There are many definitions and interpretations of the DevOps methodology, but most of them are either mistaken or provide nothing other than a vague image. In this article, we’ll describe the basic DevOps practices that will help you figure out what exactly DevOps in real development is.
Developers who follow the DevOps methodology use a specific set of practices. Thanks to these practices, the user receives a complete and almost bug-free product.
The process of software and release is divided into four main stages:
- Planning.
- Development and testing.
- Release.
- Monitoring and learning.
A team uses the following practices in their work:
- Continuous Integration.
- Automated Testing.
- Infrastructure as Code.
- Continuous Deployment.
- Configuration Management.
- Load Testing.
- Application Performance Monitoring.
Let’s discuss each of these practices and analyze their benefits for a business.
Continuous Integration
After the developer has finished their work and saved the result in the working copy, auto testing of the code starts. If the robot doesn’t find bugs, it reports the successful testing to the rest of the process participants. If errors are found in the code, the developer will receive notification and can quickly fix them. This happens after every change.
The benefits of this practice for a business lie in accelerated development and testing, optimized resources, and repeatability of the process. The latter means that a successful assembly can be opened by all developers, not just by the person responsible for the latest changes.
Automated Testing
Automated testing is carried out without the direct involvement of a human. The launch, initialization, and execution of code in the application are checked by a robot. The developer is immediately notified of errors and can start fixing them.
The main advantages of automated tests for a business are low cost and fast speed of execution.
Infrastructure as Code
Computing infrastructure is to be managed not manually but through definition files. The developer should be able not only to write code but also to configure the software; however, for this purpose, the configuration process needs to become more software-like.
For businesses, the benefits of this methodology are resource optimization and faster delivery.
Continuous Deployment
After the application has successfully passed all the tests, the automated installation into the production environment begins. It is launched after the release management tool, which is responsible for analyzing successful tests and making the assembly ready for deployment, gives the green light.
This practice is of a high priority for business, as a robot can install an application faster than a human.
Configuration Management
It involves recording information about all updates, equipment, and software, as well as the location of the equipment and network addresses of devices.
What’s important for a business here is the rapid location of a problem, as well as the flexibility of the tool.
Load Testing
Using this practice, information about software performance and response time to user actions is collected. This makes it possible to monitor the operation of the app under various user loads and assess its capacity to function when used by a large number of people.
Application Performance Monitoring
This practice helps to evaluate and manage the performance and availability of an application. Although load testing reveals most bugs, user actions can be unpredictable. Application performance monitoring makes it possible to quickly detect and resolve even unexpected problems.
All seven practices possess clear benefits for a business; no wonder the requests for DevOps engineers have increased in recent years. In the labor market, the demand for experienced specialists in this field consistently exceeds the supply, so many companies prefer to outsource them.
We at Andersen offer DevOps engineering services to both existing clients and new ones. Specialists in DevOps implementation are usually included in the teams formed for a customer’s needs, but sometimes customers turn to us exclusively for a DevOps engineer. This happens when a client already has their own IT team, but they feel the need to implement DevOps practices. Such customers understand the benefits of outsourcing compared to hiring.
