F5’s Salesforce Deployments Go from Monthly to Minutes

‍The Challenge

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Transforming DevOps Challenges into Opportunities

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Initially, managing customizations was simple with just Sales Cloud. However, as F5 added more technologies and teams, the complexity of deployments increased, making it harder for teams to work together. 

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F5 first used Change Sets for deployments, but these quickly became inadequate as the team grew. They tried building their own solutions using tools like Azure pipelines, Bitbucket, Python, and Groovy to automate deployments. However, this created new problems. Developers needed to learn new technologies like Git, which was tough because they weren't familiar with it.

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“First we started as a small team,” says Sreenath Gopal, Senior Solutions Architect, F5. “Everything worked fine and we were seeing changes that were very minimal. When we added more central support, and the external resources expanded, that's when the team felt that Change Sets were not going to solve it.”

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Ending Synchronization Chaos With A Unified Approach 

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The situation became more complicated as different teams applied different processes to their development: some teams adopted new tools while others stuck with Change Sets. This hybrid approach led to synchronization problems and confusion. They needed a unified tool to simplify their processes and reduce these issues.

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“We wanted a unified solution that met all our deployment needs,” says Sreenath. “An interface that’s easy for the development team to learn and adopt. And we also wanted to have a tool that integrates with our Git version control and application lifecycle management tool.”

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The Solution

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Elevating Security and Efficiency: DevSecOps Transformation with Copado

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After shopping around, F5 turned to Copado, a powerful DevOps solution built on Salesforce. Native to Salesforce, they chose Copado over their competitors mainly because of its easy-to-use interface, allowing F5's developers to adapt quickly. 

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F5 utilized Copado's extensive training resources for a smooth adoption. They appointed subject matter experts within teams to assist in the transition. The Copado Academy and community resources were crucial in helping the team adapt.

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“We looked at different tools on the market which are similar to Copado, " says Sreenath. “But finally we chose Copado because it is built natively on the Salesforce platform. It has a very simple user interface and it has a very good academy where developers can actually learn and adopt.”

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Copado automated F5's deployment workflow, reducing manual steps and minimizing errors. Developers could now focus on building features instead of backend complexities. This seamless integration meant they could commit changes and use automation features without learning new technologies.

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Copado also integrated well with testing tools, ensuring every deployment was thoroughly tested. This improved the quality and reliability of releases, significantly increasing the deployment success rate.

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“Since Copado is built natively on the salesforce and has a Change Set-like feel, it was very easy for the developers to use, " says F5’s Principle SRE, Harsha Desai. “They don't have to worry about the Git command as Copado takes care of that in the background. It’s very easy to understand and made their lives much easier and happier.”

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The Outcome

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F5's DevOps: Redefining Speed and Efficiency 

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Copado's integration transformed F5's DevOps efficiency, making deployment faster and smoother. Deployment times dropped from hours to minutes, enabling quick updates without compromising quality. Sreenath says, "With Copado, developers don't have to worry about backend complexities and can focus on building new features."

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F5 increased their deployment frequency from monthly to several times a week, allowing timely responses to market demands. Smart branching and automation reduced merge conflicts, making development smoother. Harsha noted, "Life is much easier, and we are very happy. Failure rates are reduced to almost zero.”

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Copado cut down manual pre- and post-deployment tasks, speeding up the process and reducing errors. This efficiency boost improved team morale and productivity, allowing developers to focus on innovative projects. Enhanced visibility into the DevOps pipeline helped teams monitor and manage deployments more effectively.

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In summary, Copado transformed F5’s DevOps, reducing errors and ensuring faster, reliable releases.

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The Future

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The Next Chapter In DevSecOps

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Looking ahead, F5 is set to deepen its integration with Copado, focusing on several key areas to further enhance their DevOps efficiency and effectiveness.

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They plan to incorporate Copado's Robotic Testing capabilities to automate their testing processes. Harsha says, “We really want to see how it can help us achieve success.” This integration is expected to streamline their testing pipeline, ensuring high-quality releases with minimal manual effort.

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F5 is also looking to implement Copado’s Value Stream Management to gain comprehensive insights into their development lifecycle. This tool will help them identify bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and enhance their overall efficiency. 

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With an eye on expanding their cloud operations, F5 is exploring Copado’s multi-cloud management features. This will enable them to maintain consistency and control across various cloud environments, facilitating smoother and more reliable deployments.

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