Companies of various scales have been turning to the DevOps tradition to realize extra enterprise worth lately. In 2021, it was reported that 83% of IT decision-makers adopted a DevOps tradition. The next concrete numbers can clarify the explanation for the unstoppable rise of DevOps observe: In 2021, 58% of organizations witnessed higher efficiency and ROI after implementing DevOps practices, 68% of firms reported improved end-to-end buyer expertise, and 47% of them acknowledged they shortened the time-to-market of their software program and companies. Clearly, the affect of DevOps within the software program improvement business can’t be missed, particularly when automation is available in and modifications the sport.
What Is DevOps Automation?
The correct DevOps instrument can automate handbook processes and velocity up the software program improvement life cycle (SDLC). However what precisely is DevOps automation?
In its easiest phrases, DevOps automation is the act of using automation instruments and applied sciences in DevOps practices in an effort to carry out repetitive duties with minimal or no human intervention. This course of automates something within the software program improvement lifecycle, starting from construct and deployment pipelines to automated testing and monitoring. The thought behind the automation is to simplify the DevOps processes whereas nonetheless guaranteeing collaboration between the operation and improvement groups and safe high-quality outcomes.
There are a number of applied sciences that may be applied in DevOps automation processes, comprising IT automation, infrastructure automation, robotic course of automation (RPA), synthetic intelligence, machine studying, deep studying, and many others. As well as, there are at present additionally quite a lot of automation instruments {that a} DevOps crew ought to think about using, akin to Puppet, Chef, Ansible, Jenkins, and lots of extra. These applied sciences and instruments utilized in automation are known as the DevOps toolchain.
Which DevOps Processes Ought to Be Automated?
With the DevOps instruments and automation applied sciences in place, the event and operations groups can automate all of the handbook processes of the lifecycle. To be extra particular, automation can goal the next DevOps processes:
Testing
It is a vital but time-consuming and troublesome course of, so the DevOps crew ought to automate testing. This manner, the DevOps crew can create and run assessments on the code in improvement sooner and extra exactly earlier than it’s deployed to manufacturing. This may assist to make sure that the code is error-free and compliant with the required high quality requirements. As well as, automated testing can be used to watch the system for potential points after deployment. Final however not least, automated testing can assist the event groups reduce the human intervention within the testing course of, thereby serving to to keep away from human error as effectively. Unit assessments, integration assessments, system assessments, and regression assessments are among the assessments that may be automated within the DevOps cycle.
Deployment
With DevOps automation instruments, the event crew can configure and arrange an automatic end-to-end deployment course of during which the code modifications are mechanically deployed to manufacturing after being examined and accepted. This course of automation will be sure that the appliance or code modifications are deployed appropriately and constantly each time throughout the supply cycle with minimal or no downtime. As well as, steady deployment can velocity up the method by minimizing handbook duties and lowering human intervention.
CI/CD
Steady integration (CI) is the method during which builders combine code modifications right into a shared repository ceaselessly and mechanically. This observe is used to catch errors shortly and early within the improvement course of. Then again, steady supply (CD) is a course of during which the code modifications are mechanically constructed, examined, and deployed to manufacturing after being accepted. Each CI and CD are integral elements of the DevOps lifecycle, and automation can assist to hurry up and optimize these processes.
Provisioning & Configuration
In DevOps, infrastructure provisioning is the method of allocating and configuring assets for the event, testing, and manufacturing environments, whereas configuration administration is the method of monitoring and controlling modifications to the system configuration. Each processes are important for sustaining consistency throughout the completely different environments and guaranteeing that the system runs easily. With DevOps automation, these processes will be carried out sooner and extra precisely. Automated provisioning and configuration can even assist to maintain monitor of the configurations of the completely different environments and be sure that they’re in line with one another.
Infrastructure Administration
Along with provisioning and configuration, the operations groups also needs to think about automating the administration of the infrastructure. The final word purpose of infrastructure automation is to cut back handbook intervention within the course of and higher handle all assets within the improvement, testing, and manufacturing environments, such because the {hardware}, software program, working programs, knowledge storage, and many others. This contains automating the deployment of latest assets, monitoring and managing present assets, and scaling the infrastructure up or down as wanted. Automated infrastructure administration can assist to make sure that the system is at all times operating at optimum ranges and that the completely different environments are in line with one another as effectively.
Monitoring
In a DevOps pipeline, it’s important to watch the efficiency of the programs repeatedly in an effort to establish any points or errors shortly. This manner, the event crew can repair the issues earlier than they trigger any main affect. To do that, the DevOps crew ought to arrange an automatic monitoring system that may gather knowledge from varied sources and supply alerts when one thing goes incorrect. Steady monitoring will assist to boost the general high quality of the system and stop any main points.
Log Administration
This can be a means of gathering, storing, and analyzing log knowledge. In DevOps, you will need to have a centralized log administration system in place in order that the event groups can shortly establish and repair any errors. A very good log administration system will present alerts when one thing goes incorrect and permit the crew to analyze the problem additional. It’ll additionally assist to enhance the efficiency of the system by offering insights into the system’s conduct.
The Impression of DevOps Automation
The advantages DevOps presents are quite a few, and they’re empowered much more when the automation processes are available. Right here, we are going to define among the high advantages you possibly can reap from DevOps automation usually:
Higher Productiveness
To begin with, having all of the handbook processes automated by DevOps instruments and software program will definitely lead to greater productiveness, and your improvement and operations groups are free as much as prioritize different high-order duties as an alternative of losing time on iterative and non-value-added duties.
Scale back Human Intervention & Error
We have now repeated over and over on this article that automation does assist reduce human enter in each means of the agile software program improvement lifecycle. Which means that there shall be minimal handbook work and probabilities of human error in your DevOps workflow. Because the DevOps automation instruments considerably cut back the necessity for human intervention, you’re enabled to avoid wasting human assets.
Quicker Time-to-market
DevOps automation means all of the processes, procedures, and updates within the pipeline are streamlined and automatic. In consequence, the time for improvement and deployment will be shortened significantly.
Excessive High quality & Consistency
With all of the time-consuming processes automated, your improvement groups can consider different essential points that may assist improve the standard of the software program, akin to code evaluations and testing. As well as, automated processes can even assist to enhance the consistency and accuracy of the outcomes.
Higher Scalability
The DevOps toolchain and automatic processes facilitate the flexibility to scale up or down as required since all processes are standardized and fewer resource-intensive. In consequence, your group can reply shortly to market calls for with none vital affect on the general finances.
So, Automate Your DevOps Processes Now or By no means
In abstract, DevOps automation is a crucial a part of the DevOps pipeline that helps to streamline the method and enhance the general high quality of the system. It is very important notice that automation in DevOps shouldn’t be used to interchange the human component totally. As an alternative, it ought to be used to help the groups and complement the prevailing processes and make them extra environment friendly. When used correctly, DevOps automation can present vital advantages to the group, as we indicated above. Now, it’s your option to automate your DevOps processes and purchase the aggressive edge for your small business or be left behind.
