Are you tired of constantly firefighting instead of building and improving your product?
Does your engineering team struggle to take ownership of the software they build, leading to reliability and scalability issues?
Fear not, because Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy can revolutionize the way you develop and maintain software.
“You Build It Ops Run It” is the classic approach where development teams build software, but operations teams are responsible for running and maintaining it. However, an alternative approach is “You Build It You Run It You Own It” where development teams take of both building and running software.
You Build It You Run It You Own It
With “You Build It You Run It You Own It” developers are responsible for running and supporting their software in production, with a single-level swarming support model and on-call responsibilities. To handle customer requests, there is typically a Service Desk in place.
Service Desk is an L1 team within Ops that receives customer requests and will resolve simple technology issues wherever possible. On the other hand, a development team in Delivery is also L1 and is responsible for monitoring dashboards, receiving alerts, and responding to incidents.
In order to successfully implement “You Build It You Run It You Own It” a toolchain should include a range of tools such as anomaly detection, alert notifications, messaging, and incident management tools. Examples of such tools include Dynatrace or Centreon for monitoring, PagerDuty for alert notifications, Microsoft TEAMS for messaging, and ServiceNow or HEAT for incident management.
The Service Desk should escalate tickets into the incident management system, which would be linked to applications. This ensures a clear escalation path for issues that cannot be resolved by the L1 teams.
By having these clear roles and escalation paths in place, “You Build It You Run It You Own It” can be a successful approach for software development and operation teams.
In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the process of successfully implementing “You Build It You Run It You Own It” in your SRE practices. Here’s what we’ll cover:
By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to empower your team, build better software, and break free from the firefighting cycle with “You Build It You Run It You Own It”!
Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) is an approach to managing and maintaining large-scale software systems. It is a set of practices that combines software engineering and operations to ensure that systems are reliable, scalable, and efficient. The goal of SRE is to minimize downtime, reduce costs, and improve the overall performance of software systems.
SRE teams are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including deployment, monitoring, and maintenance of software systems. These teams work closely with developers to ensure that systems are built with reliability and scalability in mind. They also work closely with operations teams to ensure that systems are properly maintained and optimized.
One philosophy that has gained popularity in the world of SRE is “You Build It You Run It You Own It.” This philosophy encourages developers to take ownership of the software they build, including its operation and maintenance. In the context of SRE, this means that developers are responsible for deploying, monitoring, and maintaining the software they build.
By embracing the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy, developers can gain a deeper understanding of the software they build. They can also identify and resolve issues more quickly, leading to faster and more efficient software development. This approach also promotes collaboration between developers and operations teams, leading to improved reliability and scalability.
To successfully implement the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy, SRE teams must create a culture of ownership, collaboration, and innovation. This means that developers must be empowered to take ownership of the software they build, and must have the tools and resources necessary to deploy, monitor, and maintain their systems. SRE teams must also work closely with operations teams to ensure that systems are properly maintained and optimized.
In addition, SRE teams must invest in monitoring and automation tools to help developers manage and maintain their systems. These tools can help identify issues before they become major problems, and can help automate routine maintenance tasks.
Overall, the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy has the potential to revolutionize the world of SRE. By encouraging developers to take ownership of the software they build, and by promoting collaboration and innovation, SRE teams can improve the reliability and scalability of their systems while also accelerating software development.
Implementing “You Build It You Run It You Own It” can have numerous benefits for site reliability and engineering teams. For one, it can reduce the amount of time and effort spent on firefighting and maintenance. When developers take ownership of their code, they are more likely to write reliable and scalable software from the outset, reducing the likelihood of issues down the line.
Additionally, “You Build It You Run It You Own It” can improve collaboration between development and operations teams, as well as increase transparency and accountability throughout the software development lifecycle. Finally, this philosophy can help developers to develop new skills and take on more responsibility, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and career growth.
Some advantages of implementing the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy include:
“You Build It You Run It You Own It” encourages the Delivery team to prioritize incident resolution over feature development through “swarming support,” which aligns with the Continuous Delivery practice of “Stop The Line” and the Toyota Andon Cord. This approach limits the blast radius of failure and prevents developers from exacerbating the issue by deploying changes mid-incident. Swarming also increases learning by enabling developers to cross-pollinate their skills and share application and incident knowledge.
Moreover, “You Build It You Run It You Own It” has several advantages for product development. For instance, it enables short deployment lead times since there are no handoffs. Developers can easily share application and incident knowledge, reducing knowledge synchronization costs, and improving preparedness for future incidents. It also empowers teams to deliver outcomes that test product hypotheses and iterate based on user feedback, leading to a focus on outcomes rather than outputs.
