Case Study: Tower Software and FinalBuilder
Frank Eden, Principal Software Engineer at TOWER Software, talks about how FinalBuilder™ integrates so well with all the software products they use.
Overview
"At TOWER, we use FinalBuilder to build TRIM - an Enterprise Content Management platform. We love the way it integrates so nicely with the development tools we use, from small pieces of software to large well-known tools like Subversion, Microsoft Visual Studio and Wise."
From Batch files to FinalBuilder
"Before we started using FinalBuilder, we did our builds using scripts, batch files, and even some purpose built Visual Basic programs. These were OK when they worked, but when something went wrong it was a nightmare to find out what happened."
"After seeing a demonstration of FinalBuilder at Microsoft TechEd, I was hooked. Literally. It was such an obvious solution to our build problems - I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It's very easy to use; the learning curve is not steep; it was not a hard decision to make."
Return on Investment
When asked to estimate the ROI of deploying FinalBuilder as the build system at TOWER, Frank replied: "Savings are hard to quantify. Perhaps the best measure is the fact that the very suggestion of going back to using batch files would be met with howls of laughter. Building and testing a complex software package needs to be automated, and FinalBuilder does the job very well. It even allows us to automate repetitive testing tasks, and by integrating these into the build process we get a better quality product as a result."
FinalBuilder Performance
"One recent enhancement to FinalBuilder is the ability to run a set of steps in parallel. The build machines we use are all dual-processor, and this enhancement has greatly reduced the time waiting for a build to complete. For example, it means that we can run the compilation steps at the same time as applying a label in Subversion. Setting up certain actions to take advantage of this is as simple as placing them under an 'Async Action Group' action. It's also not limited to doing just two things at once - you can run as many tasks as you want in parallel."
Scheduled Daily Builds
"Our build machines each build a different version of TRIM. For the latest version, we schedule an overnight build to allow the QA team to test it the next day. The build even produces an ISO image for eventual distribution to customers."
FinalBuilder is not just a build tool
"We have a site license for FinalBuilder, and we encourage our developers and QA staff to install it and use it on their machines. Personally, I use it to pick up any updates to the source code and set off a compile at 6am every morning, so I can hit the road running each morning when I get to work. "
Would Frank recommend FinalBuilder to other software development companies? "Definitely. It’s a great product."
About TOWER Software
TOWER Software is a world leader in enterprise content management (ECM), providing award-winning electronic document and records management (EDRM) solutions. TOWER Software’s TRIM Context 6 solution is a single, integrated platform that manages business information throughout its complete lifecycle.
TOWER Software maintains strategic partnerships with the world’s foremost technology and information management leaders, including Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Adobe Systems, and Kofax. These partnerships combined with our extensive industry expertise, Value-Added Reseller network, and powerful software make TOWER Software the world’s leading ECM solution provider.
About TOWER Software's Products
TRIM Context 6 provides Enterprise Content Management.
- Electronic Document Management
- Records Management
- Web Content Management
- Imaging
- Workflow
- Document Based Collaboration
For more information: http://www.towersoft.com/
About VSoft Technologies
VSoft Technologies have been in business since 1996, and are focused on developing automation software for software developers, software configuration managers, system administrators, network administrators and IT professionals. Both FinalBuilder and Automise save time and money by providing easy to use, flexible and powerful solutions to automation tasks.
Visit our website at either https://www.finalbuilder.com to find out more information and to download fully functional 30 day evaluation editions.
FinalBuilder™ is a Trade Mark of VSoft Technologies Pty Ltd. All other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.