Value Stream Delivery Platform for ALM, DevOps, DevSecOps and Cloud-based SaaS, enabling Industry 4.0

562
Listen to this article

By Akshay Sharma – CTO, Kovair Software, Inc.

Value Stream Management Platform From Kovair
Download eCopy

Introduction to VSDP for DevSecOps and Cloud-based SaaS


Kovair, with its ecosystem partners, is building and enabling an end-to-end DevSecOps VSDP: Value Stream Delivery Platform applicable to all stakeholders across the enterprise — from CIOs/CTO, to CISOs, portfolio managers, program managers, release managers and software engineering team members. It provides a holistic approach to application development and delivery by applying the principles of DevSecOps leveraging any development methodology, preferably Agile, and helping automate the workflows for Cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service).
What is the problem?
According to Gartner, Cloud-based SaaS platforms are needed with diverse functions, which unfortunately are often silo’ed across multiple tools, platforms and solutions. This new Cloud-based SaaS platform should have an architecture supporting DevOps, DevSecOps, legacy ALM (applications lifecycle management) with LCAP: Low Code Application Platform functions to allow for easy drag-and-drop customization by the Enterprise, for simple changes. Other capabilities include API Management Platforms, iPaaS: integration Platform as a Service, for 3rd-party solutions integration, as well as RPA: Robotic Process Automation for automating workflows, which until now were not seamlessly integrated. Value Stream Management and Delivery Platforms for DevSecOps is emerging as a need with policy-based management dashboards, governance, and lifecycle management, which when coupled with the above becomes a compelling solution.
The VSDP Toolchain capabilities, according to Gartner:
The VSDP Toolchain capabilities, according to Gartner
The Unified VSDP Platform and DevSecOps Toolchain, according to Gartner:
The VSDP Toolchain capabilities, according to Gartner
The VSDP Toolchain capabilities, according to Gartner
Source: Gartner: Integrating Security Into the DevSecOps Toolchain, 15 November 2019 – ID G00377293
The Desired Application Environment, according to Gartner:
Desired Application Environment, according to Gartner
Along with increased cloud adoption, demand for cloud-native solutions has also increased, with needs for Low Code, Drag-and-Drop Service Enablement, within DevSecOps solutions.
Additionally, best practices and platforms are needed around how to Operate within a Cloud-based SaaS model and prevent costly vendor-oriented customization while ensuring the solution is evolving to meet the changing needs, with newer Industrial Application integrations as needed.

    This entails newer API Management platforms, ideally with an iPaaS offering:

  • A Low Code / No Code developer portal for API discovery, customization, access provision, testing and collaboration.
  • Ease of use and the ability to support self-service — for the developers who will develop apps that consume the APIs, with complete Lifecycle Management.
  • Integrated API Management and an iPaaS (integration Platform as a Service) that is Cloud-based and supporting the SaaS model itself.
SaaS solutions should accelerate hybrid On-Prem, Hyperscaler Cloud Delivery, and newer 5G Edge Computing all as cloud-native containerized solutions, while seamlessly delivering newer Convergent solutions, optimized for high performance, scalability, and with optional deployment models, across the hybrid, Multi-cloud environments.
To achieve this according to Gartner, a newer trend is support for VSMP/VSDP (value stream management and delivery platforms) for DevOps and DevSecOps services. VSMP Toolchains address the need for Unified visibility, orchestration, integration, governance and management of the ALM and DevOps value stream, with additional functions such as Security Vulnerability Assessments, and Operational Management dashboards.
VSMP for DevSecOps solutions improve flow and traceability, with process compliance, and end-to-end product lifecycle management, which is especially needed for newer 5G Edge Computing services, hybrid multi-cloud as well as legacy applications.
A VSDP, includes VSMP functions and is a fully integrated set of tools and capabilities that streamline software development and support continuous software integration and delivery.

