DevOps methodology explained

Article by: Ben Janse

Last update: October 24, 2023

DevOps methodology: This article explains the DevOps methodology in a practical way. Next to what this is (Definition and Origins), this article also highlights the basic principles, the advantages of the software development method and Working as a DevOps engineer. After reading it, you will understand the basics of this powerful information technology tool. Enjoy reading!

What is DevOps methodology?

The DevOps methodology is a software development approach that combines the traditional approach with IT concepts. It is intended to shorten the development time of systems and to provide continuous high quality software.

DevOps is complementary with different methods for Agile Software Development and Lean software development.

In addition, as many cultural philosophies, practices and tools as possible are used that can increase the ability of organizations to deliver applications and services at high speed.

They do this faster than organizations that develop and improve products in the traditional way. This means that DevOps organizations can better serve their customers and compete more effectively in the market.

Definition of DevOps

The term DevOps stands for software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops). It can best be explained as a group of people who develop and deliver safe and reliable software at top speed. They can do this quickly through automation, collaboration, rapid feedback and iterative development.

Origins of this software development method

The origins of this software development method dates back in 1993. In 1993 the Telecommunications Information Networking Architecture Consortium (TINA-C) defined model for the life cycle of a service that combined software development and telecom service. Sixteen years later, in 2009, a first conference called DevOpsdays was held in Ghent, Belgium.

In 2012, the State of DevOps report was developed by Alanna Brown, who works at Puppet. As of 2014, this report was published annually by Nicole Forsgren, Gene Kim, Jez Humble and other colleagues.

Role distribution in DevOps

Organizations that work in a DevOps culture and structure do not have traditional boxes when it comes to operational teams. Sometimes two existing teams are merged into one team, with experts from those teams working together throughout the project lifecycle.

That cycle extends from the development of a product to its testing and implementation. In this way, team members develop a wide range of skills and knowledge.

DevOps methodology: principles and Practices in Development Operations (DevOps tools)

Below is a practical explanation of the main principles behind this highly effective software development method.

Continuous integration

Continuous integration is a software development practice where developers merge their own code changes into a central system where automated testing is performed.

The main goals of this practice is to quickly locate and fix errors, called bugs. This increases software quality and decreases the time it takes to validate and release updates.

Continuous delivery

Continuous delivery is a software development practice in which changes to the code of software are automatically prepared for the release of a production. This principle allows developers to automate testing in a way that goes beyond the normal unit testing approach.

Through continuous delivery the changes in applications can be verified from multiple dimensions before they are implemented at the customers. Examples of types of tests that can be performed this way are: reliability tests, load tests, integration tests and UI tests.

Microservices

Microservices architecture refers to a design approach to develop a single application as a set of small services. Each service functions in its own process and communicates with other services through an interface using a lightweight mechanism such as Application Programming Interface (API).

Infrastructure as code

Infrastructure as code is a software development practice in which a system’s infrastructure is provisioned using code, such as version control and continuous integration.

Thit way, engineers can interact with the infrastructure, instead of manually configuring it.

Monitor, secure and log

IT managers maintain statistics and logs about the performance of applications and the software infrastructure and how it affects the user experience. The applications themselves generate a lot of information and by capturing, categorizing and analyzing it, organizations understand how changes affect users.

Active data monitoring is becoming increasingly important as services must be available 24/7. Security teams ensure the integrity of the systems as a whole.

Communication and collaborations

One of the most important cultural aspects of the DevOps methodology within organizations is the focus on collaboration and communication. This method ensures that multiple disciplines must work together for optimal results.

DevOps methodology advantages

Below are some advantages of DevOps compared to the traditional way of software development.

High speed of development and delivery

DevOps allows developers to innovate at a faster speed. This obviously provides more value for the customer. Developers can adapt faster to the changing environment and therefore grow more efficiently. All of this helps the customer drive business results.

Reliability and Security

The continuous optimization and improvement of software ensures that the quality of applications remains high. Reliability is an important aspect of the end-user experience. That is why a lot of attention is paid to activities such as testing and integrations.

DevOps can be used without sacrificing security. This is achieved through automated compliance policies, controls, and configuration management techniques.

Collaborations through DevOps methodology

DevOps ensures that teams are built according to a cultural DevOps model. It is important that values such as ownership and responsibility are emphasized. Developers and operational teams often collaborate, share many responsibilities and combine activities.

The above reduces inefficiencies and saves a lot of time.

Scalability of using the DevOps methodology

Development operations ensures that the infrastructure of an organization can be managed on a large scale. Automation and consistency enable administrators to effectively manage complex and changing systems.

DevOps methodology: working as a DevOps engineer

DevOps is said to be more of a software development philosophy than a strictly defined framework. Because it is a broad concept, a DevOps function is better suited to the generalist than to the specialist.

An IT specialist can work in these types of positions from different backgrounds. For example, a software developer may gain skills in operations and a systems administrator may gain experience in coding, scripting, and testing.

Many vacancies that are linked to DevOps require container/cloud and CI knowledge. A DevOps engineer may also need to map and change processes, and solve organizational problems.

Job titles commonly found in DevOps organizations include:

Infrastructure developer
Reliability Engineer
Full stack developer
CI/CD platform engineer
Automation specialist

Most of the entry-level DevOps jobs require a degree in computer science or related education. Senior level positions may require an advanced degree in systems architecture or software design.

Due to the shortage of developers, these technicians earn well. PayScale reports that the average salary of a DevOps engineer in the United States is approximately $100,000 per year.

Now it’s your turn

What do you think? Do you recognize the explanation about the DevOps methodology? Do you have experience with DevOps? What similarities do you see between this method of software development and other methods? Do you think the way software is developed will change in the coming years? Do you have any tips or comments?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

More information

Ebert, C., Gallardo, G., Hernantes, J., & Serrano, N. (2016). DevOps. Ieee Software, 33(3), 94-100.
Erich, F., Amrit, C., & Daneva, M. (2014). Report: Devops literature review. University of Twente, Tech. Rep.
Jabbari, R., bin Ali, N., Petersen, K., & Tanveer, B. (2016, May). What is DevOps? A systematic mapping study on definitions and practices. In Proceedings of the Scientific Workshop Proceedings of XP2016 (pp. 1-11).
Loukides, M. (2012). What is DevOps?. ” O’Reilly Media, Inc.”.

How to cite this article:
Janse, B. (2022). DevOps Methodology. Retrieved [insert date] from Toolshero: https://www.toolshero.com/information-technology/devops-methodology/

Original publication date: 06/02/2022 | Last update: 04/29/2023

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Article by:

Ben Janse

Ben Janse is a young professional working at ToolsHero as Content Manager. He is also an International Business student at Rotterdam Business School where he focusses on analyzing and developing management models. Thanks to his theoretical and practical knowledge, he knows how to distinguish main- and side issues and to make the essence of each article clearly visible.