Pass the Scaled Agile Scaled Agile Certification SAFe-DevOps Questions and answers with CertsForce

Two benefits of DevOps are fewer defects and less time spent fixing security issues. DevOps is a mindset, culture, and set of technical practices that supports the integration, automation, and collaboration needed to effectively develop and operate a solution. DevOps helps break down organizational silos and develop a Continuous Delivery Pipeline — a high-performance innovation engine capable of delivering market-leading solutions at the speed of business. DevOps has many benefits for the enterprise, such as:

Fewer defects – DevOps improves the quality and consistency of the solution by enforcing frequent testing and validation throughout the solution lifecycle. DevOps applies various testing techniques and tools, such as unit testing, integration testing, acceptance testing, performance testing, and security testing, to verify that the solution meets the functional and nonfunctional requirements and standards. DevOps also enables early detection and resolution of defects, by implementing fast and frequent feedback loops within and across the value stream. DevOps reduces the cost and risk of defects, by shifting quality left and building quality in, rather than inspecting quality out.

Less time spent fixing security issues – DevOps enhances the security and compliance of the solution by integrating security practices into the value stream. DevOps applies the DevSecOps approach, which emphasizes the importance of proper information security practices in the pursuit of continuous delivery. DevSecOps involves applying automated tools and processes to detect and respond to security threats and vulnerabilities in the development and production environments, and ensuring compliance with security policies and standards. DevSecOps also involves collaborating with security teams and stakeholders, to foster a culture of shared responsibility and awareness for security. DevSecOps reduces the time and effort spent on fixing security issues, by shifting security left and building security in, rather than bolting security on8

According to the SAFe DevOps Practitioner 6.0 study guide1, one of the main challenges of a DevOps transformation is when various groups in the organization have different directions and goals. This can create silos, conflicts, and inefficiencies that hinder the collaboration and integration needed for continuous delivery. For example, some groups may prioritize speed over quality, while others may prioritize security over innovation. Some groups may resist change and adopt outdated practices, while others may embrace new technologies and methodologies. These differences can lead to misalignment, duplication, and waste of resources that slow down the delivery pipeline and reduce the value to customers. Therefore, having a common vision, culture, and set of technical practices that support the SAFe CALMR approach to DevOps is essential for overcoming this challenge.

Two important items to monitor in production to support the Release on Demand aspect in SAFe are the number of concurrent users and the system performance. The number of concurrent users is the number of users who are accessing the system at the same time. It is an indicator of the demand and popularity of the system, as well as the potential load and stress on the system resources. The system performance is the measure of how well the system responds to user requests and meets the nonfunctional requirements, such as availability, reliability, scalability, and security. Monitoring the number of concurrent users and the system performance helps to support the Release on Demand aspect in SAFe by providing valuable information for the following purposes:

To optimize the release strategy and timing, based on the user behavior and preferences

To ensure the system can handle the expected and unexpected user traffic, and to scale up or down the system resources as needed

To detect and resolve any issues or incidents that may affect the user experience and satisfaction

To evaluate the impact and value of the released features, and to identify areas for improvement or innovation 5

The correct answer is B. Flow Efficiency measures the percentage of time spent on value-added activities in the Value Stream. A Value Stream is a sequence of activities that deliver value to the customer, from concept to cash. Value-added activities are those that directly contribute to the customer value proposition, such as coding, testing, and deploying. Non-value-added activities are those that do not directly contribute to the customer value proposition, such as waiting, handoffs, rework, and approvals. Flow Efficiency is calculated by dividing the total time spent on value-added activities by the total flow time, which is the time elapsed from when a work item enters the Value Stream to when it is delivered to the customer. Flow Efficiency is a metric that helps to identify and eliminate waste and delays in the Value Stream, and to optimize the flow of value to the customer. Flow Efficiency can be improved by applying the principles and practices of DevOps, such as reducing batch size, limiting work in progress, implementing pull systems, managing queue lengths, reducing handoffs, implementing Work in Process (WIP) visualization, and implementing Work in Process (WIP) feedback

The main goal of a SAFe DevOps transformation is to align people across the Value Stream to deliver value continuously. A Value Stream is the primary construct for understanding, organizing, and delivering value to the customer. A SAFe DevOps transformation involves applying the CALMR approach (Culture, Automation, Lean flow, Measurement, and Recovery) to the four aspects of the CDP (Continuous Exploration, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, and Release on Demand). By doing so, the organization can achieve the following benefits: faster time-to-market, higher quality, lower costs, better customer satisfaction, and improved employee engagement5

Continuous means to deploy to production as often as possible and release when the business needs it in the context of continuous delivery in SAFe DevOps. Continuous delivery is the ability to deliver value to the end user whenever there is a business need. It requires a Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP) that supports the integration, automation, and collaboration needed to effectively develop and operate a solution. Continuous delivery enables the enterprise to respond to changing customer needs and market conditions with speed and quality. Continuous delivery does not mean releasing every change to the end user immediately. Rather, it means decoupling deployment from release, and allowing the business to decide when to release the new functionality based on customer demand and economic outcomes1

The correct answer is B. Compile. The Build activity of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline is responsible for creating deployable binaries and merging development branches into the trunk. The Build activity includes the following practices:

Compile – Compile is the process of transforming the source code into executable code that can run on a specific platform or environment. Compile involves checking the syntax, semantics, and dependencies of the code, and resolving any errors or conflicts. Compile also involves linking the code with other libraries or components that are required for the functionality of the solution.

Package – Package is the process of bundling the compiled code and other resources into a format that can be easily deployed to the target environment. Package involves creating archives, containers, or installers that contain the necessary files and metadata for the deployment process. Package also involves applying versioning and configuration information to the packages, to ensure traceability and consistency.

Verify – Verify is the process of ensuring that the code and packages meet the quality standards and security checks, and that they are ready for deployment and release. Verify involves applying automated tools and processes, such as static code analysis, code coverage, code review, and code quality metrics, to detect and resolve any issues or vulnerabilities in the code and packages. Verify also involves ensuring compliance with the coding standards and guidelines, and documenting the results and feedback of the verification process12

Agile Release Trains (ARTs) should release on demand, which means releasing new functionality immediately or incrementally based on business and customer needs. Release on demand is the final aspect of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP) in SAFe DevOps, which enables the delivery of value to the end user as fast as possible, based on market demand. The decision of what and when to release is a critical economic driver that requires careful consideration of the customer needs, market rhythms, and economic outcomes. Release on demand is decoupled from the Continuous Deployment activity, which automates the migration of new functionality from a staging environment to production, where it is made available for release

According to the SAFe DevOps Practitioner 6.0 study guide and handbook, Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) is applied to backlogs to identify relative economic value. This means that the WSJF algorithm uses factors such as user and business value, time criticality, risk reduction and/or opportunity enablement, and job size to rank the jobs in the backlog based on their economic benefit. The handbook states that "WSJF is estimated as the relative cost of delay divided by the relative job duration."1 Therefore, WSJF helps teams prioritize their backlog items for continuous delivery.