August 2021 Summaries

Up, a digital bank in Australia, emphasizes rapid software deployment across both server and mobile applications, achieving up to five daily deployments thanks to efficient production workflows. Despite the complexities and resource demands of native on-device testing for Android and iOS, these tests remain crucial for maintaining product quality. The bank faced challenges with Docker-based Android testing, which led to inefficiencies and flakiness, prompting a shift to a more effective cloud-based infrastructure using Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Buildkite. By removing Docker and optimizing their use of GCP resources, such as switching to compute-optimized C2 instances and experimenting with GPU attachments, Up achieved substantial improvements in testing speed and reliability. This resulted in a significant reduction in test job times and improved parallelization capabilities, allowing for faster feedback cycles and more scalable testing environments. These optimizations underscore Up's commitment to addressing technical inefficiencies proactively to maintain a robust and agile software delivery pipeline.