Good-bye broken builds

The smart folks at JetBrains just made our lives a lot easier. TeamCity 4.0 has an extra verification stage that ensures any changes actually work BEFORE allowing those changes to be commited to the repository.

Most continuous integration servers today (CC.NET) rely on teams to commit their changes to version control first, and then kicking off an automated build. And as long as the team members do an update and build locally before checking in, things are usually fine.

Being the humans we are however, builds still periodically break.

TeamCity 4.0 apparently fixes that.

Now, instead of monitoring the repository for updates and then doing a build, TeamCity does then builds first, and then commits the changes to version control only if the build succeeds.

This way, the build is always up and running, and if there is a problem, it never makes it into the repository.

JetBrains refers to this as a delayed commit and I think it is a fine refinement on the continuous integration process.

For more information on this and other features (like distributed builds), check out the TeamCity 4.0 web site.

Agile Project Management Training – Sept 11, 12 Calgary

Plan the work. Work the plan.

That has been the maxim taught in project management circles for the better part of 50 years. If only it were that easy.

Reality has taught us that when we blindly following plans we:
* miss deadlines
* exceed budgets
* and disappoint our customers

There is a better way, and it works!

Agile, Scrum, Extreme Programming, and Lean Software Development.

In this course I will show you how to:
* setup
* execute
* and successfully wrap up your own agile project

We will cover:
* agile project initiation
* requirements gathering
* estimation
* planning
* iteration mechanics
* tracking
* team building
* roles and responsibilities
* dealing with resistance
* and effective project leadership

If you are looking to:
* build trust with your customers
* improve relationships with team members, and
* gain a competitive advantage in the market place

Register Now

Where

Petro-Canada Centre
150 6 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta

When

September 11-12, 2008

As a former agile project lead, coach and mentor at ThoughtWorks, Jonathan was spent the greater part of the last ten years collecting, and distilling the best agile project management practices from around the world.

His experiences include leading agile projects at Microsoft, British Petroleum in the UK, AMP Capital in Sydney Australia and many other companies throughout Canada, the US, England, and Australia.