The Realities of Running a Rails App Long Term

Explore the evolution of a Ruby on Rails application over a decade in this insightful conference talk. Trace the journey of DNSimple from its initial commit in 2010 to its current state, examining the iterative development process alongside Rails' progression. Gain valuable insights into software design choices, database management, testing strategies, and infrastructure changes. Learn about the challenges of maintaining a long-term Rails project, including managing legacy code, complexity, and team dynamics. Discover practical lessons on what has worked, what hasn't, and how to navigate the realities of running a Rails application for an extended period.

Introduction
Agenda
History
Initial Commit
Software Design Choices
Register Method
Active Record Callbacks
Active Record Query Interface
Commands
Finders
Early Testing
Integrations
PostgreSQL and MySQL
Web Server Software
Switch to Sidekick
Anycast
Dependency Management
Rails Ruby
Dependencies
Team Changes
Strong Opinions
Documentation
Commits
Challenges
Legacy Choices
Managing Complexity
Age
Conclusion