10 Common Myths about DevOps!

Introduction

DevOps is a term that is often misunderstood. DevOps is strengthening its foothold in software product development companies across the globe and it is imperative that the digital product companies in the IT industry understand what it means.

While some people think that DevOps is only a collaboration of ‘development’ and ‘operations’, the term really refers to the system and processes that are put into practice to increase team collaboration in any type of business, large or small. There are many myths surrounding DevOps.

As an expert digital product development company and drawing from our DevOps expertise, through this blog we want to debunk a few of the common myths about DevOps such as

• Is DevOps a tool?
• Does it require a team?
• Is it useful only for the cloud?
• Is it only for developers?

and more…

Myth 1: DevOps Requires Agile

DevOps and Agile are not synonyms. Agile development is a methodology of software delivery, incrementally applied in its creation, while DevOps enables faster software delivery. DevOps refers not only to a delivery method but to an entire culture. Adopting DevOps results in multiple benefits for businesses.

DevOps can help complement and augment agile development, but it is in no way not dependent on it and can support various work methodologies such as:

• Waterfall – To accelerate and optimize construction processes and implement automation.
• Agile – To provide greater communication between development and operations.
• Hybrid approach – To improve speed, quality, and compliance.

Complete adoption of the DevOps philosophy is necessary for obtaining optimal results.

Glimpse – DevOps in Healthcare: The Implementation & Key Benefits!

Myth 2: You Can’t have DevOps without Cloud

When many people think of DevOps they think of the cloud. And, there is a good reason for this. Cloud technology provides the ability to dynamically provision infrastructure resources for developers and testers to rapidly obtain test environments without waiting for a manual request to be fulfilled.

That does not mean the cloud is necessary to adopt DevOps practices, though. If an organization has efficient processes for obtaining resources to deploy and test application changes, it can very well adopt a DevOps approach.

Myth 4: DevOps is a software

The DevOps methodology consists of communication, collaboration, and automation of development (engineering) and operations functions and, as described in Myth 3, is required to be adopted by the entire organization to obtain optimal results. The adoption of DevOps can be greatly facilitated by software.

This doesn’t mean that DevOps is software though. Purchasing the software or tools that facilitate DevOps does not mean that DevOps is software. Harnessing the enablers’ full potential is required for optimized results using this methodology.

DevOps is in a nutshell – a philosophy that allows companies to automate their processes and do more collaborative work to achieve a common goal and deliver the software faster.

Myth 5: DevOps will Make the Traditional IT Roles Redundant

If you use DevOps, you will become database architects, cybersecurity specialists, and cloud engineers overnight is another common myth. Instead, DevOps culture breaks down traditional silos between development (engineering), operations, networking, security, and quality assurance teams to deliver continuous value to all the internal and external stakeholders.

Redress misconceptions about IT roles with transparency across teams through collaboration and communication. Hold managers and senior team members accountable to set the example for their organizations. Leadership involvement plays a critical role in debunking this myth.

Myth 6: DevOps Doesn’t Work for Large, Complex Systems

This myth is totally off the radar. DevOps does not work for large and complex systems is similar to believing the Earth is flat.

The opposite of this is actually true: complex systems often require the discipline and collaboration that DevOps provides. Large systems typically have multiple software or hardware components, each, with its own delivery cycles and timelines. DevOps facilitates better coordination of these delivery cycles and release planning.

Myth 7: It is Exclusive to Native Internet Companies

DevOps term became popular among companies such as Netflix, Flickr, and Etsy, whose operations are based on the internet. These companies are some of the pioneers of what is recognized popularly as the DevOps movement.

However, software technology enterprises and corporations have been applying similar principles to deliver software for years, possibly decades, without even being aware of the DevOps movement.

DevOps and its applications are hence not limited to native internet companies.

Myth 8: DevOps Requires Teams’ Physical Proximity

If you still have this misconception after months of lockdown, you need to burst the bubble immediately.

Lockdown has already proven that DevOps works just as efficiently remotely, even more. A common misconception is that teams must be co-located for DevOps collaboration to work. Some managers still think the staff must be in the same room to work together as a team.

However, remote workers, third-party contractors, and cloud service providers play increasingly significant roles in the delivery lifecycle. With the right tools and frameworks to support communication and collaboration along the DevOps lifecycle, efficient results can be achieved. Collaboration is about continuous improvement.

All team members need to know that from day one.

Must Read – Challenges when scaling DevOps in the Enterprise!

Myth 9: DevOps is Only for Continuous Delivery

DevOps does not mean continuous delivery. The purpose of adopting a DevOps culture is to increase the frequency of deliveries in the organization, from a specific interval to daily deployment, thereby improving responsiveness to market changes.

Although continuous delivery is largely dependent on automation and targeted at agile and lean thinking organizations, DevOps does not rely on a shared culture that promotes collaboration.

Myth 10: Soft Skills Aren’t Necessary

Another common DevOps myth is that soft skills, such as diplomacy, empathy, and oral communications, aren’t necessary. Developers and operations along with other stakeholders must all bury their hatchets to become integral collaborators in software delivery and services.

To overcome this, organizations need to add team communications to onboarding processes. For a larger organization, the HR department can easily offer soft skills training for employees. However, the challenge with such courses is finding time for developers to take them.

While adopting DevOps, it is imperative to leverage a subject matter’s expertise for efficient adoption. Organizations just starting with this methodology need to give it some time to track and monitor the efficiency of the results.

Leveraging the expertise of a software product development company specialized in DevOps still remains one of the easiest, most efficient, and easy the pockets option. We, at Pratiti Technologies, have an expert team, specialized in DevOps that can help you with your software deliveries efficiently and quickly. To know more about our capabilities, please contact us today.

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