Code-change and developer rating in an automated-application-release-management subsystem

1. An automated-application-release-management subsystem within a cloud-computing facility having multiple servers, data-storage devices, and one or more internal networks, the automated-application-release-management subsystem comprising:

a dashboard user interface comprising an electronic display;

an automated-application-release-management controller;

an interface to a workflow-execution engine within the cloud-computing facility;

an artifact-storage-and-management subsystem comprising a mass-storage device; and

code-change ratings that are generated, stored, and shared during code-change processing by the automated-application-release-management subsystem.

2. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 1 that is further incorporated in a workflow-based cloud-management system that additionally includes an infrastructure-management-and-administration subsystem and the workflow-execution engine.

3. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 1 wherein the automated-application-release-management controller controls execution of application-release-management pipelines, each application-release-management pipeline representing a sequence of tasks carried out by the automated-application-release-management subsystem to generate a releasable version of an application.

4. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 3 wherein each application-release-management pipeline comprises one or more stages.

5. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 4 wherein each application-release-management-pipeline stage comprises:

a set of one or more tasks; and

a plug-in framework that maps entrypoints in the set of one or more tasks to entrypoints within sets of routine and/or function entrypoints in descriptors within a set of sets of descriptors.

6. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 5 wherein the set of one or more tasks include tasks of task types selected from among:

initialization tasks;

deployment tasks;

run-tests tasks;

gating-rule tasks; and

finalize tasks.

7. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 4 wherein the automated application-release-management subsystem:

generates a code-change-rating data structure when a submitted code change is first received; and

stores the generated code-change-rating data structure in a data store.

8. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 7 wherein, during processing of a code change, each stage of the application-release-management pipeline following an initial stage that generates the code-change-rating data structure for the code change:

retrieves the code-change-rating data structure from the data store;

uses information contained in the code-change-rating data structure to control execution of one or more tasks within the application-release-management-pipeline stage;

modifies the code-change-rating data structure; and

updates the code-change-rating data structure in the data store to contain the modified code-change-rating data structure.

9. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 8 wherein the code-change-rating data structure includes:

a field storing an identifier for the code change; and

a field including a current score for the code change.

10. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 9 wherein the code-change-rating data structure additionally includes information about a processing history carried out by each stage of the application-release-management pipeline, including an indication of a number of times the application-release-management-pipeline stage has received and processed the code change and a stage rating for the code change.

11. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 8 wherein the automated-application-release-management subsystem:

generates a developer-rating data structure when a developer is first made known to the automated-application-release-management subsystem; and

stores the developer-rating data structure in the data store.

12. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 11 wherein, during processing of a code change, each stage of the application-release-management pipeline:

retrieves the developer-rating data structure for the developer who submitted the code change from the data store; and

uses information contained in the developer-rating data structure to control execution of one or more tasks within the application-release-management-pipeline stage.

13. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 12 wherein, during processing of a code change, a final stage of the application-release-management pipeline, following acceptance of the code change:

modifies the developer-rating data structure; and

updates the developer-rating data structure in the data store to contain the modified code-change-rating data structure.

14. The automated-application-release-management subsystem of claim 11 wherein the developer-rating data structure includes:

a field storing an identifier for the developer; and

a field including a current rating for the developer.

15. A method that maintains code-change and developer ratings within an automated-application-release-management subsystem that includes one or more application-release-management pipelines, each application-release-management pipeline representing a sequence of tasks carried out by the automated-application-release-management subsystem to generate a releasable version of an application and each application-release-management pipeline comprises one or more stages, the automated-application-release-management subsystem operating within a computing facility having multiple servers, data-storage devices, and one or more internal networks, the method comprising:

generating a code-change-rating data structure when a submitted code change is first received;

storing the generated code-change-rating data structure in a data store, wherein the data store comprises a mass-storage device;

generating a developer-rating data structure when a developer is first made known to the automated-application-release-management subsystem;

storing the developer-rating data structure in the data store; and

during processing of a code change, each stage of the application-release-management pipeline following an initial stage that generates the code-change-rating data structure for the code change

retrieves the code-change-rating data structure from the data store,

retrieves the developer-rating data structure for the developer who submitted the code change from the data store,

uses information contained in one or both of the code-change-rating data structure and the developer-rating data structure to control execution of one or more tasks within the application-release-management-pipeline stage,

modifies the code-change-rating data structure, and

updates the code-change-rating data structure in the data store to contain the modified code-change-rating data structure.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein, during processing of a code change, a final stage of the application-release-management pipeline, following acceptance of the code change:

modifies the developer-rating data structure; and

updates the developer-rating data structure in the data store to contain the modified code-change-rating data structure.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the code-change-rating data structure includes:

a field storing an identifier for the code change; and

a field including a current score for the code change.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the code-change-rating data structure additionally includes information about a processing history carried out by each stage of the application-release-management pipeline, including an indication of a number of times the application-release-management-pipeline stage has received and processed the code change and a stage rating for the code change.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the developer-rating data structure includes:

a field storing an identifier for the developer; and

a field including a current rating for the developer.

20. One or more mass-storage devices stored with computer instructions that, when executed on one or more processors within a computing facility having multiple servers, data-storage devices, and one or more internal networks, control the computing facility to maintain code-change and developer ratings within an automated-application-release-management subsystem, operating within the computing facility, that includes one or more application-release-management pipelines, each application-release-management pipeline representing a sequence of tasks carried out by the automated-application-release-management subsystem to generate a releasable version of an application and each application-release-management pipeline comprises one or more stages, by:

generating a code-change-rating data structure when a submitted code change is first received;

storing the generated code-change-rating data structure in a data store, wherein the data store comprises a mass-storage device;

generating a developer-rating data structure when a developer is first made known to the automated-application-release-management subsystem;

storing the developer-rating data structure in the data store; and

during processing of a code change, each stage of the application-release-management pipeline following an initial stage that generates the code-change-rating data structure for the code change

retrieves the code-change-rating data structure from the data store,

retrieves the developer-rating data structure for the developer who submitted the code change from the data store,

uses information contained in one or both of the code-change-rating data structure and the developer-rating data structure to control execution of one or more tasks within the application-release-management-pipeline stage,

modifies the code-change-rating data structure, and

updates the code-change-rating data structure in the data store to contain the modified code-change-rating data structure.