DevOps has definitely lived up to the hype through proven efficiency. However, there are still some misconceptions circulating in the air. In this article, we will shed some light on the truths and fallacies about DevOps.
DevOps engineer is a line item
Development Operations was another solution for optimising communication to increase product development speed as an expected consequence.
Supposedly, DevOps engineers can assess security risks via automation and tools with an understanding of firsthand processes ā the development cycle, testing, and product architecture. The developer must understand how his product works in certain conditions, how to deploy its development, and what environment characteristics to tweak to increase performance.
Eventually, it brought up the emergence of developers with a DevOps approach. There is still a DevOps engineer position on job boards, but we wouldnāt consider it a “real” position. There is a huge layer of various engineers hiding behind the DevOps label.
No tools ā no DevOps
DevOps aims to reduce interconnections and simplify management. Of course, spending a fortune on different project management or test management solutions to meet these goals in your development might sometimes be necessary. But as DevOps is just a practice that unites many different aspects of the agile methodology, you might want to consider some affordable tools. For example, to prepare your QA team for automation, you can use aqua ALM to make it easier for developers to enhance their Software Development Life Cycle.
But again, you can go with or without any tools.
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DevOps is a mirror of CI/CD
CI/CD pipeline and DevOps are to be confused more often than you can imagine. We believe the reason is that both of them rely on automation. Itās also the root of a misconception about agile and DevOps, as they also incorporate automation.
But let’s dot the i’s and cross the t’s in this question: DevOps is used as one of the development practices within an agile approach to streamline the Software Development Life Cycle.
Hook up Jenkins integration for CI/CD pipeline
Automation is a silver bullet
Automation is a very handful thing while deploying new features. Unfortunately, even though it can quickly eliminate obvious problems, you need manual efforts to process insights and feedback from this automation. DevOps remains a people-oriented process, and automation is just an “exoskeleton” for all human efforts.
DevOps treats every hiccup
They went hollering from the rooftops about how DevOps should be used in every team for any type of development. And itās sad to admit that itās the most common misconception about DevOps as the number of companies “bragging” about using DevOps is overwhelming.
DevOps aims to optimise expenses, increase ROI and speed development up, but it fits mostly for companies with chameleonic environments. The more often changes in a product during development, the higher the need for DevOps. If your product remains mostly the same, incorporating DevOps is unnecessary.
NoOps is the new DevOps
DevOps ensures faster and smoother deployments with steady improvement conducted by a professional. NoOps is supposed to exclude a professional from this description by relying only on tools and services to maintain all components.
However, true NoOps is still an unreachable dream as all releases require human supervision to take care of underlying infrastructure and hit every tick box of policies. So NoOps is not new DevOps; it is just another approach to development.
DevOps is Agile
The common myth that DevOps is Agile is almost unbreakable. DevOps borrowed many aspects of work from agile and can operate within this methodology. It makes them just like two best friends but not twins.
DevOps engineer = DevOps team
Having DevOps engineers doesn’t mean a DevOps team by default. DevOps is undoubtedly about people, but the core of this approach is DevOps processes and how people follow them. And if your engineers don’t address these processes as they should, then you have nothing to do with DevOps.
DevOps is a tool
Usually, this myth circulates among business owners with no IT background. Many tools help to incorporate DevOps into your work. For example, you can use aqua to hook up integrations for your testing automation within this approach. But regularly, itās not correct to consider DevOps as a tool.
DevOps guarantees non-stop releases
We wish there were something that actually could guarantee non-stop releases. Of course, you can deliver one release after another using DevOps, but their quality might be doubtful. DevOps can speed up releases, but the quality is a matter of your QA and development teams’ joint efforts.
DevOps is only for large enterprises
One of the most widespread DevOps myths is that some people believe it is exclusively suitable for large organisations with extensive resources. However, DevOps principles and practices can be tailored and applied effectively to businesses of all sizes, including startups and small to medium-sized enterprises.
DevOps replaces the need for specialised roles
There is a misconception that DevOps eliminates the need for specialised roles such as system administrators, security experts, and database administrators. In reality, DevOps encourages collaboration among these roles and incorporates their expertise into the development process.
DevOps is only about automation
While automation is a fundamental aspect of DevOps, it’s not the sole focus. DevOps emphasises collaboration, communication, and cultural changes within organisations. It’s about automating tasks and fostering a culture of shared responsibility and continuous improvement.
DevOps is only for software development
Some individuals mistakenly believe that DevOps principles are only applicable to software development projects. However, DevOps can be adapted to various domains, including infrastructure management, data science, and even marketing. It’s a versatile approach that enhances collaboration and efficiency across different sectors.
DevOps guarantees instant results
Another common misconception about employing DevOps is that it will instantly solve all your organisational problems and lead to immediate improvements in speed and quality. In reality, implementing DevOps practices is a journey that requires time, commitment, and continuous learning. While it can yield significant benefits, they may not be instantaneous, and success depends on consistent effort and adaptation.
Conclusion
Adopting DevOps has more advantages: clear and more stable workflow, faster and better product delivery, and better resource utilisation.
However, the IT industry is still full of myths about DevOps; itās essential to do deeper research before incorporating any kind of approaches, technologies or tools, as you can waste money and time on unnecessary improvements.
