Teams in many industries are practicing the concept of “single source of truth”. But what is a Single Source of Trust (SSOT)? Here are five examples of single sources of truth in development to take a look at.
What does it mean to have a single source of truth?
Single Source of Truth (SSOT) is a practice of structuring information to ensure that everyone is using the same data.
In version control, a single source of truth refers to storing all code, configurations, and other digital assets in a way that everyone can access it in a common location.
Why is a single source of truth important?
Maintaining a single source of truth is important because:
No single source of truth
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Information is segregated in different places;
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Team members spend time looking for information, reducing productivity;
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Some common and expensive-to-fix errors occur.
Have a single source of truth
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Information is easy to discover;
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Productivity increases as everyone knows where to find information;
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Reduces the likelihood of errors and the cost of repairs.
In version control, a single source of truth is very important. A single source of truth is especially important for teams that need to share different types of assets that may come from different version control systems. This is even more critical for globally distributed teams, especially when they need to overcome time zone differences.
How to get a single source of truth through version control
Now you understand why a single source of truth is important for version control. So, how do you get a single source of truth?
Creating a single source of truth is difficult when you use a distributed version control system like Git. Because these systems typically have many code libraries, these code libraries are stored on a single local workstation. This makes it challenging to obtain a single source of truth and prevents teams from collaborating effectively.
If you have Perforce Helix Core, you can use a single repository (monorepo) as a single source of truth. Everyone uses the latest version of the file and has access to the information they need. Plus, you get the benefits of scale. In Perforce Helix Core, a single repository can scale as your assets grow, and you can keep everything together, no matter how many assets you have. Let’s take a look at Perforce Helix Core’s single source of truth example.
5 Examples of a Single Source of Trust in Perforce Helix Core
Here are 5 examples that come up frequently among teams using Perforce Helix Core every day.
1. A single trusted data source for different types of assets
You may need to consolidate multiple types of assets into a single trusted data source. This includes:
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source code
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binary file
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artwork
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hardware design
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More other types
Many industries have this need. Let’s take game development as an example.
Developers, designers, and artists are working with large files, both source code and other files and assets:
Binaries (can make up 90-95% of the final game content), original artwork, processed textures, models, animations, sounds, pre-rendered cutscenes.
These different types of assets are all managed in one place. Getting a single source of truth can be difficult, unless you are using Perforce Helix Core.
With Perforce Helix Core, you get a single source of truth for all types of assets. Because Perforce Helix Core can store source code, binaries, artwork, and any other type of digital asset in a single code repository.
2. A single trusted data source for multiple version control systems
You may have multiple version control systems, which prevents establishing a single source of truth. How will you ensure team collaboration when your team is dispersed in different locations?
For example, you might have an internal development team working in Perforce Helix Core. But at the same time you also have a third-party development team using Git. This can hinder collaboration and prevent you from achieving a single source of truth. Until you use Helix4Git with Perforce Helix Core.
Helix4Git is a Git server embedded in the Perforce server. It works in the background to bring source code being worked on by third-party teams into your pipeline. The Git team can then take the code from you and start contributing to the project without having to learn anything.
This creates a single source of truth across multiple version control systems.
3. A single source of truth for global teams
Your team may be spread across the globe.
For example, a AAA game development studio's team typically consists of hundreds of artists, developers, and contributors. Bringing all the talent together in one location is impossible. Globally distributed development is the answer. But how do you give everyone access to the same files without sacrificing speed?
With Perforce Helix Core, you can. Team members on opposite sides of the world can collaborate as quickly as they sit next to each other. Perforce Helix Core's scalable architecture—the Perforce Federation Architecture—makes this possible. This technology enables rapid replication no matter where team members are located.
4. Single source of truth for component teams
You may also have different teams working on separate components that eventually have to all come together.
For example, your team might work through a "component-based development" approach. They require a single configured trusted source of data, including:
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A list of products delivered, and a list of the components used to build each product;
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A list of active development streams to maintain, such as mainline and two maintained releases;
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List of component versions required for each flow;
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Workspace configurations built by developers and officials.
With Perforce Helix Core, you can manage your configuration with code. All the best practices you use for version control and managing source code can be applied to your configuration.
For example, you might manage 8 global design studios producing firmware for SSD drives sold to OEMs. You can start with a base configuration for all products and then work with the OEM to customize the configuration.
With Perforce Helix Core, everyone can work with confidence that they are developing the right set of components. They can get the updates they need without having to look for them. They can be confident that they are using the correct version for the life of the project.
Additionally, you can test new versions of your configuration independently without breaking the build. Otherwise this will affect overall speed. This provides a single source of truth for your configuration and source code.
5. Single trusted data source for hardware and software assets
You might work for a company that develops embedded systems. This means you may have software and hardware teams that need to collaborate on the asset.
For example, you are developing a system on a chip (SoC). Hardware and software teams need to be able to work together and share assets during the design and integration process.
With Perforce Helix Core , you get a single source of truth across hardware and software teams. They can share assets easily. In addition, Perforce Helix Core securely version-controls design files and software files for tapeout. Therefore, all changes are tracked, traced, and compliant.
Get a single source of truth in development now
Perforce Helix Core provides the single source of truth your team needs, no matter where you work:
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Collaborate on multiple types of assets;
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Use multiple version control systems (through Helix4Git and Helix TeamHub);
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Manage teams across the globe;
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Handle different components;
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Sharing of hardware and software assets is required.
Longzhi will soon appear at ACT Automotive Electronics and Software Technology Week, bringing large-scale, safe and efficient development solutions
In modern automotive software development, ensuring there is a single source of truth is critical. Automotive software involves a large amount of code, configuration and design files to implement various functions and safety of the vehicle. If the data source is unreliable or inconsistent, it can lead to software errors, functional failures and even security vulnerabilities, with serious consequences for the entire vehicle system.
At the upcoming ACT Automotive Electronics and Software Technology Week, Longzhi will bring automotive industry solutions integrated with Perforce Helix Core to help large-scale teams collaborate easily, accelerate innovation, and develop safe, reliable, and compliant automotive software. We will be at the show to show you the power of Perforce Helix Core and provide solutions for the needs of teams of different sizes.
We sincerely invite you to visit Longzhi booth #26 on August 17-18 (Thursday-Friday)! In addition to demonstrating the functions and features of Perforce Helix Core, we also brought solutions such as static code analysis Helix QAC and Klocwork, project management Jira, knowledge base Confluence, and ITSM based on Jira Service Management to help automotive companies achieve agility and efficiency. Develop, improve product security and compliance, and enhance team collaboration to deliver products better and faster. Visiting the booth can also participate in exciting lucky draws and win generous prizes. Longzhi DevSecOps experts will also communicate with you face-to-face on site to answer various questions about automotive software development and share our best practices and experiences.
Article source: https://bit.ly/47kP5YC