Definition of ALM (Application Lifecycle Management)

ALM (Application Lyfecycle Management) or application life cycle management brings together the resources necessary for the design, development and improvement of an application. This approach, which is unanimously accepted by professionals in the field, concerns numerous disciplines that have long been dissociated by developers, namely the management of requests and software resources, the deployment and implementation of new modules.

ALM: assets not to be ignored

ALM offers solutions that resolve issues related to the agile method. It aspires to establish a collaborative environment allowing developers to gain productivity and responsiveness. Advantages that allow this approach to ensure frequent updates to the point of launching several versions in a single day.

Lifecycle management provides publishers with a solid foundation of tailor-made tools. The process is entirely designed for the design and continuous improvement of applications. In this sense, the model provides the means to manage all the tasks associated with a tool under development.

Contrary to popular belief, this approach does not require colossal resources to implement it. However, it requires real conceptualization work. Managers must consider all aspects of the application lifecycle. An approach which will lead to the establishment of a plan serving as a road map. Operational solutions will also be deployed to avoid any loss of time.

By detailing the process, managers will provide more clarity on the worklfow. This will considerably improve the quality of monitoring. The organization will therefore be able to satisfy the needs of developers as well as those of end users.

The components of the ALM

ALM provides valuable information on current processes. The development team will therefore be able to intervene at each stage that punctuates the life cycle of an application. In this sense, you have more control over the workflow.

Design

Transforming an idea or needs into an application is much more complex than we imagine. The ALM provides for an in-depth analysis of the issues to resolve them. This step, sometimes neglected by developers, can lead the structure to create an unsuitable environment.

ALM places particular emphasis on this stage which will already determine the entire life cycle of the application. It is on this occasion that those responsible will address the question of the development method, data governance and even access management. Adopting this model will greatly facilitate the design.

Development

Once the objectives and means to be implemented have been clearly defined, the teams will tackle the development of the application itself. For maximum responsiveness, developers respect the principles dictated by the agile method. Remember that this is renowned for the satisfaction it brings to ordering customers.

Usually, testing and deployment are an integral part of the development phase. However, we will prefer to look at it separately in the ALM.

The tests

Before any deployment, an application must undergo a battery of tests. These aim to identify the numerous bugs that hamper its use. For DevOps fans, These tests will take place during the development phase. Testers will continually communicate with the development team to report any malfunctions.

The integration of the different versions also deserves attention. Bugs arise from recurring updates. These tests are also intended to ensure that the objectives set are met. We will also pay attention to data security.

Deployment and updates

Once all the malfunctions have been resolved, it remains to deploy and maintain the application. These last two phases are rarely taken into account in the life cycle of an application. However, ALM places deployment and updates at the heart of the project manager’s concerns.

Once again, anticipation is the key word. All measures will therefore be taken upstream so that maintenance takes place in the best conditions. We will also consider the arrangements to be made in the event that we plan to overhaul all of the application’s functionalities to offer a more efficient version.

ALM and SDLC: the differences

ALM is sometimes wrongly associated with SDLC or Software Development Life Cycle. If these two models are based on similar principles, you should know that the second focuses only on the development phase. ALM covers the entire life cycle of a utility in production. This approach places more importance on the deployment and maintenance of the application. Considerations that will facilitate the integration of new modules.

Methods borrowed from the SDLC can refine the management of development, testing and release. ALM provides a more global vision to improve the process in general.

What tools for implementing ALM?

Different tools are now available to companies to enable the implementation of the ALM approach. Most of them present themselves as management software bringing together employees around the tasks to be carried out. These utilities integrate different formalities allowing the control and monitoring of the workflow, the planning of tasks, the management of the source code and the sharing of feedback following the tests.

Depending on the scale of the structure, users will have access to an interface bringing together all the functionalities essential to the smooth running of the process. The fact remains that those interested have the choice between a wide variety of tools. To make the right choice, they will need to take into consideration their preferred development method. ALM solutions from IBM, Microsoft Azure Devops Server and Tuleap are unanimous in this area.

ALM technologies at the service of businesses

ALM opens up many possibilities for professionals. It provides the means to use Linux containers to adopt a DevOps development plan. This solution takes care of the stages requiring the most attention, namely development, deployment and maintenance. The cloud services offered offer great prospects for automation.

When it comes to automation in an ALM environment, Kubernetes is precisely the most popular alternative in addition to Linux containers. By making the right decisions, the team will be able to create clusters that will use Linux containers for application deployment.

Red Hat OpenShift will take advantage of Kubernetes to streamline the development environment. This tool will ensure you benefit from bringing together in a single place all the essential tools for developing and operating an application.