DevOps and Cloud: A combined approach

We’ve discussed the tangible and intangible ways in which adopting the DevOps approach for software development helps organisations maximise profits while minimising risks. More than just a strategy, the DevOps model is a cultural shift in the way software producers have so far functioned. In DevOps, operations personnel, developers, and testers work together through the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC), right from design to production support. Successful adoption of the DevOps approach requires a breakdown of the silos in which different teams traditionally function.

While there is no doubt that organisations have been able to improve their performance on key software delivery parameters such as speed of delivery, predictability, quality, user and customer experience, etc., businesses stand to gain even more if they combine a firm commitment to cloud computing, along with DevOps practices. In a nutshell, cloud computing can be defined as elastic and on-demand access to services, tools, and other resources. When DevOps and cloud computing is used in synergy by enterprises, they can gain significant competitive edge in today’s competitive digital market.

While every company has its own way of adopting the DevOps model, depending on its own particular needs — some still work in silos, but have a more relaxed exchange of information and knowledge between the IT operations team and the development team; while others are structured in a way that allows for one consolidated DevOps team. The beauty of cloud computing is, however, that it complements all approaches for DevOps adoption.

With the help of cloud computing, companies can create an environment for increased developer productivity and efficiency. Cloud computing allows developers to have more control over the components that affect their work processes, resulting in smaller wait times, in terms of delivery. Cloud computing also makes it possible for developers to automate processes such as building, managing and provisioning infrastructure. All of this helps in speeding up the development process, eliminating human error, and making it possible to repeat processes without constant supervision. When developers are not beholden to IT operators to provision required resources, they are able to try new things, fail quickly if they must, learn from their experiments, try other methods, succeed and launch new, better quality, and more sophisticated products to the market faster. Cloud computing can go a long way in creating conducive development environments within organisations.

In addition to streamlining processes for faster software delivery, combining cloud computing and DevOps ensures that the ability to scale the application is an integral part of the development process. When softwares are designed to accommodate for scale, it reduces infrastructure cost in the long term, and allows companies to aspire for global market reach. DevOps processes supported by cloud computing helps in the drastic reduction, if not complete elimination of application downtime. This improves customer satisfaction and improves their faith in the business.

At the same time, DevOps automation helps in reducing the complexity of cloud computing, while improving the process related to system maintenance. When processes are automated and can be replicated, there is direct improvement in security controls of the applications.

It is abundantly clear than a rapidly changing world, accelerated due to digital transformations, companies need to realise the importance and urgency of using both DevOps and cloud computing to extract all the benefits of enhanced agility and diminished operational costs. While using just one is good, using both together is a winning formula.