Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI), technological innovation serves as the cornerstone for driving operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage. However, for one BFSI company, the journey toward digital transformation was impeded by significant challenges within its software development and maintenance processes. With a vast portfolio of applications, a majority of which were outsourced to external vendors, the company encountered hurdles that hindered its ability to adapt swiftly to market demands and maintain the health of its application ecosystem.
Understanding the Challenges:
The identified challenges encompassed various critical areas:
· Lack of Source Code Management: The absence of structured processes for managing source code resulted in inefficiencies and complexities.
· Absence of Documentation: Inadequate documentation hindered knowledge sharing and hampered the understanding of application architectures.
· Lack of Common Processes: Variability in processes across different vendors led to inconsistencies and hindered collaboration.
· Missing CI/CD and Automated Testing: The absence of Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines and automated testing resulted in manual efforts and slowed down the release cycle.
· No Branching and Merging Strategy: Without a defined strategy for branching and merging, version control and code collaboration became challenging.
· Inconsistent Sprint Execution: Variability in sprint execution led to delays and hindered project timelines.
Aspirations for the Future:
Despite these challenges, the BFSI company remained steadfast in its vision for the future. The company aimed to establish a matured DevSecOps environment characterized by:
· Near-zero Touch Pipeline: Automating product development processes for infrastructure provisioning, application builds, deployments, and configuration changes.
· Matured Source-code Management: Implementing robust source-code management processes, including review gates, to ensure quality and consistency.
· Defined and Repeatable Release Process: Instituting a standardized release process fortified with quality and security gates to minimize deployment failures and ensure compliance.
· Modernization: Embracing the latest technological advancements to drive innovation and efficiency.
· Common Process Among Different Vendors: Establishing standardized processes to enhance understanding and control over the software development lifecycle (SDLC) across various vendors.
Proposed Solution:
To address these challenges and realize its future aspirations, the BFSI company proposed a comprehensive solution:
· Stage 1: Implement Basic DevOps: Initiate the implementation of fundamental DevOps practices, including source code management and CI/CD processes, for a select group of applications.
· Stage 2: Modernization: Progress towards a more advanced stage involving microservices architecture, test automation, security enhancements, and comprehensive monitoring.
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Injecting Security into the SDLC:
Recognizing the critical importance of security, the company devised a strategy to inject security into the software development lifecycle (SDLC). This included:
· Security by Design: Embedding security considerations into the design phase of development.
· Secure Coding Practices: Adhering to secure coding standards to minimize vulnerabilities.
· Static and Dynamic Application Security Testing (SAST/DAST): Conducting comprehensive security testing to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.
· Software Component Analysis: Analyzing third-party components for security vulnerabilities.
· Security Operations: Implementing security monitoring for infrastructure, network, and operations to detect and respond to security threats effectively.
Realizing the Outcomes:
The proposed solution yielded significant outcomes aligned with the company’s future aspirations. Leveraging Microsoft Azure’s DevOps capabilities, the company witnessed:
· Establishment of common processes and increased visibility across different vendors.
· Implementation of Azure DevOps for organized version control, sprint planning, and streamlined workflows.
· Automation of builds, deployments, and infrastructure provisioning through Azure Pipelines and Automation.
· Improved code quality, security, and release management processes.
· Transition to microservices architecture and comprehensive monitoring using Azure services.
The BFSI company embarked on a transformative journey towards establishing a matured DevSecOps environment. This journey, characterized by challenges and triumphs, underscores the critical importance of innovation and adaptability in the BFSI sector's rapidly evolving landscape. As the company continues to evolve and innovate, the adoption of DevSecOps principles will catalyze driving efficiency, security, and delivering superior customer experiences. With a strategic focus on collaboration, automation, and continuous improvement, the BFSI company is well-positioned to thrive in the digital era.
Contact Information:
· Phone: 080-28473200 / +91 8880 38 18 58
· Email: sales@devopsenabler.com
· Address: DevOps Enabler & Co, 2nd Floor, F86 Building, ITI Limited, Doorvaninagar, Bangalore 560016.