    VSDP capabilities include:

  • VSMP functions
  • Build and test automation
  • Project or product planning
  • Continuous integration
  • Release orchestration
  • Continuous deployment and rollback
  • Automated security policy enforcement
VSDPs provide visibility for the entire development cycle with key-value stream management metrics. The ideal solution has unified VSMP and VSDP with a unified platform that reduces complexity and increases visibility across the application development value stream.
SaaS-based solutions vendors are undergoing multiple changes beyond the tactical modernization of specific modules, to holistic offering of Convergent iPaaS, Low Code/No Code Drag-and-Drop Service Enablement, VSMP/VSDP DevSecOps Service Delivery, Workflow Process Automation, Compliance, and Lifecycle Management.
VSDP includes VSMP for DevOps, according to Gartner:
VSDP includes VSMP for DevOps, according to Gartner
A new trend is Pipeline-as-a-Code, which is a practice of defining deployment pipelines through source code, which ideally includes infrastructure as code, such as iPaaS integration. These pipelines as source code are designed to meet the unique needs of implementing continuous delivery, helping enterprises to manage applications, deployed in heterogeneous environments like on-premise or cloud, as well within legacy applications lifecycle management (ALM) to DevSecOps solutions delivery, with continuous Security practices integrated within the process.

    This is where Kovair helps solve the above, by:

  • Providing end-to-end visibility and insight into their product delivery.
  • Assessing the performance, quality and value of their products, including development costs and ROI.
  • Evaluating the maturity of their existing product delivery capabilities and identify constraints to flow and gaps in insights for stakeholders.
  • Providing customized dashboards and views of product delivery for other stakeholders and leadership.
  • Gaining a consolidated view of governance, security and compliance across all product lines.
  • Leveraging advanced capabilities, such as change risk analytics, to make more informed decisions about releasing new features.

Kovair-The True Value Stream Management and Delivery Platform for DevSecOps, Cloud-based SaaS

Kovair with its suite of products offers a complete Value Stream Management and Delivery Platform – VSMP/VSDP for DevOps, DevSecOps, and Cloud-based SaaS delivery.
Kovair Unified VSDP/VSMP for ALM, DevOps, and DevSecOps:
Unified VSDP/VSMP for ALM, DevOps, and DevSecOps
Kovair’s VSMP/VSDP Toolchain addresses the need for unified visibility, orchestration, integration, governance and management of the ALM and DevOps value stream, and now added Security Vulnerability Assessments are included with operational management dashboards for ISO Security and Risk Management. Kovair’s VSMP/VSDP for DevSecOps solution improves flow and traceability, with process compliance, and end-to-end product lifecycle management, needed for Hybrid Multi-cloud SaaS-based delivery.

Kovair DevSecOps

Kovair DevSecOps bridges the gap between Operations and Internal engineering teams with dashboards for process compliance, while automating the entire process from code testing, security vulnerability assessment, to deployment through a concurrent task-based CI/CD pipeline, and operational monitoring in the field. It provides a real-time insight to improve delivery velocity, helps identify and eliminate bottlenecks, and delivers with lower deployment costs. It enables DevSecOps over a Concurrent Multimodal Development Environment. Kovair allows the choice of their best of breed tools, with legacy ALM and newer Agile and DevSecOps supported.

Kovair Omnibus

Kovair’s Gartner Cool Vendor award-winning proprietary ESB, Kovair Omnibus has been newly launched as Kovair Enterprise iPaaS with cloud-based support, which enables Hybrid Multi-cloud solutions, with Industry4.0 iPaaS: integration Platform as a Service. This is a platform-centric approach connecting both ALM and DevSecOps toolchains across heterogenous environments that support end-to-end capabilities for continuous delivery. Kovair Omnibus offers integrations with more than 115+ multifunction, multivendor tools and applications. This also supports open source tools covering all phases of ALM, PPM, PLM, ERP, CRM and ITSM functions as well integrating with custom in-house tools of organizations. Some of the key benefits of Kovair Omnibus include the following:
  • Provides synchronization of data between tools over heterogenous and hybrid cloud environment, including 5G Edge Cloud Enablement
  • Facilitates connections to existing tools and applications and make them part of the integrated tools ecosystem by protecting the investment of the organization, and can be offered as a Service, the hybrid multi-cloud
  • Provides Low Code/No Code Drag-and-Drop configurable task-based CI/CD Pipeline
  • Monitor & manage multiple pipelines across multiple projects with complete visibility to Value Stream
  • Supports Secure edge computing with deployments over public/private/hybrid cloud, Kubernetes clusters or any on premise and VM environment
  • Allows for hybrid multi-cloud solutions, with secure, DRaaS (disaster recovery as a service).
Kovair Omnibus as an iPaaS, enabling Industry4.0 and ALM/DevOps/DevSecOps:
Tools Integration
Source: Kovair

Kovair ALM

Kovair ALM has a centralized Web based platform allowing stakeholders to collaborate, manage, and track the progress of a release across all phases of Application Lifecycle Management – ALM. Process Compliance solutions offered in Kovair ALM leverages it’s concurrent task-based workflow engine which helps automate all the phases of reviewing and monitoring risks on a regular basis. Additionally, Kovair ALM continuously updates the risk plans, which can be part of the ISO 27005 Security Risk Management Process, ISO 26262 compliance to automotive standards, and other workflow standards such as standards for medical IoT compliance. Kovair’s graphical editor-based mouse click configurable task-based workflow engine enables organizations to implement central governance cutting across different phases of ALM.

