Why is DevOps so important for this decade?

In a world driven by technology, quality has become paramount. This is because glitch-prone software can render the performance of systems ineffective causing adverse consequences - both for the users and enterprises. To mitigate glitches, enhance user experiences, and bring about a holistic improvement in processes, DevOps methodology needs to become mainstream. It can address issues such as missed release deadlines, risky releases, and long release cycles. As a third-generation development methodology, DevOps is an extension of Agile and aims at overcoming challenges of culture, collaboration, and automation. Further, if you seek to deliver applications continuously, reduce waste, and establish a quick feedback mechanism, then DevOps is the way to follow.

In DevOps testing, the collaboration between development and operations teams is aimed at achieving an integrated build environment with quality at the core. DevOps quality assurance helps to reduce the release cycle time, the number of defects during the build, delivery, and maintenance phases, cost of ownership and operations, and accelerate the time to market.

What is DevOps?

This methodology is designed to improve collaboration between the development and operations teams through the automation of processes. The outcomes aimed at are build, test, and deliver software quickly and consistently. In DevOps transformation, a large project is broken into smaller independent building blocks. This means if any glitches are found they can be remedied locally without impacting the entire value chain.

DevOps transformation is about extending Agile in the build cycle to achieve continuous delivery at minimal risk. However, achieving transformation would depend on a host of factors. These include business and IT requirements, type of technology used, work culture, and the structure and processes of the organization.

Benefits DevOps testing services can accrue for enterprises

In a technology-driven IT landscape where user experiences shape the growth trajectory of enterprises, DevOps testing can act as an insurance of sorts. The insurance can be against releasing glitch-prone software, causing software breaches and bad user experiences, or loss in brand value. Also, in the IoT-driven digital environment consisting of a host of embedded software, glitches can play havoc with the lives of people and organizations. For example, if the navigation software in an aircraft contains a glitch, the pilots can misread the instructions causing the aircraft to crash. Again, if the software within a diagnostic tool has some erroneous codes, the readings can lead to wrong diagnosis and treatment.

·   Faster time-to-market: DevOps test automation takes forward the application of Agile principles leading to faster development and frequent delivery of software. In this decade where customers would be spoilt for choices and new technologies making inroads into the applications, DevOps can deliver greater user experiences.

·   Better collaboration: In a growing competitive environment, teams operating in silos are a misfit. DevOps implementation would entail the breaking down of such silos and improving transparency. There should be more focus on collaboration, communication, and integration of teams whether operating locally or globally. This can lead to better agility and an environment where everyone in the SDLC would be responsible to meet the quality and delivery timelines.

·   Early detection and correction of glitches: Since DevOps testing is an extension of Agile, it involves automation-driven shift-left testing. Since every code is tested during the build stage itself, glitches, if any, are identified quickly and corrected. This is in sharp contrast to the waterfall method where glitches are identified later in the process. And they entail a lot of effort, time, and cost for correction.

·   Security: Arguably the most important element in software development, testing, and delivery pipeline as it carries serious implications. With cybersecurity scare on the rise and hackers seemingly pitting themselves one step ahead, security has become everyone’s business. So, be it logging into the systems or ensuring proper user authentication, established security protocols should be followed by everyone in the development and delivery pipeline. This is where DevSecOps methodology can mandate the use of security testing in every stage of the SDLC. This is of prime importance as any lingering vulnerability in the build can be exploited by cybercriminals at any phase of the project.

Conclusion

As the decade is likely to witness a significant use of IoT devices and an increased focus on automation, DevOps testing as a process becomes critical. It ensures software glitches are identified and eliminated quickly and a robust feedback mechanism is established. Thus, enterprises will have no choice but to implement DevOps transformation and stay competitive.