If you want to build better software faster, DevOps is the answer. Here’s how this software development methodology brings everyone to the table to create secure code quickly.
DevOps can be best explained as people working together to conceive, build and deliver secure software at top speed. DevOps practices enable software developers (devs) and operations (ops) teams to accelerate delivery through automation, collaboration, fast feedback, and iterative improvement.
Stemming from an Agile approach to software development, a DevOps delivery process expands on the cross-functional approach of building and shipping applications in a faster and more iterative manner. In adopting a DevOps development process, you are making a decision to improve the flow and value delivery of your application by encouraging a more collaborative environment at all stages of the development cycle.
DevOps is a combination of software developers (dev) and operations (ops). It is defined as a software engineering methodology which aims to integrate the work of software development and software operations teams by facilitating a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility.
DevOps represents a change in mindset for IT culture. In building on top of Agile, lean practices, and systems theory, DevOps focuses on incremental development and rapid delivery of software. Success relies on the ability to create a culture of accountability, improved collaboration, empathy, and joint responsibility for business outcomes.
DevOps brings the human siloes together and an open DevOps platform does the same thing for tools. Many teams start their DevOps journey with a disparate collection of tools, all of which have to be maintained and many of which don’t or can’t integrate. An open DevOps platform brings tools together in a single application for unparalleled collaboration, visibility, and development velocity. An open DevOps platform is how modern software should be created, secured, released, and monitored in a repeatable fashion. A truly “open” DevOps platform means just that: Teams can iterate faster and innovate together because everyone can contribute.
The business value of DevOps lies in the ability to improve the production environment in order to deliver software faster with continuous improvement. You need the ability to anticipate and respond to industry disruptors without delay. This becomes possible within an Agile software development process where teams are empowered to be autonomous and deliver faster, reducing work in progress. Once this occurs, teams are able to respond to demands at the speed of the market.
There are some fundamental concepts that need to be put into action in order for DevOps to function as designed, including the need to:
Remove institutionalized silos and handoffs that lead to road blocks and constraints, particularly in instances where the measurements of success for one team is in direct odds with another team’s key performance indicators (KPIs).
Implement a unified tool chain using a single application that allows multiple teams to share and collaborate. This will enable teams to accelerate delivery and provide fast feedback to one another.
DevOps covers a wide range of practices across the application lifecycle. Customers start with one or more of these practices in their journey to DevOps success.
Adopting a DevOps model breaks down barriers so that development and operations teams are no longer siloed and have a more efficient way to work across the entire development and application lifecycle.Without DevOps, organizations experience handoff friction, which delays the delivery of software releases and negatively impacts business results.
The DevOps model is an organization’s answer to increasing operational efficiency, accelerating delivery, and innovating products. Organizations that have implemented a DevOps culture experience the benefits of increased collaboration, fluid responsiveness, and shorter cycle times.
Adopting a DevOps model creates alignment between development and operations teams; handoff friction is reduced and everyone is all in on the same goals and objectives.
More collaboration leads to real-time feedback and greater efficiency; changes and improvements can be implemented quicker and guesswork is removed.
Improved efficiency and frequent communication between teams shortens cycle time; new code can be released more rapidly while maintaining quality and security.
Here’s a list of resources on DevOps that we find to be particularly helpful in understanding DevOps and implementation. We would love to get your recommendations on books, blogs, videos, podcasts and other resources that tell a great DevOps story or offer valuable insight on the definition or implementation of the practice.
Please share your favorites with us by tweeting us @gitlab!
How DevOps leads transformation (GitLab Virtual Commit 2020 track) →
Cloud-Native DevOps (GitLab Virtual Commit 2020 track) →
DevOps tips and tricks (GitLab Virtual Commit 2020 track) →
How to simplify DevOps →
Axway aims for elite DevOps status →
Worldline and the importance of collaboration →
The European Space Agency and DevOps →
GitLab’s 2020 Global DevSecOps Survey →
Gartner on application release orchestration →
Arrested DevOps →
Leading the Transformation →
The Goal →
Starting and Scaling DevOps in the Enterprise →
The Phoenix Project →
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