DevOps as a concept has been in the market for some time now, and citations abound from the leadership of various organizations on how they have adopted DevOps successfully as part of their software implementation methodology.
But, every organization that has adopted DevOps has done so partially or almost completely on their own understanding and practice of the concept. Some suggest it as a modified form of agile development methodology, while others claim it as a simple co-location of resources with the traditional processes in place.
Here are some realities about DevOps, both for organizations that have already adopted it, and for those still sitting on the fence.
In the digital age, where faster deployment of products has become all the more important, it is imperative to develop an appropriate DevOps framework that ensures fast and easy deployment of code into the production. This framework should not only ensure a faster time to market but also affirm that the quality of the code meets or exceeds client expectations.
It has become critical for organizations to enhance the customer experience via software that meets individual customer’s expectations. DevOps as a methodology accelerates the release of this software, which is launched in form of a minimum viable product (MVP) and upgraded incrementally based on market demand.
The DevOps framework ideally should consist of the right team structure, where the development and operations teams collaborate from the beginning of the design stage to formulate an ideal system. This framework should solve old issues, such as late involvement of the operations and testing teams, which results in developers moving on to new projects while the code waits for the UAT approval before being handed over to the operations team, which in turn affects the release timing and code quality.
The framework should also incorporate guidelines on the tool stack that will help in faster code deployment while maintaining consistency across multiple environments. There are a variety of tools in the marketplace that automate DevOps testing, configuration, provisioning, and monitoring. It is highly important to choose the right tool stack that can be easily integrated, while ensuring high performance and throughput.
What are the critical DevOps underpinnings? The three pillars of reduced cost, increased quality, and lower effort are the KPIs against which the DevOps strategy should be gauged. Automated deployment of code plays a major role in achieving these objectives, helping ensure that end users get a ready to use product in a short span of time. And with the urgency with which organizations are going digital, time can equal success…or failure.
For more details on DevOps and its application, please see Everest Group’s recently published viewpoint, “DevOps: People, Processes and Products.”
