DevOps as a Method

Development, documentation, administration of the source code, versioning, execution of tests, correct packaging and delivery to a level defined in the “Definition of Done” are all parts of DevOps, which is managed by the team itself and as a whole.

Even if the preferences and characteristics within the team are different, each person should know the aspects and be able to change, execute and operate all sub-areas independently.

All artifacts of the product are contained in the same repository in the version control system (VCS), including how it can be integrated into the pipeline.

Everything as Code. Everything is Code.

The interaction of the VCS with the pipeline is essential. This means that aspects can be checked at any time, even for parts that are still in production, and their consistency can be guaranteed. This avoids supposedly simple work being carried out later and then not with the necessary care. This can have serious consequences such as delays, obstruction of other projects and production stoppages.

The entire production cycle is focused on quality assurance. When deciding on the development branches, you already have an influence on the pipeline, which checks compliance with quality specifications across all versions (quality gates).

The automatic packaging and parameterization of the various versions through to the automatic generation of release notes avoid errors in the process.

Long-running tests can, depending on the effort involved, be downstream or start periodically and validate the pipeline.

Integrative and manual processes, such as delivery in staging or production (near) environments or operations on live systems, are supported by the pipeline wherever possible.

Shift-right topics such as deployment by feature, blue-green deployment, stress and performance tests, E2E testing, chaos testing, monitoring and reporting, as well as exploratory and mob testing can be found here.

This provides a measure of the “health” and flexibility of the system.

In order to enable the merging of established organizational structures, the will and objectives of the entire organization are required.

Leaders play a crucial role in this. They have the skills to bring responsibility into the teams and to approach the change holistically.

As leaders, they lead the way in change and create containers and spaces in which the “bottom-up” movement is promoted.

This interplay of “top-down” and “bottom-up” makes changes successful.

Cross-functional and collaborative teams form the basis for agile working. Spreading know-how within the team promotes self-organization. The team members take on their responsibilities and work on their tasks in a disciplined manner.

Short communication channels within the team increase efficiency and make working in a DevOps team more fun.

Once things get going, DevOps teams become the standard-bearers of agile change in the company.