DevOps is NOT a Job Title | Why development teams practice DevOps
OK, so I don’t know who needs to hear this because it seems like such an obvious thing, but DevOps is not a job title!
There is no such thing as a “DevOps team” or someone who has decided to “do DevOps” as a job. If you think that there are developers and then also DevOps, all you are describing is the old way of doing things with a fancy new name. DevOps is a mindset and represents exactly the opposite.
Development + Operations = DevOps
The Age-Old Problem of Development and Operations
Have you heard the phrase “throw the code over the wall to operations”? This is what DevOps was created to address. It’s the concept that developers write code and then throw it over the wall to operations and hope that it works. This was the norm for many years because applications were small, monolithic, and self-contained. But what happened when they started to get bigger?
Applications became more complex with multiple tiers, dependencies on other systems, and a need for speed. The DevOps movement was born out of a recognition that we can no longer operate this way if we want to be successful.
The problem before DevOps was that devs weren’t responsible for what they did and didn’t have to worry about how scalable or reliable their application was. That was the ops team’s problem. This is why DevOps was created, to change this way of thinking and have devs take responsibility for the applications they write.
What is DevOps?
DevOps is a term that was first coined around 2009. It is a term that is used to describe the relationship between development and operations. DevOps is a mindset that encourages developers and operations to work together to create applications and support them.
So what does this mean for you?
If you are a developer, it means that you are responsible for the code that you write. You need to make sure that it is scalable and reliable. If you are an operations person, it means that you need to work with the developers to make sure that the code is reliable and scalable.
Benefits of practicing DevOps
There are many benefits to practicing DevOps. Some of these benefits include:
- Shorter deployment times
- Fewer bugs
- More reliable applications
- Improved scalability
By practicing DevOps, your development team can become more efficient and create workflows that are more efficient. DevOps is not a job title, but rather a mindset that should be adopted by all members of the development team. When everyone is working together towards the same goal, the results can be amazing.
Challenges of adopting a DevOps Culture
When a company first hears of the benefits of DevOps, they often jump in headfirst without actually knowing what it means or how to accomplish it. These are common mistakes you see companies make when they don’t completely understand the purpose of a DevOps culture:
Creating a DevOps department — Some companies try to create a whole new DevOps department which kinda defeats the purpose of DevOps in the first place.
Hiring DevOps engineers — Another common mistake is trying to fill positions by making job postings for “DevOps Engineers”. If you see this, it’s a sure sign that the company is not thinking about this the right way.
Just putting developers and operations under the same manager — This is a great first step, but it can’t be the only step. It takes buy-in from everyone involved in order to have success. it’s a way of thinking and behaving that should be embraced by all members of the development team. DevOps is about breaking down silos and creating a culture of collaboration and communication. When everyone on the team understands and embraces DevOps values, then the company will see real benefits in terms of faster, more reliable releases.
Core values of a DevOps Culture
There are a few key values that are at the heart of DevOps culture and that can help lead to higher productivity in development teams. These include:
- Continuous learning: DevOps is always evolving, so it’s important to be open to learning new ways of working and improving. This includes being open to feedback and willing to experiment.
- Collaboration: DevOps relies on teamwork, so it’s important to be able to work effectively with others both within your team and across other teams.
- Speed: To keep up with the ever-changing demands of business, DevOps teams need to move quickly and efficiently. This means being able to adapt quickly and solve problems efficiently.
DevOps is about embracing change and being able to move quickly and efficiently so that you can keep up with the demands of the business. It’s not about having a specific job title, but rather about having the right mindset. If you’re looking to improve your team’s productivity, start by embracing the DevOps values listed above.
DevOps is about holistically embracing the software development lifecycle
DevOps is about supporting every step of the software development lifecycle as a team where everyone is aware of all of the moving parts.
Designing/Planning — The best teams who embrace the DevOps culture plan their applications with all aspects of the lifecycle in mind. It’s not just about what the application does, but also about how it fits into the ecosystem. As a matter of fact, the planning phase is the best time to be inclusive. It’s an opportunity to talk about testing strategy, application architecture, monitoring, and deployment processes all in one safe place where nobody’s needs are considered less important.
Development — DevOps starts with development, and the DevOps mindset needs to be embraced by everyone on the team. Every developer on the team must be aware of the DevOps values and how they can help improve the process. Just writing code that works isn’t enough anymore. It’s time to step it up and think about the big picture.
Testing — DevOps isn’t just for developers. QA and testing need to be part of the process as well. Getting a QA team involved in software planning is a great step towards a holistic view of software delivery.
Deployment — Once code is ready, it needs to be deployed in a way that doesn’t cause outages or interruptions to users. In a DevOps culture, this often means fully automated deployment processes. Nothing embraces the combination of development and operations more than writing code that is specifically designed to deploy your application.
Monitoring — The DevOps philosophy extends to monitoring as well. Teams need to be aware of what is happening with their applications at all times and have the appropriate tools in place to help them identify and fix issues quickly. Having monitoring and visibility at the core of an application from the start means that nobody has to hack it in after the fact.
Learning — As technology changes, DevOps teams need to learn and adapt. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to DevOps. Keeping on top of changing best practices is essential to success.
Maintaining — Software maintenance and patching is often seen as a necessary evil. In a DevOps culture, it becomes an opportunity to improve the process and share responsibility for the long-term success of an application.
Are you part of a DevOps Culture?
These are just a few of the reasons why development teams practice DevOps. It can help to improve communication and collaboration, reduce outages and downtime, and make sure that applications are always up-to-date and compliant with regulations. DevOps is about so much more than just job titles, and it’s something that all teams should consider embracing.
