What is DevOps, and how to execute the methodology?
DevOps is a work culture that attracts attention for one simple reason: it is extremely efficient. Not surprisingly, every current technology company sells itself as adopting this approach. But what is it and how important is it?
To answer these questions, it is necessary to delve deeply into the concept and practice.
The truth is that, for tech organizations looking to stay at the top of the race against the competition, it is essential to adopt this methodology.
And are you ready to learn more? We have prepared a definitive guide on the topic. Continue reading and resolve all your doubts!
DevOps: what is it?
DevOps is a new method to software development. It aims to improve delivery efficiency and quality. At its heart, it is the merger of two industries: development and operations — hence the phrase, which is a mixture of the two.
The culture incorporates methodology, tools and practices from both development and IT operations, enabling teams to work together throughout the software lifecycle , from concept to implementation.
It’s a way to break down departmental boundaries by building collaborative teams with members from multiple departments.
In other words, it is possible to control the entire operational funnel, optimizing all development phases: from brainstorming to final tests .
This can reduce manual processes, simplify implementation cycles, and help developers focus on high-value activities rather than routine tasks.
To understand what this organizational culture is, it is essential to look at the past.
Some time ago — and in some companies, even today — there was a conflict between the development and operations sectors. The conflict generated discussions and misalignments, which created a business productivity gap .
On the development side, there was a lack of agility and flexibility to build good code.
On the operations side, the problem was the servers, which were unable to keep up with demand levels.
You already know the result: the lack of continuity in projects, which created huge gaps between the stages of each product.
The turning point was the creation and implementation of this culture, which unites the links between the two sectors and transforms production processes, making them more efficient and fully scalable.
It is also worth mentioning that DevOps is not a mere work method, but a philosophy incorporated into the company’s culture . This means that simply uniting the two sectors is not enough.
It is something that transcends several organizational aspects, adopting a more modern approach to development.
In DevOps, errors are valued, seen as opportunities for improvement. The prevailing culture is one of experimentation. Remember: collaboration is the key to everything .
Why implement a DevOps culture in the company?
After all, why should your company worry about implementing a DevOps culture? The main reason we already talked about in the introduction: because it is effective!
Adoption allows for automation of the approach, reduces human errors, increases performance and makes processes more repeatable. It also encourages collaboration between departments, eliminates knowledge silos, and promotes close communication between teams.
It’s no surprise that companies that embrace a culture of innovation experience higher growth rates and a longer time-to-market .
At the same time, it helps reduce costs and improve quality control — due to constant automated testing. In practice, it is an agile methodology that can be implemented in any type of organization.
According to the Puppet study , companies adopting the approach saw results such as:
- 24 times more active in resolving crashes;
- 22% less time wasted on rework;
- 50% less time fixing security issues.
Furthermore, it is a question of competitiveness: if your company does not do it, your competitor will.
And this is a selling point that attracts customers looking for developers and software factories capable of delivering timely and efficient solutions.
The DevOps lifecycle
The DevOps lifecycle concerns a continuous software development process. It contains best practices for planning, building, integrating, deploying, monitoring, operating and improving a digital product.
It is common to illustrate this continuous process as a circle, like this example from Spiceworks:
Continuous development
The cycle begins with the planning phase, in which the team identifies the project objectives and defines the product to be developed.
Continuous integration
In this phase, different development teams develop their work in a shared repository. This way, if there are any issues or errors during the integration process, they can be quickly identified and corrected.
Continuous testing
At this point, the team begins testing the product, which is done with automation tools that verify that the code behaves correctly and meets all requirements.
Continuous deployment
Once everything is tested and ready, the code can be deployed to production servers. This allows for quick delivery of the product and allows users to start using it immediately.
Continuous monitoring
After deployment, the product is monitored to ensure it is working as expected and meeting user needs . In practice, it involves observing key metrics such as latency, availability, error rates, etc.
Continuous feedback
Finally, user feedback is collected and used to identify areas for improvement. It’s something that helps the team refine and improve the product over time.
Continuous operation
The team also ensures that the product is available and working correctly, on an ongoing basis.
How to adopt DevOps in your organization?
For the implementation of the approach to be successful, there must be a change in the company’s organizational culture .
By following a few steps, it is possible to better adapt the organization so that the methodology is successful.
Count on engaged professionals
The team must have members with specific skills related to the software development process, such as developers and systems administrators.
Integrate teams and services
The approach works best when all teams involved in the process collaborate and communicate efficiently.
To do this, invest in tools that promote corporate communication, as well as integrate professionals and processes, so that nothing is lost between sectors.
Standardize the IT environment
To ensure that the DevOps cycle works correctly, it is important to have an IT environment in which all tools are synchronized. One way to do this is to use a platform as a service (PaaS) .
This will reduce the cost and complexity of managing different versions of tools and software.
Use management tools and methodologies
This culture requires specific tools and methodologies to manage the entire software development process. Examples include Agile , Lean , and Kanban .
They help the team track tasks, create metrics and measures of success, and ensure deadlines are met.
Furthermore, don’t forget to invest in solutions such as ERP , which keep track of the entire backoffice and simplify other functions parallel to the development and operations team.
Invest in automation
One of the most important steps for a successful DevOps implementation is automation. There are many tools available to automate different processes, such as continuous integration and testing, deployment, monitoring, and feedback.
By correctly automating each step of the cycle, you can reduce costs and save time .
Adopt gradually
Give it time and don’t rush your transformation to a new culture. This is a complex movement, which requires time for professionals and the company as a whole to get used to.
How about establishing a medium and long-term calendar with fair dates so that the team can properly adapt to the new approach?
Track the results
Finally, keep an eye on the results and ensure that the development process is achieving its objectives.
If there are problems, it is important to analyze them and take corrective action quickly. By doing this, you can continually improve your cycle and get the most out of it .