Kovair PPM

Kovair PPM is a one stop solution that provides a unified platform to manage budgets, schedules, resources, and field data through a single interface. Kovair PPM delivers greater value to the organization by connecting the entire lifecycle from planning to execution. IT leaders can optimize their project portfolios, manage the capacity of resources against the demands raised from different projects, and connects plans and resources to the actual project execution. Using Kovair PPM, organizations can define strategic initiatives for portfolio to projects to their outcomes. It allows leaders to define strategic initiatives, choose the relevant projects for execution, provide deeper insights into development phases, projects and programs by generating EVMs (Earned Value Management — EVM metrices). Kovair PPM provides valuable inputs to the management, enabling them in making data-oriented decisions, with Time and Cost Management of a project. Kovair PPM not only provides a complete visibility across the entire value stream but also provides a complete visibility of the delivery lifecycle. Kovair PPM provides management dashboards covering three perspectives (Resource, Time & Cost) to the C-Level executives as well as to the stakeholders of projects through role-based real-time reports & dashboards.
Kovair PPM
Source: Kovair

Key Capabilities of Kovair’s Value Stream Management / Delivery Platform

  • Provides industry-specific, guided templates empowering teams to instantly begin process compliant workflows, within the Value Stream.
  • Provides integrations with multiple security tools providing visibility to security vulnerabilities, in open source software, or other risks such as inventory control problems to cloud-based resiliency problems in the field
  • Gives complete visibility of Risks threats or opportunities through real-time reports & dashboards, including process compliance dashboards, throughout the Value Stream
  • Allows managers to define and maintain instantaneous traceability between Design, Process requirements, Risks and Hazards, to operational metrics from tools like APM (applications performance monitoring), in the field
  • Supports cross-platform installation, complete CI/CD solutions, with containerization supported for microservices, all from remote role-based, process-compliant email controls
  • Kovair DevSecOps supports notification on the build status, so every movement is notified to management
  • Kovair’s project planning solutions include a task scheduler, project calendar, resource availability, GANTT Charts, and workload management. This allows managers to plan and control the application development from the beginning to the end with complete product lifecycle management, within the Value Stream.
  • It provides complete insight into release progress & process efficiency through real-time reports & dashboards for thorough value stream management analysis.

Key Benefits of Kovair’s Value Stream Management and Delivery Platform – for DevSecOps and SaaS

Kovair’s Value Stream Management / Delivery Platform – VSMP/VSDP, enables organizations to have complete visibility across the value stream to ensure customer satisfaction, with Governance, Process Compliance, Automation, and Holistic Security for both ALM and DevSecOps delivery:
  • Real Time Dashboards – Provides a unified view to senior management, through middle management to the operations, administration, and customer service teams. This enables early detection of security vulnerabilities at every step of delivery.
  • Ensure Process Governance – Offers a task-based Workflow Engine both at macro and micro levels to ensure governance across and within every team involved in delivery.
  • Improved cross-functional collaboration – Enables collaboration between tools, processes and teams over hybrid infrastructure environment, with Role-based Access Controls, and Value Stream Dashboards.
  • Best of Breed Partners – Provides complete integration with Application Security Testing partners like Veracode and HCL Appscan. Red Hat Openshift Certified for Kubernetes delivery, and deployed in leading security agencies.
  • Increased Automation – Offers secure and efficient integration seamlessly with best-of-breed applications with Kovair’s award-winning Omnibus multi-cloud iPaaS (integration Platform as a Service) solution, to automatically launch Application Security Testing throughout the process.

Conclusion

Kovair with its tools provides a complete Value Stream Management and Delivery for DevSecOps and Cloud-based SaaS to organizations, and can be now leveraged for Industry4.0 services. Starting from capturing the voice of customer and defining what is of value for them, Kovair VSMP/VSDP for DevSecOps and Cloud-based SaaS provides a structured toolchain to allow CIOs and CTOs of Digital Transformation initiatives. To know more about Kovair products visit www.kovair.com
Download eCopy