Pitfalls to avoid when adopting DevOps
As DevOps continues to grow in popularity, some organizations still struggle with its successful implementation. Perhaps developers really don’t understand the practice and chafe at being forced to follow its concepts? Maybe the network engineers feel DevOps favors the software team, while automating many of their standard administrative tasks?
Whatever the reasons for its difficulty in adoption, getting things right offers many benefits to software shops of all sizes. DevOps plays a key role in boosting development efficiency to the point it becomes a competitive advantage. So, let’s take a look at a few common pitfalls to avoid when adopting DevOps.
Avoid these Mistakes when adding DevOps at your Software Shop
Rebecca Dodd, from the software development process experts at GitLab, wrote an article for DZone covering these major pitfalls to avoid during a DevOps implementation. She talked with a few people at GitLab responsible for project success with their customer base. They provided interesting food for thought on what issues hamper DevOps adoption.
Focusing Too Much on the Tools
GitLab noted that companies who make too much of an investment on their toolset tend to encounter difficulty when implementing DevOps. GitLab Technical Account Manager, John Woods, commented on the issue. “You think you have it all when you’ve got your issue tracker, version control system, CI/CD service, etc. However, what’s the cost of setting all those up and configuring them to ‘talk’ to each other?” said Woods.
In essence, the time spent configuring and integrating multiple tools takes up valuable time and resources. GitLab calls this the “DevOps Tax.” Make it a point to ensure you use tools that support your DevOps policies and procedures; not the other way around.
In a similar fashion, some companies simply become too attached to their development tools. This adds difficulty if those tools aren’t really compatible with the unique DevOps methodology. GitLab notes some customers try to wrench decades-old tools into their fledgling modern workflow.
Ultimately, the smartest tack involves finding the right integrated toolset compatible with how software gets written in a DevOps world.
Deployment and Monitoring are as Important as Development and Testing
Another pitfall noted by Dodd involves companies not covering the entire SDLC when adopting DevOps. Instead, the only follow its principles for software development and QA, ignoring it for the deployment and monitoring processes. Ultimately, this isn’t a true DevOps implementation.
In most cases, companies leverage DevOps to achieve continuous integration or continuous delivery. Reaching these goals isn’t possible without a full adoption of the methodology. In short, go hard or go home!
Security needs to be part of the DevOps Equation
We previously talked about the importance of information security as part of any DevOps implementation. This is one of the reasons DevSecOps is a hot buzzword. In these days, cybersecurity needs to be a core concept within any software development practice – DevOps or not.
GitLab notes that companies adopting DevOps who still treat security as an afterthought ultimately struggle with its implementation. Valuable resources end up making security-related fixes at the last minute. Consider a DevSecOps approach.
Ultimately, steer clear of these pitfalls to ensure your DevOps adoption goes great!
Keep coming back to the Betica Blog for additional insights and dispatches from the wide world of software development. Thanks for reading!