At WP Engine, our groups usually host hackathons that goal to create innovation by a singular theme. These non-obligatory, company-wide competitions permit workers to work in groups as they craft new concepts, remedy present issues, flex their creativity, and have some enjoyable throughout the course of.
Traditionally, tasks developed throughout our hackathons have pushed significant improvements for WP Engine extra broadly.
In November, we held our most up-to-date hackathon. Channeling everybody’s favourite heroes in a half shell, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed “Slashathon” noticed groups toiling to enhance efficiency inside WP Engine programs, slashing underused code and eradicating inefficiencies of their tasks.
Staff shaped groups of at the least two folks to create tasks that aligned with the hackathon’s total objective.
This yr, winners had been divided into two classes—Slashers and Engine Tuners—with the first-place winners in every class receiving $1,000 to donate to a charity of their selection.
The “Slashers” award acknowledges the workforce that greatest decommissions code or legacy design components which are not wanted. Winners had been chosen by a well-liked vote amongst Slashathon individuals.
The “Engine Tuners” award acknowledges the workforce that greatest improves efficiency, and WP Engine Product and Engineering management chosen the profitable challenge.
Learn on for a fast overview of the Slashathon tasks and awards, in addition to the charitable contributions that got here out of this yr’s WP Engine Slashathon.
The tasks
This yr’s competitors featured 5 groups, and every made important contributions to the general objective of slashing by inefficiency.
Reapos
Group Reapos created a service that generates new digital storage repositories, or “repos,” and permits customers to view the present standing of these repositories by way of a kind.
This was created to cut back pointless prices, lower the variety of repositories, and guarantee GitHub compliance. This challenge demonstrated a proof of idea that WP Engine can doubtlessly slash 10,000 traces of code right down to 80 traces—an enormous success that can save house on servers.
Reaponomics
Group Reponomics used their Slashathon challenge to create node-reaping automation.
This has the potential to save lots of WP Engine hundreds of {dollars} in labor prices per 30 days as a result of packing the nodes optimally can mechanically and usually scale back server utilization as an alternative of getting people examine workload sizes.
SlasHAthon
Group SlasHAthon used its challenge to make sure stability inside the platform, specializing in platform efficiency. The workforce created a course of that can finally optimize the shopper consumption system and scale back downtime.
Mesmeric
Group Mesmeric analyzed WP Engine’s servers and located deprecated information taking on storage.
The workforce applied modifications within the manufacturing system to cease pointless SQL situations and created a brand new course of for information cleanup. This new course of solely retains 60-day-old notifications as information. After the 60-day interval, the notification is deleted.
Slash Slash Child
The ultimate workforce, Slash Slash Child, lower inefficiency, negativity, and muddle by their sensible challenge.
Members of the workforce cleaned up their workspaces and created a gratitude channel in WP Engine’s Slack to assist unfold extra positivity throughout the corporate.
And the winners are…
All of those tasks posed significant concepts and we congratulate everybody who participated on this occasion. Drumroll, please….the winners are:
Slashers Award: Group Repos
Engine Tuners Award: Group SlasHAthon
Group members chosen a number of nonprofit organizations to help with their Slashathon winnings. The chosen organizations embody the Nebraska Humane Society, Caritas Poland, Texas Equal Entry Fund, Cell Loves and Fishes, and UNICEF.
Slashing inefficiencies and fixing issues
Congratulations and thanks to everybody who participated in our November Slashathon! A number of of those tasks have the potential to make an actual influence and drive extra environment friendly workflows throughout our platform.
Our subsequent spring hackathon will likely be a terrific alternative to make use of creativity and innovation, so try our open roles throughout the corporate to search out your subsequent profession transfer and be part of the workforce in time to take part!