Incident response times are also minimized due to no support ticket handoffs or rework, and applications are architected to limit failure blast radius through bulkheads and circuit breakers.
Developers continually update dashboards and alerts with product-specific context, and they factor-in the pitfalls and responsibilities inherent in managing live traffic while designing applications.
The approach also fosters a clear understanding of on-call expectations. Developers are aware that they are building applications they will support themselves and should be remunerated accordingly. This results in a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, leading to better situational awareness and incident response.
Automation is a critical component of successfully implementing the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy in Site Reliability Engineering. Automating testing, deployment, and monitoring can help reduce the likelihood of errors and increase the speed of development and deployment. It can also help ensure that developers are following best practices for reliability and scalability, such as using containerization and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
Automated testing is an essential aspect of software development, and it becomes even more critical when implementing “You Build It You Run It You Own It.” By automating testing, developers can ensure that their code meets the necessary reliability and scalability requirements before deployment. This approach can reduce the amount of time spent on manual testing and reduce the likelihood of errors and bugs.
Automating deployment is another critical aspect of implementing “You Build It You Run It You Own It.” By automating the deployment process, developers can ensure that their code is deployed quickly and efficiently. Automated deployment can also help to reduce the likelihood of errors, as well as provide a consistent and repeatable process for deployment.
Automated monitoring is also essential for successful implementation of “You Build It You Run It You Own It.” By automating monitoring, developers can quickly identify issues or performance problems with their code. Automated monitoring can also help developers identify potential issues before they become problems and help ensure that their code is running efficiently.
In addition to the benefits of automation in ensuring reliability and scalability, it also helps developers focus on more complex and value-added work. By automating routine tasks and eliminating Toil, developers can spend more time on developing new features and improving the software’s overall quality.
However, it’s important to note that automation alone cannot solve all problems. Developers need to ensure that they are following best practices and that their code is well-designed and well-architected. Automation should be used to support and enhance these efforts, not as a replacement for them.
Implementing “You Build It You Run It You Own It” in a large organization can be challenging due to the complexity and scale of the software systems involved. However, doing so successfully can lead to faster and more efficient software development, improved reliability and scalability, and increased collaboration between development and operations teams.
One key aspect of successfully implementing this philosophy is establishing clear communication and collaboration channels between development and operations teams. This can include regular meetings or stand-ups where teams can discuss any issues or challenges, as well as establishing shared goals and priorities. By working together closely, development and operations teams can ensure that the software they build is reliable, scalable, and efficient.
Some useful links:
In addition to communication and collaboration, it’s important to establish and enforce standards for reliability and scalability. This can include using containerization to make it easier to deploy and manage software, as well as implementing continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to automate the testing and deployment of code. By using these tools and practices, developers can ensure that their code is reliable and scalable, reducing the likelihood of errors and downtime.
Finally, providing developers with the tools and training they need to take ownership of their code is essential. This can include automated testing and monitoring tools that allow developers to quickly and easily identify and address issues with their code. Additionally, providing training and support for new technologies and practices can help developers to develop new skills and take on more responsibility, increasing job satisfaction and career growth.
List of examples of tools and training that can help developers take ownership of their code and implement “You Build It You Run It You Own It” successfully:
Tools:
Training:
here are some useful links for the tools and training mentioned:
Tools: Training:
Here is a table listing the best practices for successfully implementing “You Build It You Run It You Own It”:
To summarize, successfully implementing “You Build It You Run It You Own It” in a large organization requires clear communication and collaboration channels, the establishment of standards for reliability and scalability, and the provision of tools and training to support developers.
By following these best practices, organizations can reap the benefits of faster and more efficient software development, improved reliability and scalability, and increased collaboration between development and operations teams.
Measuring the success of implementing “You Build It You Run It You Own It” in SRE requires a multifaceted approach. It’s not just about tracking technical metrics, but also cultural factors. Technical metrics such as the number and severity of incidents, the time to deploy new features, and the number of deployments per day/week/month can help track the success of the approach. By tracking these metrics, you can see if the approach is reducing the time spent on maintenance and firefighting while increasing the speed of development and deployment.
However, technical metrics alone do not paint the whole picture. It’s important to survey developers and operations teams to gauge their satisfaction with the approach and identify areas for improvement. Conducting surveys can help you identify pain points and bottlenecks in the process, as well as uncover areas where additional training or tools may be necessary. Additionally, tracking employee satisfaction can help you gauge the cultural impact of the approach and ensure that it’s not leading to burnout or overwork.
When measuring the success of “You Build It You Run It You Own It,” it’s important to focus on continuous improvement. This means setting targets for technical metrics and survey results, and continuously working towards achieving those targets. By continuously improving, you can ensure that the approach is delivering real benefits and not just becoming a buzzword.
