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DoctrinaLabs

DoctrinaLabs is an innovative solution designed to simplify and enhance the training process through immersive, real-world environments.

Technologies

Ruby on Rails, React

Industry

Education

Engagement Model

Managed Delivery

Platform

Web

Team

6 members

Timeline

3 months

About the project

The client requested the development of a platform that would revolutionize software application training. This led to the development and launch of a functional Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for DoctrinaLabs.

DoctrinaLabs is an innovative solution designed to simplify and enhance the training process through immersive, real-world environments. The cloud-based virtual training labs empower client company to provide interactive and engaging training experiences across their entire enterprise. With DoctrinaLabs, setting up training sessions is quick and easy, ensuring smooth adoption and maximizing return on investment.

Whether for a small team or the whole organization, DoctrinaLabs provides the tools and flexibility to take software training to the next level.

Project objectives

DoctrinaLabs was an application designed to provide an authentic DevOps-like experience for educational purposes. It allowed users to create and interact with server infrastructures, deploy applications, and monitor performance. Initially, the platform was developed exclusively for educational use. The product facilitated the creation of real-world environments to deliver interactive software application training effectively across an enterprise. Users could leverage the platform to generate new revenue streams through training programs, expand their customer base by reducing physical limitations, and ensure standardized, consistent, and repeatable environment setups. Additionally, it simplified setups, creating more cost-effective experiences.

The application owner approached us with the request to enhance the platform’s capabilities and optimize its codebase. The objective was to develop an efficient Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and make the platform an attractive investment opportunity. Upon reaching the release stage, the plan proved successful, resulting in the platform’s acquisition by an innovative DevSecOps technology provider.

Challenges to overcome

One of the primary challenges we faced was establishing an infrastructure-as-code (IaC) framework while adhering to a strict budget of $100 per month. We carefully selected and integrated the AWS IaC solution into our deployment scripts. This approach allowed us to create a cost-effective infrastructure that met our technical requirements without exceeding the budget. We optimized resource usage and maintained financial efficiency by leveraging AWS’s efficient and scalable services

Another significant challenge was the seamless integration of the visual editor into the platform. This task required implementing the editor and optimizing its performance to ensure it was responsive and user-friendly. We focused on enhancing the editor’s functionality and responsiveness, providing users with a smooth and intuitive experience. Our efforts included fine-tuning the editor’s interface and ensuring compatibility across various devices and browsers, ultimately delivering a high-quality user experience.

Our work

We implemented Infrastructure as Code (IaC), a DevOps methodology that facilitates application infrastructure management in a code format. We simplified change tracking and enhanced collaborative efforts by defining infrastructure components such as servers, databases, networks, and storage through code. This approach aligned infrastructure with application development, optimizing the deployment process and minimizing configuration drift.

The client required us to adhere to strict budget constraints for the MVP infrastructure, which we successfully managed.

We used Terraform, an open-source tool, to manage the application infrastructure. Terraform allows for the creation and safe modification of infrastructure, with configuration files that team members can share, edit, and review.

The benefits of using Terraform include:

Comprehensive documentation
Clear and straightforward configuration syntax
Compatibility with both AWS and custom solutions
Automatic identification of the deployed configuration, highlighting components to add or remove
A supportive community
Infrastructure immutability, with its inherent complexities

Throughout the project, we expedited the delivery of results by leveraging IaC practices. This approach streamlined the processes of scaling and managing infrastructure, significantly reducing application deployment time and enhancing overall efficiency.

We enhanced the platform by developing an application that enabled the AWS-based infrastructure deployment, guided by the visual editor’s configurations. Additionally, we integrated a visual editor into the platform, allowing users to swiftly deploy and create an unlimited number of servers. This feature also empowered instructors to send complete server copies directly to students, streamlining the process and eliminating the need for setup and subsequent adjustments.

Our engineers designed the dashboard with two primary objectives in mind:

Results

We successfully reduced infrastructure costs by implementing AWS IaC (Infrastructure as Code) solutions across various deployment scripts. As a result of these enhancements, Orasi Software acquired the platform and integrated it seamlessly into its portfolio of companies.

The exceptional performance of DoctrinaLabs, particularly its advanced server management features, significantly enhanced DevSecOps capabilities.

The application owner realized a substantial return on investment, with the MVP delivering a 20-fold return through the successful platform sale.