DevOps Misconceptions – Best Practices and What to Avoid

DevOps has become one of the most prominent buzzwords throughout the IT space. There are so many people talking about DevOps today. Half of this information is contradictory or misleading. DevOps misconceptions are common.

Best practices vary from company to company and this is important to keep in mind. No DevOps resource is perfect and everyone should take what they like from certain resources.

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What to avoid

Reliance on tools / underestimating tools

Almost any person speaking on DevOps will talk about how tools don’t make DevOps. When working on building a proper DevOps team, tools shouldn’t always come first. However, tools are typically downplayed by many analysts.

There is no all-encompassing DevOps tool, but DevOps does need tools to thrive. For example, a cloud platform is crucial to getting the most out of your team. Additionally, containers are a great way to enhance your workloads. Most DevOps resources will place an increased emphasis on culture. Culture is important, but the right tools need to be in place for this culture to thrive.

Impatience

Many companies talk about the benefits DevOps has provided their company. Netflix, for example, frequently discusses their practices. Don’t take what these companies say to heart. It’s certainly enticing to hear about the impact DevOps has, but you don’t need to play catch up with these companies. DevOps is relatively new; these companies have been practicing it from the beginning and they took their time.

Automation is an important concept for DevOps. It’s easy to become deluded with unreasonable expectations. Being patient and taking the process at your team’s pace will make them more intelligent and efficient when automation is fully integrated. DevOps culture is a huge change from the status-quo that has hindered IT teams for years. Automation is one component in allowing your team to be collaborative and innovative. This is a major investment in both time and resources, and if rushed, the results may not meet expectations. Detailed planning and patience will allow your transition to be successful.

Overlooking security

The biggest gripe against DevOps is the lack of security. A core tenant of DevOps is to speed up the development pipeline to keep up with a more demanding marketplace. Adding security measures to this process might make one think that the process will be slowed back down. However, when security testing is integrated into the development process, developers will be able to find issues faster. Thus, there will be more confidence in releasing a product. Development teams won’t have to scramble to make changes when the security team finds problems after a release is live.

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Best Practices

DevOps is what you make it

There is no universally accepted definition of DevOps. That’s because DevOps is what you want it to be. Sure, there are basic tenants that need to be followed for successful implementation, but the same could be said of any work culture.

Team members may be having difficulty with cultural changes. Maybe you have an older IT worker who feels overwhelmed. There needs to be a culture of inclusion and collaboration needs to be encouraged. The team shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions or express their opinions. This is the case for any field, but it’s especially important for optimal software development.

Dynamic roles

What the heck is a DevOps engineer? It’s the number 2 job in America according to Glassdoor, but what does it even mean? DevOps engineers are people who have a diverse skillset. They’re someone who has experience in configuration, automation, operations, and leadership. It’s someone who didn’t settle down into their original position. They’re an inspired employee who wanted to learn as much as they could and build on their skills.

Your team might not start as DevOps engineers, but they could end up as one down the road. If everyone is willing and able to develop the proper skills your team will be far more nuanced and efficient. A culture of inclusion should also be a culture of inspiration. Your team should be inspired by each other to learn and develop their skills together. If everyone’s input is validated through the culture, then everyone should be willing to take on new roles and responsibilities.

Always prioritize security

Security should never be a compromise for speed. It’s not difficult to get your DevOps teams to work with your security teams. Sometimes, security teams are coming in after the code is live and things are out of control. This is never a solid approach. Making sure your teams have a common understanding is a great way to make DevOps and security work better.

Understanding the specifics of what your colleagues are looking for makes the entire software release process easier. DevOps is about trust and cooperation, training can further bring teams together. Bolting security on after a release is illogical. Teams need knowledge about both sides to create an ideal IT environment.