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DevOps for Newbies

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You may have heard a lot of buzz around the DevOps movement that is taking hold in today’s industry where service management quality and efficiency are paramount.   The term "DevOps" was popularized through a series of "DevOps Days" starting in 2009 in Belgium and it is said by those present that they knew they were witnessing something very different and unique.  They knew they were on the verge of something that would change the way that all service providers designed, developed and delivered services in every industry.  Since then, there have been DevOps Days conferences held in India, Brazil, Australia, Germany, and Sweden and other parts of the globe including the United States. 

So what is it?
Business demand is increasing! That is not news. The need to produce services fast is increasing!  We know that methods such as Agile, Scrum and others that have increased capability for development of products but we must recognize that as only one element in the value stream where quality and speed are required.   Between the business and the consumer are many functions and roles that are required to deliver and sustain the operational support for the life of the service.  Between the business and the consumer all the way from Development through to Operations (Dev/Ops) industries demand a fluid, fast and efficient cohesiveness in the value stream.  Not only because we must deliver, but because it is a critical success factor for those organizations that wish be able to compete and stay in business.  DevOps is much more than just the development team cooperating with the operational team and vice versa. 

DevOps is a cultural and professional movement that at its core breaks down silos for the delivery and management of new or changed services that are required to meet the ever increasing business demand in almost every industry in the world.  The “us vs. them” mentality that plays out in many areas of service delivery between the functions of development and operations will not endure.

What will it take?
We must change the culture and although there are tools and automation techniques to assist you in your DevOps initiatives the only way to move a culture is to move the people involved.  Ongoing communication and education for both the IT staff and managers is required including a comprehensive understanding for:
  • Benefits to the business
  • Concepts and practices (including its relationship to Agile, Lean and IT Service Management (ITSM)
  • Improved workflows – In the entire value stream!
  • Improved communication and feedback loops
  • Reliance on automation
  • Application of DevOps in an enterprise environment
  • Critical success factors and key performance indicators (how to measure for success!) 
Today the DevOps movement has evolved and those early adopters are now reaping the benefits as high performing service providers.  For more information including training and certification for DevOps:  http://www.itsmacademy.com/Detail.bok?no=148 
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