DevOps is a set of practices that emphasize collaboration and communication between software developers and IT operations professionals, automating the software delivery process and infrastructure changes. The DevOps name comes from the union of the two words “development” and “operations”.
DevOps aims to create a culture and an environment in which software design, testing and release can take place quickly, frequently and efficiently. DevOps is not just a methodology, it is a real working philosophy.
Why DevOps
In recent decades, both the world of software development and the world of IT operations have greatly improved their way of working. However currently there is a need to re-align and it is precisely from this need for re-alignment that the DevOps movement is born.
DevOps is based on a philosophy that completely transforms the way IT professionals view the stability and resilience of the system they manage, as well as their own role within the end-to-end value stream. The ‘development vs. operations’ is disappearing, albeit gradually, because both parties are increasingly aware that they belong to the same team and work towards the same goal.
The expression “DevOps” was born during a series of DevOps Days that began in 2009 in Belgium. Since then, the numerous DevOps events around the world and a very active online community have allowed the spread of this cultural movement. The DevOps community is committed to studying and sharing practices and technologies that enable the rapid development and implementation of quality software products and services.
To practice DevOps and use the methodology it is highly recommended to own a DevOps certification. Find out why!
DevOps innovative features
Some of the innovative features that DevOps brings to the workforce are the following;
- Integrated team
- Integrated delivery model
- Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment
Integrated team
Developers are no longer outside of operational management. With DevOps, developers and systems engineers in operation become integrated into a single, cohesive development team (development – Dev) and operation (operations – Ops). There are different roles within the DevOps team, find out who does what.
Integrated delivery model
DevOps pushes us towards a single reference code that includes software, middleware, and operating environment. DevOps brings together what were historically different systems, in terms of management mode, release cycle or control model. With DevOps, multiple disciplines work together in a seamlessly integrated delivery model to add customer value.
Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery
DevOps combines Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD), and its CI/CD pipeline improves the speed of meeting customer needs. It’s a question of time to market!
DevOps and Agile
DevOps principles and practices are absolutely compatible with Agile, indeed many think that DevOps is the logical continuation for those that decided to work with Agile approaches.
- Agile has been fundamental in improving the trust relationship between Development and Business, DevOps, also focusing on the Operation part, deals with the trust relationship between business and IT in its entirety
- Very often Agile serves as an important support to DevOps, thanks to its focus on small teams that continuously deliver high-quality code to customers.
DevOps and ITIL
Some see DevOps as a denial of ITIL or IT Service Management. ITIL has had a large influence on generations of operations practitioners (Ops) and is a constantly evolving set of practices that encode the processes that support IT Operations, covering service strategy, design and support.
DevOps practices can be compatible with the ITIL process; however, to support the shorter technical times and higher delivery rates associated with DevOps, many areas of ITIL processes become fully automated.
Finally, precisely because DevOps requires speed in incident detection and recovery, ITIL’s service design, incident and problem management disciplines remain more important and useful than ever.
For in-depth information about ITIL vs DevOps, read about our expert trainer Xavier Heusdens’s experience with both methodologies.
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