What is our primary use case?
The primary use case for CloudBees is for continuous integration and deployment. It is primarily used for production deployments. We use it to trigger Autobahn, such as CloudBees, well in advance to clear out many issues upfront, trigger change requests, and test in various environments to be ready with the production deployment on the actual date.
How has it helped my organization?
CloudBees has helped our organization by integrating with various systems like version one, GitHub, and PDSM. It reduces the need for documentation by automating processes, saving time when creating documents and testing the application. This reduces the amount of time spent on deployments and helps pull out all the test results and create change requests, providing a more streamlined process for deployment.
What is most valuable?
The most beneficial aspect is that CloudBees integrates with everything, like version one, GitHub, and PDSM. It automates documentation and testing processes, reducing the need to create documents manually. By creating automated processes, it saves time and effort.
What needs improvement?
It could improve the document upload process. Currently, documents need to be uploaded manually to the PDSM request. An enhancement could be to have a feature where you can upload documents directly to go into the PDSM request.
For how long have I used the solution?
For about two to three years, approximately two and a half to three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
CloudBees has improved a lot over time. Initially, there were challenges setting it up, but once we understood its functions and processes, there were no stability issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
CloudBees is scalable as it integrates with various complex systems and offers the flexibility to scale to many other application integrations beyond those currently used.
How are customer service and support?
I have not personally interacted with customer service or support since the DevOps team handles template creation and maintenance, and they might have contacted support during the initial phase.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before CloudBees, we did not use a similar tool. However, we are currently considering a transition to GitHub Actions.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup involved creating a template that checks pull requests in GitHub. It verifies approvals, mergers, and other criteria necessary for a build. The setup includes extensive integration with other systems, stringent checks, and a series of deployment stages from QA to production.
What about the implementation team?
The DevOps team is responsible for creating templates and handling integration with various systems. They play a crucial role in supporting the implementation and deployment processes.
What was our ROI?
The measurable benefits of using CloudBees include a significant amount of time saved during deployment because of the automation and integration capabilities it offers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not aware of the pricing, setup cost, or licensing details for CloudBees.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are currently using GitHub Actions, with an effort to transition from CloudBees to GitHub Actions.
What other advice do I have?
Follow the guidelines and step-by-step processes thoroughly. If you encounter integration issues with your tools, seek support from CloudBees to ensure integration. Once set up, CloudBees is a reliable tool for deployment.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.