Planning a Multi-Use Case Platform Upgrade

Planning an upgrade for a Multi-Use Case (MUC) Quantexa Platform introduces additional complexity compared to a single-use case environment. This is due to the potential for shared components and the need for careful coordination between different use case teams.

The key to success is to decouple the upgrades as much as possible, transforming a single, large program of work into a series of smaller, manageable projects.

Core Principles of an MUC Upgrade

Your planning should be guided by three fundamental principles:

1. Isolate Use Case Upgrades: Treat the upgrade of each individual use case as a separate, independent project with its own timeline, scope, and release plan.
   
   
2. Different Versions Can Coexist: It is technically supported for different use cases to run on different Quantexa Platform versions simultaneously. The use case-specific components do not interact, so this is a safe and effective way to reduce complexity. (Requires that the underlying infrastructure can support all required third-party software versions).
   
   
3. Centralize Planning for Shared Assets: The main exception to the isolation principle is for shared, centralized data sources. Any upgrade to these shared components must be planned as a central, coordinated project.

The Recommended Planning Approach

Step 1: Plan Each Use Case Upgrade Separately

For each use case on the platform, create a distinct upgrade plan. This means running through the entire planning process (defining scope, estimating, and resourcing) independently for each one.

Benefits:

• Reduces Complexity: It avoids a "big bang" upgrade and minimizes the need for complex coordination across multiple development teams.
  
  
• Spreads the Risk: Issues encountered in one use case upgrade are isolated and do not impact the others.
  
  
• Enables Learning: Lessons learned from the first use case upgrade (e.g., performance of the Repository Tool, common migration issues) can be applied to make subsequent upgrades faster and more efficient.

Step 2: Create a Master Plan for Shared Components

Shared assets, particularly centralized data sources, are the critical coordination point in an MUC upgrade. An upgrade to a shared data source must be carefully planned to ensure it remains compatible with all the use cases that consume it, even if they are on different platform versions.

For detailed information check out: Mixing Versions in Data Integration.

Action: Create a separate, central project plan specifically for the upgrade of any shared components. This plan must have a robust release and communication process to ensure all use case owners are aware of the timeline and impact.

Step 3: Sequence the Upgrades

Once you have individual plans for each use case and a central plan for shared assets, you can sequence them on a master roadmap.

A common strategy is to pilot the process with a single, lower-risk use case first. This allows the team to build expertise and refine the process before tackling more complex or critical use cases. The upgrade of a shared data source should be sequenced based on the needs of the use cases that depend on it.

The output of this process is a master roadmap that clearly shows the timeline for each independent use case upgrade and the centrally managed shared component upgrades.