A Release Tale Rewind 📽

Once upon a time…. wait… who am I kidding??!! this ain’t no fairy tale!!. This is the real deal — a gritty tale of perseverance and hustle spanning five relentless months. There were no princes riding in on white horses, no fairy godmothers to magically fix our mistakes at midnight. We relied solely on each other, our determination, and a whole lot of elbow grease to reach our hard-earned happy ending.

For all you seasoned release team warriors out there, this story needs no preamble. But for the uninitiated, let me pull back the curtain on the reality of life in a software company — it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Yet, with the right crew by your side, it’s a heck of a lot more manageable than you’d imagine. At WSO2, we swear by the motto “Work hard, play harder.” So, amidst the chaos of deadlines and mountains of tasks, we always made room for our daily dose of fun. 😉

Welcome to the backstage of the software world, where every line of code, every bug squashed, and every release is its own epic saga. Picture this: a team of intrepid developers and testers, fueled by coffee and a shared passion for perfection, diving headfirst into the digital trenches day after day. It’s not just about shipping a product; it’s about crafting an experience, a masterpiece of ones and zeros that leaves users breathless and competitors green with envy.

Now, you might be thinking, “What’s the big deal about a release anyway?” Oh, my friend, let me enlighten you. A release isn’t just a mere event in the life cycle of a software project; it’s a moment of truth, a culmination of countless hours of hard work and innovation. It’s the moment when all eyes are on us, waiting with bated breath to see what marvels we’ve unleashed upon the world.

But here’s the kicker: a release isn’t just about delivering flashy new features or fixing pesky bugs. It’s about trust. Trust that our users have placed in us to deliver a product that not only meets their needs but exceeds their wildest expectations. Trust that our stakeholders have placed in us to deliver results, on time and within budget. And most importantly, trust that we have placed in ourselves, as a team, to overcome any obstacle and emerge victorious.

But what’s new in this release, you ask? Ah, buckle up, because we’re about to take you on a journey through the latest and greatest features of our product. From sleek user interfaces to lightning-fast performance improvements, we’ve left no stone unturned in our quest to deliver an unparalleled experience to our users. With a slew of bug fixes and stability enhancements thrown into the mix, this release is poised to set a new standard for excellence in the industry.

If technical jargon isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to skip ahead and dive straight into the fun stuff! 😁

Now, let’s talk about the exciting features of Identity Server 7.0.0. First off, we’ve given the Console a sleek makeover, boasting a fresh and modern look. Plus, it’s now powered by our lightning-fast Oxygen UI, ensuring a seamless and speedy user experience. Take a sneak peek at the stunning new design!

But that’s not all! This release is jam-packed with major improvements, including:

🔥 Productized support for B2B CIAM use cases

🌟 Authentication API that facilitates implementing app-native authentication

👌 First-class support for securing API resources

🧑🏻‍💻 Command line utility to manage Identity Server configurations in CI/CD workflows

🛡️ FIPS 140–2 Compliance

👍🏼 Integration with HYPR for passwordless and biometric authentication

📝 Implementation of OAuth 2.0 specifications such as JWT Secured Authorization Response Mode and Pushed Authorization Requests

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! So whether you’re a developer searching for an IAM solution for your next big project or simply an IAM enthusiast eager to dive deeper, check out the full release notes for all the juicy details. Or better yet, download it yourself and see the magic unfold firsthand!

For me, this marked my fourth rodeo in the IAM team’s product release journey. Let me tell you, without a shred of doubt, it was the most challenging one yet. We packed some serious firepower into our product this time around, pushing our technical capabilities to the limit. But the real kicker? Hitting those deadlines. It meant burning the midnight oil, pulling a few all-nighters, and sacrificing a couple of weekends. Yet, amid the chaos, the promise of free treats was like a shining beacon, making every ounce of effort worth it. 😉

We huddled up for daily sync-ups, closely monitoring our progress as we felt the pressure of looming deadlines. Sometimes, it felt like we were waging a battle, balancing the demands of delivering a flawless user experience while staying true to our release timeline. Our commander in chief, the ever-visionary product manager Malithi, had set the bar sky-high for the product’s experience. Meanwhile, Ishara, our engineering director, fought tirelessly to keep the ship steady, juggling the needs of both the product and the developers. And whenever things veered off course, our zen master, the director of architecture, would calmly bring us back to the center, asking, “Is everyone on the same page?”

Their leadership ensured that we delivered on both fronts without compromise. And let’s not forget our release team leads — Maduranga, Hasanthi, Thanuja, Jerad, and Niluka — who bore the brunt of the tension and pressure, shielding the rest of the team from the storm. Their steady guidance allowed us developers to tackle our tasks with a clear mind. But hey, as they say, turbulent seas make the best sailors.

With the new features and fixes in the pipeline, the next item on our agenda was putting the product through its paces in testing. Let me tell you, it was no walk in the park! Despite having a talented team of QA engineers dedicated to the task, the workload was staggering. The QA team crafted a test plan with hundreds of test cases, and at that point, it seemed like an insurmountable mountain to climb. But fear not, for the cavalry arrived in the form of our fellow teammates. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our teammates, we managed to cover the majority of the test cases by the end of the hackathon. Talk about teamwork making the dream work!

But, here’s the twist: it was a classic case of a double-edged sword. Though our thorough testing uncovered some bugs before the release, it also meant we had to ensure they were fixed before launching the product.

Thus enter our last lifeline — a hackathon. Despite it falling on a weekend, we threw out the call, hoping for the best. Who would willingly sacrifice their precious eight hours of sleep for something not even on their to-do list? To our pleasant surprise, nearly everyone on the release team enthusiastically answered the call. “Faith in humanity restored, am I right?” But wait, it gets even better — on the day of the hackathon, every single person who pledged their support showed up. And no, they weren’t just there for the free food! 😜😋

And what happened next? Did they ride off into the sunset, happily ever after? Not quite. The story marched on with numerous rounds of the same old song and dance — testing and bug fixing — until, bit by bit, we finally crossed the finish line. Okay, that might have sounded a tad gloomy… But hey, remember when I mentioned that here at WSO2, we work hard but play even harder?

Let me paint you a picture… One fine December evening last year, the HR team dropped a bombshell: we were hosting a company-wide Christmas tree decorating contest before the holiday break. Initially, the release team didn’t bat an eye. But as the contest date loomed closer, something magical took hold. Despite drowning in work, a small band of us, led by our rising star Shenali and fearless leader Achini, took the plunge and kicked off the decorating spree. Before we knew it, the entire team rallied behind us (especially Frigga to our Asgardeo, Ayesha herself who channeled her inner child into the effort), even staying late into the night to lend a hand. And let me tell you, this wasn’t just about hanging a few baubles on the tree. With the theme being Recycle Wonderland, everything had to be eco-friendly, which meant getting crafty with our hands. This endeavor unearthed some hidden talents among us — from artsy painters to crafty innovators. And guess what? We Won! Is there anything this team can’t do? 🌟

Here’s proof 😎

So, as we gear up to conquer the world of IAM, remember this: behind every successful release is a team of dedicated individuals who have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into making it happen. And while there may not be any fairy tale endings or magical solutions, there’s something even better: the satisfaction of knowing that we’ve given it our all and come out on top.

So here’s to the unsung heroes of the software world, the release team warriors who brave the digital battlefield day in and day out. May your code be bug-free, your deployments seamless, and your releases legendary. And remember, when in doubt, just keep calm and release on! 🚀