Think Piece

DevOps is one of the modern buzzwords in tech right now. More and more companies are switching to DevOps as it has become a common transformative journey in the IT world. We have asked one of the most experienced engineers at INDEAVR a few questions regarding the DevOps philosophy.

Why we need DevOps? Aren’t we flexible enough by applying Agile?

DevOps is a culture that allows the development and the operations team to work together and deliver services faster and in a more efficient manner. It’s a challenging field, which requires continuous development, testing, integration, deployment, and monitoring of the software throughout the lifecycle. Agile is a methodology for software development that addresses gaps and conflicts between the customer’s expectations and the developers’ understanding of those expectations. The focus here is on iterative, incremental, and rapid releases of software, followed by customer feedback.

Are there any business benefits after adopting the DevOps way of working?

Yes, there are a lot of business benefits of DevOps for different stakeholders – for IT managers, it is important that the procedural and technological metrics are improved: better software performance, lower cost of investment and a release, lower volume of defects. From the lens of a CIO, DevOps offers reliable and faster fixes, along with enhanced operational support, greater flexibility, adaptability, and freedom to experiment. The advantages of DevOps as per the corporate vision of a CEO include reliable and stable IT infrastructure, lower downtime, and improvement in productivity of the organization.

Could you share some lessons learnt / recommendations based on your professional experience?

Rushing to make changes is not a viable option. The transition to DevOps does not happen overnight. Do not expect the infrastructure to be managed by code at once. Do not attempt to automate everything at once. Make sure the tools of automation chosen are compatible and integrated with each other and ensure smooth operation and management of configuration. And draw your attention to enhancing security – negligence in the field of security can make the DevOps transformation ineffective.

What about the collaboration with the other teams?

Traditionally, Development and Operations teams have different priorities and that’s why team play is a very important part of DevOps. The changes can be large or small depending on the business needs but with so many moving parts, it’s essential that all sides stay in sync to enable project success. Communication and collaboration are some of the most crucial skills for a DevOps professional, as they should be able to define a clear and easy to understand roadmap. This is crucial in order to get everyone on the same page and help them achieve the final objectives.