The Latest Rackspace Technology Innovation in Platform Engineering: Time Saver for Backstage

Introduction and high-level overvew of Backstage

Backstage, an open-source platform by Spotify, has significantly reshaped the landscape of software development and operations. It functions as a developer portal, centralizing and streamlining the management of software development processes. By integrating various infrastructure tools and services, Backstage offers a unified and intuitive interface that enhances productivity and simplifies the developer experience.

The challenge of measuring time savings

While Backstage excels at saving engineers' time by automating and organizing workflows, quantifying these time savings has always been a challenge. Developers and team leaders often struggle to measure the exact impact of Backstage on their productivity. Understanding the time benefits is crucial for justifying the integration of such tools in development environments and for making informed decisions about further investments in developer tooling.

Our innovative solution: the Time Saver Plugin

Rackspace has developed a ground-breaking plugin for Backstage, aptly named "Time Saver." This plugin is a testament to a commitment by Rackspace to enhancing efficiency and providing tangible metrics in software development.

What time saver offers

Rackspace Time Saver for Backstage is designed to offer comprehensive insights into the time efficiencies gained from using Backstage templates. It comprises both front-end and back-end components, working in tandem to collect, process and display data. With a multiple pane view, users can experience live render of stats in division by templates or teams that have been contributing to the activity that the template has replaced.

Front-end features

The front end of the Time Saver plugin is focused on presenting data in a user-friendly manner. It features various charts and visualizations that depict the time savings accrued from using Backstage. These visuals aid developers and team leaders in understanding the impact of their templates on their workflow.

Back-end capabilities

The backend of the plugin is responsible for the heavy lifting: collecting and processing data related to time usage and savings. It meticulously tracks how templates and other tools within Backstage are used, translating this information into actionable insights.

Streamlining backward compatibility

Rackspace Time Saver for Backstage supports backward compatibility to make your templates (which were executed before plugin onboarding) also quantifiable in statistics, so adopters won’t need to worry about collecting data from the plugin onboarding date.

The impact of time saver for backstage

Rackspace Time Saver for Backstage is more than just a plugin; it's a strategic tool that empowers teams to:

• Quantify efficiency: By providing concrete statistics on time saved, teams can better justify the adoption and continued use of Backstage.
• Optimize workflows: Understanding which templates and tools are most effective allows teams to streamline their processes further.
• Make informed decisions: Data-driven insights facilitate more informed decisions about resource allocation and tool integration.

Conclusion

The Rackspace Time Saver for Backstage plugin is a significant addition to the Backstage ecosystem. It addresses a critical gap by enabling teams to measure and understand the time efficiencies provided by Backstage. As teams continue to seek ways to enhance productivity, tools like Time Saver play an essential role in optimizing software development processes and proving the value of developer tooling investments.

The plugin can be found on the Rackspace Github repository here.