Agile for IT infrastructure projects

Adrian, please let me some comment. Agile is not about to use a framework (Scrum) or a method. Agile is not about to user user stories. You can use what best fits. Unfortunatelly (and I am not write the following because your comment) people do not know about Scrum, just to take an example. There is no line into Scrum that said people have to use User Stories, Kanban, Story Point, etc. So, when people take the Scrum Guide will find that the frameworkd can be filled with any tool and technique that best fit for the initiative. That is because in my actual work place we are selected to use Scrum for IT and infraestructure projects. In fact, we are in the process to implement SAFe and DevOps.And here is where I am fully aligned with your comment regarding the need to have the organization ready before to use Agile into any initiative. That´s something I can not make people understand when I was part of the group that have decided the strategy in my actual work place. Now, I am in charge of it. God Sava Me....hehehehehe

Hello Sergio Luis Conte,

I am trying to understand how Scrum fits in for Infrastructure projects. I delivered software development projects using the Scrum framework. But how can we use it for infrastructure projects.

I presume Kanban can still be used for an infrastructure project.


Regards

O.Patanjali Sastry

Stelian,

Kanban and Lean are absolutely Agile methodologies, they're just not Scrum. Agile also doesn't require the scope to change or have unclear requirements - Agile just helps when those two conditions are present.

For your specific example of changing Cloud hosting platforms you could run that a couple of ways:
1) Scrum - make each app migration be an Epic and have aspects of configuration and testing be the stories that populate the backlog. If you use JIRA then a Release would comprise of x number of apps moving to the new platform. This method is preferred if you have a dedicated team.
2) Kanban - similar to scrum in that the configuration and testing steps are individual stories and a Theme or Epic would be the app but rather than running in timeboxed Sprints and Releases you only have to adhere to your ITIL Release calendar when apps are migrated. This method should work better if you don't have a dedicated team.
3) Modified Lean/Iterative - In test, migrate one app over to the new platform and document along the way what things need to be tweaked and that documentation populates your backlog/checklist for other apps as well as your migration plan in Prod. Depending on the types of apps (criticality) this could be the fastest way to migrate to the new platform. It can also be a jump starter to the other two methods if the team is struggling with populating the backlog because of too many unknowns. This method is not recommended if you have business or health critical apps.

Agile is not about values or principles. That is agile implementation for software if the Manifesto is following. About practices, any practice that best fit for the initiative can be used to achive Agile definition to gain into agility. As I mentioned, we are using Scrum framework then we have fill it up with the tools and techniques that best fit for our reality and environment.

Hello Sergio Luis Conte,

I am trying to understand how Scrum fits in for Infrastructure projects. I delivered software development projects using the Scrum framework. But how can we use it for infrastructure projects.

I presume Kanban can still be used for an infrastructure project.


Regards

O.Patanjali Sastry

IT infrastructure project will be costly if redo and we do not welcome change. We used a hybird approach, Agile/Scrum is just for design phase, implementation phase is followed by using traditional/predictive approach.

Sergio, I personally agree with you but there is a whole community out there that believe that Agile started with AM and it is described by 4 values and 12 principles.
My view is that Agile is an attribute and any framework or methodology can be agile to a certain degree.

I also agree that Scrum, as the guide mentioned, can be augmented with other practices, as long as the roles and events are kept unchanged. I was looking for real examples of projects rather than an academic discussion.