This is one of the articles from the Software Release Engineering series that I have been working on. Suggestions on topics to cover are very welcomed.
“Software Release” and “Train”, two seemingly unrelated areas, can sometimes generate sparks and be tied together.
Let’s start by analyzing “Train” — one of the most popular modern public transportation services that a huge number of population rely on, especially in large cities around the world.
Characteristics of a Train service
- Always move forward
Never moving backward, otherwise it would crash with the next train on the track that heads to the same direction.
2. Regular cadence
A train service can be delivered every few minutes, or tens of minutes, or even hours or days.
3. Fixed time schedule
The exact arrival time for the next train is usually displayed clearly on the boarding platform at a station (subject to delay).
The “moving forward” nature (#1 above) ensure safety when running multiple services on the same track. The “regular cadence” and “fixed time schedule” characteristics (#2 and #3 above) are to set expectation, so that passengers can rely on them to plan their trips beforehand.
