Holter: Monitoring Continuous Integration Vital Signs

Background: Despite widespread adoption and an extensive body of research evaluating Continuous Integration (CI), there is evidence that not all Continuous Integration practices are fully adopted. Aims: We have developed and present Holter, a comprehensive suite of metrics tool that automatically calculate and monitor values related to Continuous Integration practices. This tool enables developers to continuously access these metrics and receive alerts regarding the evolution of CI practices. Method: We demonstrate the ease of use of our tool for monitoring CI practices, and we also conduct a Grey Literature Review (GLR) to compare our tool’s monitoring dashboard with those of existing CI services and third-party tools. Results: Leading CI services and complementary tools still offer basic support for monitoring Continuous Integration practices. Focus on monitoring fundamental information related to the performance of the Continuous Integration pipeline. Holter offers a more comprehensive and qualitative view of Continuous Integration practices that we have not found in other tools. Conclusions: Holter can be used to monitor and improve Continuous Integration (CI) practices in software development projects. Additionally, Holter can provide an initial and primary overview of a project’s CI maturity