DevOps is referred to as many things; a culture, a verb, a practice. I think you all know the posts I’m talking about. It’s hard to open my browser without seeing one of these broad statements. That, however, is not my goal for the day. The question I am targetting today is: Can DevOps really deliver on business needs?
For the answer, I would like to turn to John Casaretto’s recent article on the DevOps Angle. Casaretto states that DevOps can be quite conceptual and how we integrate this concept into the architecture of a company can “quite literally be a blend of arts, discipline and the science of technology.”
DevOps – Art? Science? Hype? Can DevOps Deliver on Business Needs
At the intersection of Development and Operations is a genetically embedded business agenda that begins with some issue, followed by a root cause analysis, and the production of an answer or solution. The solutions that have come to meet this have formed into this DevOps movement.
Hard-core statisticians out there may be inclined to point to algorithmic deductions and target those types of gains and advantages that can be identified. With no shortage of statistical information from logging information, performance collections, and the sort, it is quite easy to fixate and become reactive to the analysis of information that is gleaned from these resources. Indeed, sometimes that may actually be the desired focus. Others may rely heavily on features and technical benefits of one technology over others, such as scripting ability and compatibility. Other times it may be a talent analysis of the personnel that drives the focus on a technology. It is very important though to either turn on the filter and extract real value from these technical capabilities or better yet focus on the solutions aspect from the outset.
In a conceptual state, the introduction of DevOps into the enterprise should approach this solution focused balance throughout integration and early during design when possible. Clearly there are cost factors and technical realities in any functional environment, but from the outset, the approach must remain consistent and that is what the underlying balance must maintain.
What has your experience been with DevOps? Did it deliver value to your organization? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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