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+---
+title: Rollout, feature flag, experiment, operational toggle
+date: 2020-10-10
+layout: slides
+lang: en
+ref: rollout-feature-flag-experiment-operational-toggle
+---
+
+# Rollout, feature flag, experiment, operational toggle
+Different use cases for **backend**, **frontend** and **mobile**
+
+---
+
+"Feature flags" tend to come up when talking about **continuous deployment**
+
+???
+
+I'm using "quotes" because I'm mixing up different meanings of "rollout"
+
+---
+
+# CI
+continuous integration
+
+# CD
+continuous delivery
+
+# CD
+**continuous deployment**
+
+???
+
+Background: build vocabulary, why are feature flags related to CD
+
+CI solves: manual integration of long-lived branches
+
+CD solves: automation of deployment process
+
+CD solves: releases as frequent as possible
+
+That's where the "GoCD" name comes from
+
+---
+
+# Types:
+1. rollout
+2. feature flag
+3. experiment
+4. operational toggle
+
+---
+
+# rollout
+## For *rolling out* a new version of software
+
+**Short-lived** using **percentages**
+
+- a [new deployment of k8s][k8s]
+- new [APK released to the Play Store][apk]
+
+[k8s]: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/controllers/deployment/#creating-a-deployment
+[apk]: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6346149?hl=en
+
+???
+
+Relevant as long as the new code is deployed
+
+---
+
+# feature flag
+## For turning a feature *on* or *off*
+
+**Medium-lived** using **allow list**, **A/B test**, **percentage**,
+**app version**, *etc*.
+
+- `:new-chargeback-flow`
+- `:new-debit-card-activation-screen`
+
+???
+
+Relevant as long as the new code is being developed
+
+---
+
+# experiment
+## For analyzing behaviour
+
+**Medium-lived** using **allow list** and **A/B test**
+
+- `:debit-withdrawal-test`
+
+---
+
+# operational toggle
+## For disabling features in `#crash`-like situations
+
+**Long-lived** using **percentage**
+
+- `:bank-barcode-payment`
+- `:savings-bank-barcode-query-provider`
+
+???
+
+Lives for as long as the code is in production.
+
+---
+
+We now know about the types
+
+## But they have different relevance for **backend**, **frontend** and **mobile**
+
+---
+
+# backend
+
+1. **rollout**: k8s, canary pipeline and `common-rollout`
+2. **feature flag**: `common-rollout` and datasets
+3. **operational toggle**: `common-rollout`
+4. **experiment**: `common-xp`
+
+???
+
+rollout: k8s, common-rollout
+
+This is a bit why common-rollout isn't called *common-feature-flag*: it was
+initially designed with backend usage of *rollouts* in mind.
+
+feature flag:
+
+---
+
+# frontend
+
+1. **rollout**: CDN and page refreshes
+2. **feature flag**: percentages and maybe IPs (no `:customer/id` on [www.nubank.com.br](www.nubank.com.br))
+3. **operational toggle**: via dynamic backend control
+4. **experiment**: via dynamic backend control
+
+---
+
+# mobile
+
+1. **rollout**: app stores
+2. **feature flag**: via dynamic backend control
+3. **operational toggle**: via dynamic backend control
+4. **experiment**: via dynamic backend control
+
+---
+
+Key differentiator is
+## How much **control** we have over the **environment**
+
+---
+
+## **backend**
+
+# Full control
+🎉
+
+???
+
+Can edit, update and even delete rollouts as desired.
+
+Mix and match at will!
+
+---
+
+## **frontend**
+
+# Partial control
+
+When choose when to make a new version available
+
+???
+
+We can control when a new version is available, partially when someone will
+upgrade it.
+
+But it is easy to fallback to "reload the page and try again".
+
+---
+
+## **mobile**
+
+# Very limited control
+
+- app stores can restrict updates (worse for iOS)
+- customers still have to download new versions
+
+---
+
+# Costs
+
+- more complex code
+- nested flags combine exponentially
+
+---
+
+# Benefits
+
+- dynamically choose code paths for each customer
+
+---
+
+# Best practices
+
+---
+
+## Dynamic content > feature flag
+
+Always true for **mobile**, almost always for **frontend**
+
+---
+
+## Use `:include-list` for named groups
+
+Always true for **backend**, **frontend** and **mobile**
+
+{% raw %}
+```clojure [2-3]
+{:rules
+ #{{:type    :include-list
+    :content {:filename "debit-team-members.txt"}}}}
+```
+{% endraw %}
+
+---
+
+## Always use `:app-version`
+
+only for **mobile**
+
+{% raw %}
+```clojure [2]
+{:rules
+ #{{:type    :app-version
+    :content {:min-version #{{:platform :android
+                              :code     1000000}
+                             {:platform :ios
+                              :code     2000000}}}}}}
+```
+{% endraw %}
+
+---
+
+## Extend `common-rollout` if required
+
+That's how `:include-list`, `:app-version`, *etc.* were born
+
+---
+
+## Beware of many nested feature flags
+
+True for **backend**, **frontend** and **mobile**
+
+???
+
+Exponential growth of combinations
+
+---
+
+## Don't delete app-facing feature flags
+
+True for **mobile**
+
+???
+
+This could break old app versions, only do this intentionally
+
+We don't have (yet) a strategy for dealing with LTS of the app, and we just say:
+"we'll support every app version out there".
+
+---
+
+## Include a feature flag on the whiteboarding phase
+
+---
+
+## Include deleting/retiring the feature flag at the end
+
+---
+
+## Avoid renaming a feature flag
+
+Use `:app-version` with `:min-version` instead
+
+---
+
+# And most importantly...
+
+---
+
+# ***Always*** rely on a feature flag on the app
+
+Hotfixes and expedited releases is a thing of the past
+
+???
+
+The app is where we have less control, so the feature flag is how we get some of
+that control back.
+
+This doesn't mean you'll need 1 feature flag per PR
+
+There's not such thing as:
+"This is such a small thing, it doesn't need a feature flag"
+
+You should ask yourself:
+"It this crashes the app, am I OK with waiting for the next release train?"
+
+---
+
+## Thank you!
+
+References:
+
+1. these slides: https://euandre.org/slides.html
+2. [prose version of this presentation]({% link _articles/2020-10-10-feature-flags-differences-between-backend-frontent-and-mobile.md %})
+3. ["Feature Toggles (aka Feature Flags)"](https://martinfowler.com/articles/feature-toggles.html),
+ by Pete Hodgson
+4. [Continuous integration vs. continuous delivery vs. continuous deployment](https://www.atlassian.com/continuous-delivery/principles/continuous-integration-vs-delivery-vs-deployment),
+ by Sten Pittet
+5. [Accelerate](https://itrevolution.com/book/accelerate/),
+ by N. Forsgren, J. Humble and G. Kim