Operating System (OS) Migration for Multiple Product Lines
Building and Executing a Plan to Manage a Complex OS Migration
Leader in diagnostics solutions for blood testing and analysis fell behind schedule on maintenance releases and bug fixes while managing a complex OS migration.
MedAcuity engineering team built a detailed OS migration plan, developed an OS abstraction layer, and standardized on a common OS and group of services across multiple product lines.
project snapshot
SITUATION
- Current RedHat Linux OS was severely outdated and no longer supported
- Migrations between RedHat releases were infrequent as the OS changes in each release required substantial rework
- Patch release cycles took more than 90 days to release for critical vulnerabilities
- No standards or acceptance test for what services were provided to the application by the base OS
Challenges
- Outdated OS made it impossible to stay on schedule with maintenance releases and bug fixes
- Migrating RedHat releases caused non-trivial changes to the application software to adapt to OS and library changes
- Because each product line had its own OS and software stacks, none of the application code could be shared between products
SOLUTION
- Defined requirements and implemented an OS abstraction layer to insulate applications from future OS changes and/or migrations that could also be used to support applications regardless of OS
- Configured a layered test approach consisting of unit, functional and integration tests; carried further into a continuous test strategy to underpin an automation framework
- Established process for integrating, testing, and deploying critical patches to meet FDA guidelines and ensure no adverse effects on deployed software
Results
- Successful OS migration from RedHat Linux OS to WindRiver Linux completed
- Multiple products now on one common OS
- New testing practices learned from MedAcuity will ensure high quality and timely future releases