Project Overview
T-Mobile embarked on a substantial initiative to automate the deployment of numerous internal legacy applications through their Enterprise Delivery Pipeline. To accomplish this, Akava was engaged to provide technical expertise, DevOps engineering, software development, testing, and implementation support. The primary goal was to streamline and accelerate the deployment process while ensuring compliance with SOX regulations and other operational challenges.
The Challenge
T-Mobile embarked on a substantial initiative to automate the deployment of numerous internal legacy applications through their Enterprise Delivery Pipeline. To accomplish this, Akava was engaged to provide technical expertise, DevOps engineering, software development, testing, and implementation support. The primary goal was to streamline and accelerate the deployment process while ensuring compliance with SOX regulations and other operational challenges.
Our Approach
Akava adopted a comprehensive approach to address T-Mobile’s challenges:
Custom Jenkins Pipeline
01We used a phased implementation strategy to address the project’s compliance and usability concerns. Initially, we placed a high priority on creating a terminal selection feature that would allow staff members and agents to select the closest terminal for card swipes and transaction completion. In addition to streamlining the payment procedure, this also made sure that the project’s crucial requirement for strict adherence to data security regulations was met.
Database Schema Updates
02We integrated database schema updates into the deployment process, allowing for seamless updates to Oracle and Postgres databases as part of the deployment process.
Vault Integration
03To manage secrets securely and comply with compliance requirements, we developed an audited, team-administered authorization solution using Vault. This solution integrated with T-Mobile’s existing LDAP systems, enabling teams to manage their secrets while ensuring isolation from other team’s data.
DevOps Culture Shift
04Alongside technical implementation, our team facilitated a cultural shift within T-Mobile’s IT organization. We educated teams about modern DevOps best practices, including Infrastructure as Code, the 12-factor app methodology, testing pyramids, configuration management, and containerization.
Tools & Tech Selection
The project utilized a range of technologies to achieve its goals, including:
Golang
For efficient and
performant custom
software development.
Docker
To containerize
applications and ensure
consistency across various
environments.
Vault
For secure secret
management and
compliance adherence.
Mesos
For container
orchestration and
management.
DroneCI
Declarative, containerized
CI/CD with scalability
and extensibility for
developers.
Jenkins
To create and manage
the custom Jenkins
pipeline and continuous
integration.
Terraform
For Infrastructure as
Code (IaC) to manage
and provision resources.
OpenStack
Private cloud, scalable
infrastructure, and
orchestration for
enterprise workloads.
AWS
Used to create a hybrid
cloud behavior in
preparation for a
multi-cloud strategy.
Congress
For compliance policy
enforcement within
the infrastructure.
Results & Outcomes
The outcomes of the project were profound:
Cost Reduction
By modernizing its infrastructure and adopting open-source tooling, T-Mobile significantly reduced ongoing legacy maintenance costs.
Increased Deployment Velocity
The new automated pipeline led to faster and more reliable application deployments, enabling quicker updates and feature releases.
Developer Adoption of Modern Practices
T-Mobile’s internal developers embraced modern development practices, resulting in an improved IT organization’s efficiency and agility.
Cultural Transformation
The education and cultural shift towards DevOps best practices created a more collaborative and innovative development environment. The collaboration between T-Mobile and Akava led to a successful transformation of T-Mobile’s Enterprise Delivery Pipeline, empowering the organization to deploy applications faster, more securely, and in compliance with industry regulations.
Remarkable DevOps expertise demonstrated by Akava in constructing a resilient enterprise delivery pipeline and successfully transforming our legacy app deployment systems. Their work reflects precision, innovation, and a commitment to excellence.
Omer O.
Director of Software Development