Using Feature Flags

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Using Feature Flags

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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April 7, 2025 at 12:00 am

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item Using Feature Flags

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David.Poole SSC Guru Points: 76124 More actions · Answer 1

I don't know if it is a valid use of feature flags so bear with me.

Most of our infrastructure is IAC delivered by a pipeline. That pipeline takes about 20 minutes to run and in higher environments we have to comply with various approval processes. All this is there for a good reason. That said, occasionally we need to switch something on/off quickly not in 20 minutes, or when a committee convenes.

For this we use a set of feature flags. The sets are predefined by IAC so we can't alter the value of the flags we can only say whether they are active in an environment. The flags and their values are pre-tested so it really is a case of saying "make it so"

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Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 737630 More actions · Answer 2

I think that's a great use. Ultimately the deliverable is some feature in the IAC stuff.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004577 More actions · Answer 3

David.Poole wrote:

I
Most of our infrastructure is IAC delivered by a pipeline.

Apologies for not knowing but what does "IAC" stand for in this context?

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

David.Poole SSC Guru Points: 76124 More actions · Answer 4

Infrastructure as Code. Basically, you sell your soul to the Devil and are forever tortured by Terraform or something worse

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Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 737630 More actions · Answer 5

Everything can be the devil, but most of the homegrown ways of managing infrastructure are worse, IMHO

Doctor Who 2 SSCrazy Eights Points: 8207 More actions · Answer 6

Feature flags are something I've known about for 10+ years. I've never been able to get people to buy into feature flags where I currently work. I've made an example app, but well...

Rod

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 737630 More actions · Answer 7

Lots of places don't use them. It's slightly crazy to me that people see this as hard.