KLM Deployit Case Study
Airline Speeds up java application deployment with Deployit
For KLM, Internet technology plays a crucial role in internal processes as well as communication with its customers. Passengers buy tickets and choose their seats online, and pilots use web applications to access weather forecasts and to file their flight plans. KLM’s WebF@rm Projects and WebF@rm Operations teams continually develop web applications to support these processes.
The challenge
At KLM, the WebSystems department typically works on 35 different projects simultaneously, with a total of around 200 Java EE application deployments per week. KLM faced problems and errors in over 70% of its software deployments.
The deployment system used had limited functionality, and was inflexible and sensitive to errors. The WebSystems department’s challenge was to increase the level of service while reducing costs.
The solution
KLM chose Deployit, the intelligent Deployment Automation application for development and operations teams. Deployit enables automation and streamlining of Java deployments in middleware environments such as IBM WebSphere, BEA Weblogic and JBoss. With Deployit, KLM was able to automate the deployment process end to end.
The Benefits
Deployit has enabled KLM to speed up its deployments and eliminate configuration errors while keeping a total overview and control of its middleware environment. The quality and predictability of the deployment process has increased. KLM has also shortened the turnaround time of its projects, achieving a saving of up to 150 hours per project. The payback period for the Deployit investment was less than a year.
Ronald Bosch is responsible for the project team in the WebSystems department. “We typically work on about 35 different projects simultaneously, with a total of around 200 Java EE application deployments per week. Test deployments, integration tests, user tests and acceptance tests play an instrumental role in managing this deployment process.”
In many cases, the weak spot in the development process concerns the transition of developed code from one phase to another. “This is something that has affected us too,” says Bosch.
Bosch continues: “When I joined KLM, we were facing problems and errors in over 70% of all software deployments. The development and deployment teams used an in-house automated software development environment that had limited functionality. This still required a lot of manpower, which was not only inefficient but also subject to errors. We clearly needed a more powerful system to help us reduce repetitive work, boost productivity and improve quality.”
Automating Java deployment in a datacenter environment
KLM chose Deployit, a deployment lifecycle management application developed by XebiaLabs and represented in the UK and Eire by Cachet Software. Deployit enables automation and streamlining of Java deployments in middleware environments such as IBM WebSphere, BEA Weblogic and JBoss. The solution allows developers and system administrators to prepare their code for deployment with only a few mouse clicks.
Bosch on Deployit: “Normally, deploying an application in the target environment is a highly administrative activity. Although scripts can be used to help simplify the work, the process remains sensitive to errors, needs constant updating and requires very specific expertise. With Deployit we were able to automate the deployment process end to end. It has made us less reliant on specialists because deployments can be performed easily by developers and system administrators.”
Benefits
The ability for developers to support around 200 Java deployments a week in a “self service” model has clear benefits for KLM, according to Bosch. “We must be able to deploy the EAR files for a project as well as configure other middleware systems such as web servers, security proxies and XML firewalls. For us, the ability to do this across different products in an integrated manner is a huge advantage.”
Another benefit is a shorter turnaround time. By eliminating the waiting time caused by errors during deployment, KLM has been able to shorten the turnaround time for major projects by several weeks. An analysis by KLM showed direct savings of 25 hours for smaller projects and up to 150 hours for larger projects. The payback period for the investment in Deployit was less than a year.
Bosch concludes: “Deployments can be repeated more readily in other environments and people can be exchanged more easily, which boosts efficiency. Deployers do not have to spend as much time on administrative tasks and can focus more on the interesting aspects of their job. On top of that, we are now able to make better use of our expensive acceptance test systems. With Deployit, we focus more on developing advanced online functions for our internal and external customers"