Figure 8.31. Configuring your Nabaztag
With the notable exception of the build radiator, many of these devices have similar limitations to the
Jenkins Speaks and Jenkins Sounds plugins (see Section 8.13, “Making Noise”)—they are best suited
for small, co-located teams, working on a limited number of projects. Nevertheless, when they work,
they can be a useful addition to your general notification strategy.
8.15. Conclusion
Notification is a vital part of your overall CI strategy. After all, a failed build is of little use if there is no
one listening. Nor is notification a one-size-fits-all affair. You need to think about your organization,
and tailor your strategy to suite the local corporate culture and predominant tool set.
Indeed, it is important to define and implement a well thought-out notification strategy that suits your
environment. Email, for example, is ubiquitous, so this will form the backbone of many notification
strategies, but if you work in a larger team or with a busy technical lead, you may want to consider
setting up an escalation strategy based on the advanced email options (see Section 8.3, “More Advanced
Email Notification”). But you should complement this with one of the more active strategies, such as
instant messaging or a desktop notifier. If your team already uses a chat or IRC channel to communicate,
try to integrate this into your notification strategy as well. And SMS notification is a great strategy for
really critical build jobs.
You should also ensure that you have both passive and active (or pull and push) notification strategies.
A prominent build radiator or an extreme feedback device, for example, sends a strong message to the
team that fixing builds is a priority task, and can help install a more agile team culture.