It’s also important to note that success may look different for different organizations. A large organization with many teams may have different success metrics than a smaller organization with a single development team. As such, it’s important to tailor your success metrics to your organization’s unique situation and goals.
In conclusion, measuring the success of “You Build It You Run It You Own It” implementation in SRE requires a multifaceted approach. Technical metrics such as incident severity and deployment speed are important, but so too is surveying employees to gauge their satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. By focusing on continuous improvement and tailoring success metrics to your organization’s unique situation, you can ensure that the approach is delivering real benefits.
Implementing “You Build It, You Run It, You Own It” can bring many benefits to SRE teams, such as reducing firefighting time, improving collaboration between development and operations teams, and increasing transparency and accountability. However, there are also common challenges and pitfalls that can arise during implementation. In this section, we will discuss these challenges and offer suggestions on how to overcome them.
To help overcome these challenges and pitfalls, we recommend following some best practices. These include:
The importance of continuous improvement and iteration when implementing “You Build It You Run It You Own It”.
Continuous improvement and iteration are critical components of successfully implementing the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy. This approach involves monitoring software performance continually, identifying areas for improvement, and making adjustments to improve reliability and scalability.
Continuous monitoring is crucial in identifying problems before they escalate into major issues that can affect system performance and impact end-users. Teams must proactively identify these issues, diagnose the root cause, and implement the necessary changes to prevent recurrence.
One way to continuously monitor software performance is by using automated monitoring tools. These tools can collect data on system performance metrics, such as response time, error rates, and resource utilization. The data can then be analyzed to identify trends and patterns that indicate potential problems. Based on the analysis, teams can take corrective actions to optimize system performance continually. The use of automated monitoring tools not only reduces the time and effort spent on monitoring but also helps in detecting problems earlier in the development cycle, which can significantly improve software quality.
Another important aspect of continuous improvement is soliciting feedback from developers and operations teams. Teams must foster an environment that encourages open communication and feedback sharing to identify areas for improvement. This feedback can be collected through regular meetings, surveys, or other feedback mechanisms. By gathering feedback, teams can gain valuable insights into how to improve the software development process, identify gaps in training, and improve collaboration between teams.
To ensure continuous improvement, it’s essential to have a process in place for analyzing feedback, prioritizing changes, and implementing them. Teams can use data analytics tools to analyze feedback data and identify common themes and patterns that suggest areas for improvement. They can then prioritize changes based on the level of impact they are likely to have on the software development process. Changes should be implemented in a structured manner, following best practices such as using agile methodologies and conducting regular testing to ensure that changes do not introduce new issues.
Building a culture of ownership and accountability within SRE teams is critical for the success of “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy. It requires a collaborative environment where individuals and teams can work together to deliver reliable and scalable software products. Clear communication channels should be established between development and operations teams to ensure that everyone is aligned with the goals and objectives of the project.
One of the most critical aspects of building a culture of ownership and accountability is to establish clear ownership and accountability for all aspects of software development and operation. Teams should be clear about their responsibilities and the expectations that come with them. Everyone should understand their roles and the impact of their work on the overall success of the project. This helps to create a sense of ownership and responsibility among team members, which can lead to better collaboration and more successful outcomes.
Another critical component of building a culture of ownership and accountability is to recognize and reward individuals and teams for their contributions to reliability and scalability. This can be done in many ways, such as public recognition, bonuses, promotions, or other incentives. By acknowledging the contributions of team members, you can motivate them to work harder and continue to improve their skills and knowledge.
It’s also important to solicit feedback from developers and operations teams regularly. This feedback can be used to drive improvements and iterate on processes and workflows. When feedback is acted upon, it shows team members that their opinions and ideas are valued, which can increase engagement and motivation.
To establish a culture of ownership and accountability, it’s important to promote a commitment to continuous improvement. This involves regularly monitoring and analyzing software performance to identify areas for improvement. By continuously looking for ways to improve reliability and scalability, teams can ensure that their software products are always up to date and meeting the needs of their users.
“You Build It You Run It You Own It” creates the right incentives for operability. When Delivery is responsible for their own deployments and production support, product owners will be more aware of operational shortfalls, and pressed by developers to prioritise operational features alongside product ideas. Ensuring that application availability is the responsibility of everyone will improve outcomes and accelerate learning, particularly for developers who in IT As A Cost Centre are far removed from actual customers. Empowering delivery teams to do on-call 24×7 is the only way to maximise incentives to build operability in.
In conclusion, building a culture of ownership and accountability requires clear communication and collaboration channels, a commitment to continuous improvement, and a recognition of the contributions of individuals and teams. By establishing these components, teams can work together to deliver reliable and scalable software products that meet the needs of their users.
