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of production deploymentVSAvoidspeed of software deployment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary automated assessment of release readiness before deployment is initiated. By evaluating code quality, test coverage, security vulnerabilities, and compliance requirements in advance, the system identifies potential issues before they reach production, preventing unstable deployments while enabling rapid approval of ready releases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback loops that provide real-time release readiness scores and detailed assessment results to development teams. This feedback mechanism enables rapid iteration and correction of issues, allowing teams to quickly address problems and re-assess, thereby maintaining deployment speed while ensuring production stability through data-driven decision making.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11726782B2Assessing and auditing release readiness for a software application

Publication Date: 2023.08.15 FMR CORP

AI summary

Methods and apparatuses are described for assessing and auditing release readiness for a software application. A server receives identification of a software application to be deployed to a production computing environment. The server determines technical attributes of the identified software application from application lifecycle management tools. The server selects one or more release readiness assessment criteria corresponding to the identified software application. The server applies the technical attributes of the identified software application to the release readiness assessment criteria to generate a release readiness score for the software application. The server deploys the identified software application to the production computing environment when the release readiness score is at or above a predetermined threshold. The server prevents deployment of the identified software application to the production computing environment when the release readiness score is below the predetermined threshold.