INFORMATION
Release Cycles
Many software developers use CodeMeter Runtime and encrypt their applications with AxProtector. They want to know when
new innovations or changes to their encryption software or the licensing technology for their products will be available.
In Development
At Wibu-Systems, all software development
is coordinated with a planned release date
in mind. New features are introduced at the
earliest possible point in the process. This
leaves more time for testing the new features.
Time is also needed to update technical
documentation with all of the new innovations
in user manuals and help documents.
Apart from adding new features, a great part of
software development is given to maintaining
the existing product. This is a continuous
process: Signatures need to be updated
and the requirements of new operating
systems need to be implemented. Patented
technologies, like SmartBind for binding
activation processes to specific machines, need
to be tested for their compatibility with new
OS versions. The mechanisms must function
correctly and smoothly, and developers need
to check whether the new operating systems
have introduced features that could improve
the binding process.
Better Safe than Sorry
Product quality comes from the development
phase, not later testing. However, testing
is essential in order to be sure that the new
features or bug fixes did not introduce new
flaws in some other area in the product.
With this in mind, Wibu-Systems conducts
automated testing for all versions coming
out of the build system. Every nightly build
goes through hours of automated test scripts
on several systems to check whether the
software behaves as expected. And software
features are not the only thing to be tested
so scrupulously: different CmDongle types are
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tested in conjunction with this process as well.
Handcrafted
For software development, the start of the final
tests represents the end of the development
phase proper. For the testing team, it is the
signal to get busy. Before the final tests
commence, the best combination of differently
scaled test formats for different operating
systems is defined in a special matrix. This
keeps the testing efforts to a manageable
size, while ensuring coverage for the various
OS versions (32-bit vs. 64-bit, real vs. virtual
machines). All tests are processed manually
and in line with the defined testing schedule.
At the same time, specially qualified testers
conduct compatibility tests with older versions
of the software.
The Gamma Phase
The work pays off: Display errors are common
as the new design of a web interface might look
‘off’ in some language versions, or a new term
has not been localized at all. Developers are
ready to remedy these problems immediately.
After the software has gone through the first
extensive test and is stable and looking good,
the gamma phase gets under way. In this
phase, interested clients have the opportunity
to install a pre-release version to test how
well the new version works with their own
software. Their feedback is included in any late
changes to the product.
On the Launch Pad
The first release candidate is developed after
these extended tests have been completed.
From this stage onwards, only minor changes
requiring tiny interventions in the code are
allowed, and even then only after intensive
scrutiny. The shipping tests start at the same
time as manual, focused tests that check
and verify the results of the previous, more
expansive tests. Once these are passed,
product management clears the release,
and the new version is ready for our clients
approximately four to six weeks after the
commencement of the final tests.
Waiting for the Next Release
Wibu-Systems publishes its two flagship
products CodeMeter and AxProtector
simultaneously, which reflects how closely
related and interconnected the two products
are. There are two regular release dates every
year, at the end of March and the end of
October.
Immediately after the release of CodeMeter,
the final tests for CodeMeter License Central
get under way, so that the back office solution
for the distribution of licenses to end users
can release the new license features as
soon as possible. Testing and release takes
approximately four weeks.
Quick Bug Fixes
In the unlikely case that a bug manages to slip
past the testers and only gets discovered in
the field, an immediate response is essential.
A remedy is found, and a new release is built
and sent through an accelerated final testing
process. This process checks the specific bug
fixes before moving on to the shipping tests. A
service release of this type can be made public
within one week or less.