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Standard : All infrastructure modules are versioned and backwards-compatible

Purpose and Strategic Importance

This standard ensures all infrastructure modules are versioned and maintain backwards compatibility, enabling safe and predictable evolution of infrastructure. It reduces disruption and supports collaborative, multi-team environments.

Aligned to our "Infrastructure as Code (IaC) & Policy as Code" policy, this standard enhances stability, reusability, and trust in automation. Without it, changes can break dependent systems and increase operational risk.

Strategic Impact

  • Improved consistency and quality across teams
  • Reduced operational friction and delivery risks
  • Stronger ownership and autonomy in technical decision-making
  • More inclusive and sustainable engineering culture

Risks of Not Having This Standard

  • Slower time-to-value and increased rework
  • Accumulation of inconsistency and process debt
  • Reduced trust in engineering data, systems, or ownership
  • Loss of agility in the face of change or failure

CMMI Maturity Model

  • Level 1 – Initial: Infrastructure code is unversioned or manually managed. Breaking changes may be introduced without awareness or control, leading to system instability.

  • Level 2 – Managed: Some teams version infrastructure modules, but practices are inconsistent. Compatibility is not routinely tested, and downstream consumers may be impacted by changes.

  • Level 3 – Defined: All infrastructure modules are versioned using a standard approach. Teams apply semantic versioning and test for backwards compatibility before publishing changes.

  • Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed: Module usage, upgrade frequency, and compatibility are tracked. Changes are validated through automated pipelines, and consumers are notified proactively.

  • Level 5 – Optimising: Versioning and compatibility feedback loops are fully integrated. Teams co-design shared modules, improve reuse patterns, and continuously refine practices to ensure safe, scalable infrastructure evolution.


Key Measures

  • Adoption rates and coverage across teams
  • Impact on delivery metrics, quality, or team health
  • Evidence of ownership, governance, or learning loops
Associated Policies
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC) & Policy as Code
Associated Practices
  • CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation)
  • Event-Driven Architecture (EDA)
  • GraphQL-first APIs
  • Hexagonal (Ports & Adapters) Architecture
  • Microservices Architecture
  • Modular Monoliths
  • Strangler Fig Pattern
  • Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
Associated Measures
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Coverage

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