Free Scaled Agile SAFe-DevOps Practice Exam with Questions & Answers

Two areas that should be monitored in the Release on Demand aspect to support DevOps and Continuous Delivery are the build status and the deployment cycle time. The build status is the measure of whether the code and components can be successfully compiled, linked, packaged, and verified into deployable binaries. The build status indicates the quality and consistency of the code and the readiness for deployment. Monitoring the build status helps to support the Release on Demand aspect in SAFe by providing valuable information for the following purposes:

• To identify and fix any errors or defects that may prevent the code from being deployed or released
• To ensure that the code meets the quality standards and security checks, such as static code analysis, code coverage, and code review
• To verify that the code and components are integrated and merged correctly into the trunk
• To track the progress and status of the features and capabilities that are being developed and delivered

The deployment cycle time is the measure of how long it takes to deploy the code and components from the source control system to the production environment. The deployment cycle time indicates the efficiency and reliability of the deployment process and the speed of delivery. Monitoring the deployment cycle time helps to support the Release on Demand aspect in SAFe by providing valuable information for the following purposes:

• To optimize the deployment process and reduce the lead time and variability
• To automate the deployment process and eliminate manual steps and errors
• To align the deployment process with the market demand and release strategy
• To evaluate the impact and value of the deployed features and capabilities 7

 According to the SAFe DevOps Practitioner 6.0 study guide and handbook, Continuous Deployment is a practice that helps developers deploy their code into production. This means that Continuous Deployment involves moving changes from the staging environment to the production environment, without requiring manual intervention or approval. The handbook states that "Continuous Deployment is the practice of moving changes from the staging environment to the production environment, without requiring manual intervention or approval."1 Therefore, Continuous Deployment enables teams to deliver value to customers faster and more reliably.

According to the SAFe DevOps Practitioner 6.0 study guide1, root cause analysis is a technique that helps identify and eliminate the underlying causes of problems or defects in the Solution. Root cause analysis can be used to address impediments to continuous delivery by finding and fixing the root causes of issues such as delays, rework, waste, and errors. Root cause analysis can be performed during various phases of the PI, such as during the Iteration Retrospective, during the management review and problem-solving portion of PI Planning, or during Inspect & Adapt (I&A). However, the most effective time to use root cause analysis is during I&A, which is a significant event held at the end of each PI, where the current state of the Solution is demonstrated and evaluated. Teams then reflect and identify improvement backlog items via a structured problem-solving workshop. The result is a set of improvement backlog items that go into the ART Backlog for the next PI Planning event. Therefore, root cause analysis can help teams address impediments to continuous delivery by improving their performance and quality in the next PI.

According to the SAFe DevOps Practitioner 6.0 study guide1, the Release activity is the final step in the Continuous Delivery Pipeline that deploys the Solution to production. Production is where the Solution is available for end users to operate and consume. The Release activity involves verifying that the Solution meets the quality and security requirements, monitoring its performance and health, and responding to any issues or incidents that may arise. The Release activity also enables continuous improvement by measuring the business value of the Solution and collecting feedback from customers and stakeholders.

According to the SAFe DevOps Practitioner 6.0 study guide1, one of the main challenges of a DevOps transformation is when various groups in the organization have different directions and goals. This can create silos, conflicts, and inefficiencies that hinder the collaboration and integration needed for continuous delivery. For example, some groups may prioritize speed over quality, while others may prioritize security over innovation. Some groups may resist change and adopt outdated practices, while others may embrace new technologies and methodologies. These differences can lead to misalignment, duplication, and waste of resources that slow down the delivery pipeline and reduce the value to customers. Therefore, having a common vision, culture, and set of technical practices that support the SAFe CALMR approach to DevOps is essential for overcoming this challenge.

When preparing a DevOps backlog, prioritizing features using WSJF includes two factors: cost of delay and duration/job size. WSJF stands for Weighted Shortest Job First, which is a prioritization model used to sequence work for maximum economic benefit. WSJF is estimated as the relative cost of delay divided by the relative job duration. Cost of delay is the money lost by delaying or not doing a job for a specific time. It is a measure of the economic value of a job over time. Job duration is the time it takes to complete a job. Jobs that can deliver the most value in the shortest duration provide the best economic return. WSJF also considers other factors that contribute to the cost of delay, such as user and business value, time criticality, and risk reduction and/or opportunity enablement

The Agile Release Trains (ARTs) are responsible for building and continually improving the Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP) in SAFe DevOps. The CDP represents the workflows, activities, and automation needed to guide new functionality from ideation to an on-demand release of value. The CDP consists of four aspects: Continuous Exploration (CE), Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Deployment (CD), and Release on Demand. Each ART builds and maintains, or shares, a pipeline with the assets and technologies needed to deliver solution value as independently as possible. The ARTs use the DevOps Health Radar to assess their current state and identify improvement opportunities for each aspect of the CDP. The ARTs also use the DevOps Transformation Canvas to create a vision, goals, and action plan for their DevOps transformation12

The correct answer is B. Flow Efficiency measures the percentage of time spent on value-added activities in the Value Stream. A Value Stream is a sequence of activities that deliver value to the customer, from concept to cash. Value-added activities are those that directly contribute to the customer value proposition, such as coding, testing, and deploying. Non-value-added activities are those that do not directly contribute to the customer value proposition, such as waiting, handoffs, rework, and approvals. Flow Efficiency is calculated by dividing the total time spent on value-added activities by the total flow time, which is the time elapsed from when a work item enters the Value Stream to when it is delivered to the customer. Flow Efficiency is a metric that helps to identify and eliminate waste and delays in the Value Stream, and to optimize the flow of value to the customer. Flow Efficiency can be improved by applying the principles and practices of DevOps, such as reducing batch size, limiting work in progress, implementing pull systems, managing queue lengths, reducing handoffs, implementing Work in Process (WIP) visualization, and implementing Work in Process (WIP) feedback

In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), after features are defined and designed during Continuous Exploration, they move into Continuous Integration. Here, they are further broken down into smaller, implementable parts known as user stories. These stories are then developed, tested, and integrated into the existing codebase. This process ensures that new features are developed in a systematic and efficient manner, with regular integration and testing to maintain quality and readiness for release.

The primary goal of the Stabilize activity is to avoid unplanned outages and security breaches. The Stabilize activity is part of the Release on Demand aspect of the CDP in SAFe DevOps, which ensures the solution is working well from a functional and nonfunctional requirements (NFR) perspective. The Stabilize activity involves practices such as monitoring, logging, alerting, incident response, and disaster recovery. These practices help to detect and resolve issues quickly, minimize the impact of failures, and restore normal operations as soon as possible