Can you all share your experiences on rolling out new features in Workspaces managed by you as Admin

[RamlaS]

As Data Platform Admins, do you follow some standard process or self service approach towards rolling out new features in your workspaces? Is the process automated? How is the testing done? Please share your thoughts. 

Given UC is introducing new features we need to make sure the process is streamlined for Admins as well as users.

[Kaniz_Fatma]

Hi @RamlaS, Rolling out new features in Databricks Workspaces as an admin involves several considerations. While practices can vary based on your organization’s specific needs, here are some general guidelines and best practices:

1. Communication and Planning:

   • Announcement: Inform users about upcoming features and changes. Communication can happen through email, internal announcements, or dedicated channels.
   • Release Notes: Review release notes provided by Databricks to understand the new features and any potential impact.
   • Planning: Assess how the new features align with your organization’s goals and existing workflows.

2. Testing and Validation:

   • Sandbox Environment: Maintain a sandbox workspace where you can test new features before rolling them out to production workspaces.
   • Functional Testing: Verify that the new features work as expected. Test common use cases and edge cases.
   • Performance Testing: Assess the impact of new features on cluster performance, scalability, and resource utilization.
   • Security Testing: Ensure that security settings are not compromised by the new features.
   • User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Involve power users or representatives from different teams to validate the features.

3. Gradual Rollout:

   • Staged Deployment: Roll out new features gradually to a subset of users or workspaces. Monitor their experience and gather feedback.
   • Feature Flags: Use feature flags to enable or disable features selectively. This allows you to control the rollout and quickly revert if issues arise.

4. Documentation and Training:

   • Documentation: Update your internal documentation to include details about the new features.
   • Training: Conduct training sessions or provide self-service resources to educate users on how to leverage the new capabilities.

5. Monitoring and Support:

   • Monitoring: Set up monitoring for the new features. Monitor performance, errors, and user adoption.
   • Support Channels: Be prepared to address questions or issues related to the new features. Provide a support channel for users to report problems.

6. Automated Processes:

   • Infrastructure as Code (IaC): If you use tools like Terraform, automate the deployment of new features using IaC scripts.
   • Scheduled Jobs: Set up scheduled jobs to periodically check for updates and apply them automatically.

Remember that each organization’s context and requirements may differ, so adapt these practices to fit your specific needs. 

As UC introduces new features, maintaining a streamlined process will benefit both admins and users, ensuring a smooth transition and maximizing the value of Databricks Workspaces. 😊🚀⁴.