DevOps is difficult to define precisely. It is not just a collection of practices and methods. More accurately, we might say it is a mindset or culture which aims to improve workflow amongst IT professionals working both within IT development and IT operations.
As its name suggests, DevOps works by combining the normally disparate IT development and IT operations departments. Combining the two enables better collaboration.
As a result, software and IT solutions can be delivered rapidly and at higher quality. This, in turn, delivers a better business service for the customer.
Derived from Agile philosophies, DevOps achieves speed with practices designed to improve collaboration and communication between teams. DevOps products undergo continuous monitoring, testing and deployment using a high level of automation and tools such as Puppet, Chef and Jenkins.
Feedback is also continuous between all parties involved, meaning the team can always allow for improvements and the customer’s needs.
DevOps requires organisations to break old habits and change their entire culture. However, because of its focus on continuous delivery, DevOps is also very powerful when used alongside agile, lean or ITIL methods.
