Our Client: A Leader in Application Delivery Networking
F5 delivers premier networking, security, and application gateway solutions. Their flagship BIG-IP platform supports cutting-edge traffic forwarding and monitoring for diverse enterprise environments. Facing intense competition and a need for agile development, they partnered with Akvelon to streamline their BIG-IP and SPK products' evolution. The primary goal was to speed up and optimize the development of the BIG-IP product.
Core Project Challenges & Akvelon’s Solution
Our initial assessment identified the following critical areas to address within F5's testing infrastructure:
- Fragmented Testing Pipelines: System tests varied significantly across environments, posing reliability and consistency issues. Akvelon unified testing for SPK and VE editions with improved validation mechanisms to prevent deployment failures.
- Platform Diversity: With a platform environment spanning Kubernetes, AWS, and beyond, F5 needed a consistent test framework across diverse configurations to streamline validation. Akvelon developed a "Golden" test suite that validated core functionality across major platforms.
- Security Gaps: Existing vulnerability scans lacked the depth to meet evolving security standards. Akvelon integrated WhiteSource scanning into the product pipelines, strengthening F5's security posture and aligning with industry best practices.
To address these challenges, our team implemented targeted solutions. We unified testing for SPK and VE editions by introducing improved validation mechanisms to prevent deployment failures.
To handle platform diversity, we developed a "Golden" test suite that validated core functionality across major platforms including Kubernetes and AWS. To enhance security, we integrated WhiteSource scanning into the product pipelines, strengthening F5's security posture and aligning with industry best practices.
To drive lasting impact, Akvelon deployed modular testing pipelines designed for seamless integration across environments. By embedding automation and validation within the pipeline, we significantly reduced manual intervention, enabled early bug detection, and created a more secure product lifecycle.
Key Outcomes of the Collaboration
Akvelon's contributions led to substantial improvements in product quality, operational efficiency, and release speed:
- Streamlined pipelines: We delivered automated and modular pipelines for SPK and VE, reducing manual intervention.
- Enhanced testing capabilities: We validated builds and minimized deployment failures by creating reliable test frameworks.
- Improved security: Akvelon’s team integrated WhiteSource vulnerability scans, strengthening overall security.
- Optimized demo solutions: We enabled automated interactive product demos to support sales presentations.
Technologies Used: Kubernetes, AWS, OpenShift, WhiteSource, BIG-IP, SPK and VE editions, Custom Test Frameworks.
Impact of F5's DevOps Transformation
By addressing the core challenges within F5's testing infrastructure, Akvelon's strategic implementation of DevOps principles led to the acceleration of BIG-IP development, improved product reliability, and strengthened security measures. This holistic approach solidified F5's position as a leader in the competitive application delivery networking market.
