DevOps in an Embedded and Regulated Environment
Working in embedded environments greatly restricts the tools available for a DevOps pipeline. A regulated environment changes the processes a development team can use to deliver software. This combination results in a highly restricted environment that forces the team back to first principles, searching for a process that actually works, and tools to help foster iteration and rapid feedback. Arjun Comar describes the options, identifies a set of useful tools, and discusses the challenges facing any team working on DevOps in necessarily unfavorable environments. Together, examine Arjun’s experiences with a medical device company, where he built a DevOps pipeline and process for the software and firmware controlling a heart pump, used in critical situations in operating rooms around the world. Discuss the tools that worked, like Jenkins Pipeline and expect, the principles that lead our team to success, as well as a direction for forward progress to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Arjun Comar became interested in software at the tender age of nine when his parents got sick of him at home and threw him into a summer class at the local community college. It took many years to satisfy his hunger for learning, and it's become a lifelong passion. For the past few years Arjun has been in the weeds implementing DevOps solutions for a variety of projects and organizations—from advertising with its websites and services to healthcare with medical devices. What matters to Arjun is bridging the gap between what we want to build and what we actually place in the hands of our users. Let's get that right.