28 February 2023 | Noor Khan
DevOps engineering introduces new processes, tools, and team changes that balance the needs of the software lifecycle (from coding and deployment, to maintenance and updates), with strategic automation that allows for faster development times and release of products. In this article, we give you an introduction to DevOps Engineering and what it can offer your business.
The DevOps team are instrumental in:
The DevOps model requires effective use of tooling in order to make rapid change, allow for reliable deployment and allow engineers to stay in control of high velocity projects that may otherwise be slowed down or impacted by non-automated processes.
The discipline is considered important because of this faster development of new products, with easier maintenance of existing deployments, and is an inclusive approach which combines development and operations in a way that unifies teams and simplifies communications.
In order to run a team with the DevOps process, DevOps Engineers have to work with, and have knowledge of, a wide range of tools, platforms, and software in both development and operations, that allow for the unification and automation of processes, and DevOps engineers must be highly skilled in:
The DevOps process is structured around five pillars:
Collaboration
Working together, communicating effectively, and setting up processes that optimise this process is crucial for DevOps engineering to take place, without a robust support and monitoring structure, the discipline will not work properly.
Automation and workflows
In order to engineer and develop at the highest industry standards, there have to be consistent workflows, so each stage of development can be seamlessly moved into the next. DevOps has automation built into these workflows in order to provide faster speeds, without compromising quality.
Security and compliance
Software development has to be secure and compliant with relevant legal obligations, and engineers have to ensure that their finished products are fit for this purpose. The DevOps process requires that development security operations (DevSecOps) are not just left to one team, but a consideration that every team member has to work with.
Communication and documentation
There are no user manuals with the DevOps process, the need for change and the resolution of issues comes rapidly. Communication and documentation are essential in order for teams to work effectively together, and for incoming engineers or other staff to be able to look at a project and understand what is being done.
Continuous improvement
As DevOps tasks are non-linear in their testing, developing, and rolling out – the amount of time spent on the process is greatly reduced and supported by automated incident monitoring, team members have the ability to handle matters quickly and effectively, as well as continue pushing for continuous improvement that not only drives the project forward but the level of the team and the business as a whole.
The DevOps approach aims to streamline interactions, ensure that teams are working together effectively, and automate to reduce time and resource wastage.
Some of the key benefits that come from utilising DevOps engineering or working with DevOps engineers include:
Not every team is suited to taking a DevOps approach to their development, the process is not just limited to DevOps engineers and to work correctly, it has to be adopted by the entire organisation.
Some of the challenges of adopting the DevOps approach are:
Knowing the skills and abilities of your employees and determining whether to work with trusted third-party experts to extend your team or keep it in house is important. DevOps is not a short-term small-scale change, it involves looking at how the team is working, adopting automation and high levels of communication, and requires constant development to progress. This is not a strategy for everyone, but for those who do use it, they often find it highly effective in terms of delivery, time, and resource usage - and getting the most for their budget.
DevOps offers invaluable benefits to software teams. If you are finding it a challenge to implement the DevOps approach, we can help. Our expert software engineers have adopted the core principles of DevOps such as automation, robust structure and consistent communication to deliver excellence to our clients every day. Whether you are looking to outsource DevOps or need a team to come on board on a project basis, we can help. Explore success stories of our clients succeeding with Ardent:
Get in touch to get started or find out more about our operational monitoring and support services.
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