DevOps Release Convoy
Keeping track of frequent releases by independent teams is just too much cognitive load. We need to Work in Small Batches. The DevOps Release Convoy™ (DORC) simplifies things. Why burden ourselves tracking 5 or 10 releases per quarter if we can use 1 easily managed DORC™?
Set sail with the DORC!
Why Convoys?
Other frameworks have tried to coordinate things with more linear transportation metaphors. However, they are constrained to a single direction. With DORCs™ we have more options. We can turn left or right or even make a U-turn!
How the Convoy Works
The DevOps Release Convoy™ is a comprehensive delivery system with these key components:
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Convoy Alignment begins each cycle with a 5-day, in-person planning session where all teams commit to the next 8 quarters of features. Features are prioritized using WSVF scoring and visualized on Nautical Charts.
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Convoy Ceremonies provide the daily and weekly rituals needed to maintain oversight throughout the cycle. From the Press Gang that assembles Feature Teams to the Tribunal that ensures accountability, every ceremony serves a critical governance function.
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Convoy Manifest documents the critical paperwork required for every DORC™. No convoy sails without proper documentation.
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Delivering Change describes the READY release process and the Convoy Steering Committee that ensures all changes are approved at the highest levels before the fleet sets sail.
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Fleet Inspection provides the formal review where completed features are presented to leadership through carefully prepared slide decks. No live demonstrations are permitted.
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Shore Leave is the structured innovation period between convoy cycles where Code Engineers may pursue approved activities from the pre-authorized list.
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The Armada coordinates multiple convoys when the enterprise has scaled beyond what a single DORC™ can manage. An Admiral commands the fleet of fleets.
Key Roles in the Convoy
The Convoy depends on clearly defined Roles to function. The Commodore commands the Convoy. Feature Captains track individual features. Code Engineers implement requirements quickly and quietly. See Roles for the complete chain of command.
See Also
- WSVF for the prioritization formula used during alignment
- Nautical Charts for the dependency visualization boards
- Fleet Inspection for the formal feature review process
- Shore Leave for the structured innovation period
- The Armada for coordinating multiple convoys
- Principles that guide the framework
- Practices that support the Convoy, including Fractal-based Development
- Metrics that measure Convoy effectiveness