Leadership is an essential element when it comes to promoting and supporting the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” approach in SRE. Leaders play a critical role in setting the tone for the entire organization, so it is crucial that they fully understand and support the philosophy. They should also have the ability to communicate the benefits of the approach to developers and operations teams, highlighting how it can lead to better software quality, reliability, and scalability.
To promote this philosophy, leaders need to provide the necessary resources and support to their teams. This includes providing the right tools, training, and infrastructure to help developers take ownership of their code and deploy it in a reliable and scalable manner. Leaders should also encourage collaboration between teams to ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal.
In addition to providing support, leaders should also model the behavior they want to see from their teams. Leaders should take ownership of their own code and demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement and iteration. They should also be open to feedback and suggestions from their teams, which can be used to drive improvements and iterate on processes and workflows.
Leaders should also establish clear metrics and performance goals for their teams, which can be used to track progress towards the goals of reliability and scalability. These metrics should be regularly reviewed and updated as necessary to ensure that they remain relevant and useful.
Finally, leaders should recognize and reward individuals and teams for their contributions to reliability and scalability. This can be done through bonuses, promotions, or other forms of recognition. By doing so, leaders can create a culture of ownership and accountability within their teams, which is essential for successfully implementing the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” approach.
Delivery engineering costs and on-call support should be paid out of CapEx, while Operations teams like Service Desk should be under OpEx. However, outsourcing the Service Desk team might be an option to reduce OpEx costs.
Funding for CapEx in “You Build It You Run It” will require product managers to balance their desired availability with on-call costs. This can help ensure that availability targets are realistic and aligned with the available resources.
On the other hand, funding for OpEx in Delivery on-call should be avoided wherever possible, as it might encourage product managers to prioritize high availability targets at the expense of on-call costs.
Overall, financial considerations are an important aspect to consider when implementing “You Build It You Run It” successfully, and finding the right balance between CapEx and OpEx can help ensure the approach is sustainable and effective.
The implementation of “You Build It You Run It You Own It” in SRE has been widely adopted by leading tech companies, such as Amazon and Netflix, with impressive results. These companies have demonstrated how this approach can lead to improved reliability, scalability, and faster deployment times. By studying these successful examples, software engineers can gain valuable insights into the best practices and potential pitfalls of implementing this philosophy in their own organizations.
Amazon is often cited as an early pioneer of this approach, having implemented it in the early 2000s for its e-commerce platform. The company recognized that traditional software development and operations models resulted in slow deployment times and frequent downtime. To address these issues, Amazon adopted a culture of ownership and accountability, with development teams responsible for not only building but also running and operating their code in production. This approach led to a significant reduction in downtime and faster deployment times.
Netflix is another example of successful implementation of this philosophy. The company’s culture emphasizes a high degree of autonomy and ownership for its development teams, who are responsible for building and operating their code in production. Netflix also invests heavily in continuous improvement and iteration, with frequent experiments and updates to its software and infrastructure. This approach has resulted in faster deployment times, improved reliability, and high customer satisfaction.
Other companies, such as Google and Facebook, have also implemented variations of “You Build It You Run It You Own It” in their software development and operations. These examples demonstrate that this approach is not only effective for large organizations but can also be adapted to smaller teams and startups.
By studying these successful examples and identifying the key principles and best practices, software engineers can gain a better understanding of how to implement “You Build It You Run It You Own It” in their own organizations. It’s essential to recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and each organization’s implementation may vary based on its unique needs and culture.
Amazon: One of the pioneers of the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy, Amazon has reaped significant benefits from this approach. By empowering developers to take ownership of their code and be responsible for its operation and maintenance, Amazon has been able to improve the reliability and scalability of its e-commerce platform. According to a case study by AWS, Amazon has been able to reduce the time to resolve issues by 90% and the number of critical incidents by 50% since implementing this approach.
Netflix: Another company that has successfully implemented the “You Build It You Run It You Own It” philosophy is Netflix. By giving developers ownership of their code and being responsible for its operation, Netflix has been able to achieve faster deployment times and improved customer satisfaction. According to a case study by Atlassian, Netflix has been able to reduce the time to deploy code by 50% and improve the uptime of its streaming service to 99.97% since implementing this approach.
Etsy: The e-commerce platform Etsy has also seen significant benefits from implementing this philosophy. By empowering developers to take ownership of their code and be responsible for its operation and maintenance, Etsy has been able to improve the reliability and scalability of its platform. According to a case study by PagerDuty, Etsy has been able to reduce the time to resolve incidents by 80% and improve the availability of its platform to 99.9% since implementing this approach.