A Case Study in Metrics-Driven DevOps

It seems impossible for a DevOps team to even attempt planning its work. The team deals with customers’ never-ending requests and constantly-changing priorities. And don’t forget those unfriendly infrastructure errors that always seem to show up at the worst possible time. Best to live day-by-day and try to keep our heads above water, right? Maybe not. Through a case study of a department that helps make great Electronic Arts games, Ben Vining illustrates how a metrics-driven DevOps team can become reliable, responsive, and predictable—with happy staff and delighted customers. Ben details a process of short sprints tied into longer milestones and regular communication with partner teams, which allows his team to successfully plan their work across a number of different projects. Along the way, Ben demonstrates how tracking metrics related to his team’s work and the reliability of their systems help drive this process. Ben hopes to inspire you to try these ideas, improve the health of your team, and increase the value you add to your customers.