Kiah Imani

DevOps has been the buzzword in the tech world for years, but is it still relevant? Before you write it off as a relic of the past, hear me out! I recently hosted an episode on the #InfraMatters podcast about this topic because I wanted to explore this question with George Westwater and Phil Dibowitz, who are a lot more well-versed in the topic than I am and shed some light on whether or not DevOps is truly still alive and kicking. In this post, I’ll use what I learned from that discussion to examine current trends and dispel common misconceptions surrounding the methodology. So grab your favorite cup of coffee (or tea!) and let’s get started!

The “RIP DevOps” Rumors

Oh no, the rumors are flying – DevOps is dead! But before we start mourning and planning a funeral, let’s touch grass and have a reality check. Despite the clickbait headlines and social media speculation, DevOps is not dead. Sure it has become a victim of its own success, with everyone and their mom jumping on the bandwagon. And sure, if you ask 10 companies what DevOps is, you’ll likely get 10 different answers. But let’s not forget the benefits DevOps brings – faster release cycles, increased collaboration between teams, and improved productivity. That’s not to say it doesn’t need to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs of the tech landscape. But unless DevOps starts appearing in grainy photos and conspiracy theories, I’m hard-pressed to buy into the rumors.

DevOps is Alive and Kicking

DevOps, you beautiful creature. You’ve weathered the storm of technological change and emerged victorious. Like a fine wine, you’ve only gotten better with age. And just like a reliable pair of jeans, you’ve adapted to fit the ever-changing world around us. DevOps may have started as a buzzword, but it’s now an essential part of modern software development practices. Why? Because it enables teams to deliver software faster, better, and more reliably than ever. As technology and business needs continue to evolve, the tools enabling DevOps will evolve. But it’s not going away anytime soon, folks.

DevOps in the Era of Cloud and Automation

The era of cloud and automation is a strange new world where the software industry runs like a never-ending race, with new and improved tools and best practices being introduced every day. To keep up DevOps, the tech-puppet master, has risen to the challenge of managing complex cloud-based apps and infrastructure like the conductor of a digital symphony.  Like Robin to  Batman or the bread in a sandwich, DevOps plays an indispensable role in managing the complexities of cloud-based applications and infrastructure. With “as-a-Service” offerings and serverless architectures, it’s as if we’ve gone from driving a car to riding a hovercraft – exciting yet risky. DevOps provides us with the crucial control and stability needed in this new era and helps us feel more secure. 

The Human Factor in DevOps

While automation and tooling have revolutionized the DevOps landscape, let’s not forget the humans involved. After all, DevOps is all about collaboration, communication, and culture. It’s like orchestrating a flash mob but with developers, and infra operations instead of dancers. Getting everyone on the same page can feel like herding cats, but it’s essential for the success of the DevOps transformation. The human factor is what makes the difference between just moving fast and moving fast in the right direction. A team with a successful DevOps culture can achieve amazing things; it all starts with people. So remember, in DevOps, it’s not just about the code or the tools, it’s about the people and the culture.

The Future of DevOps

As we gaze into the future of DevOps, the possibilities are endless. We might one day find ourselves managing not just servers, but robots too. Who knows, maybe we’ll even be deploying code to the red planet itself, Mars. While this might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, the truth is that DevOps is already changing the world as we know it. As the industry evolves, DevOps will continue to be at the forefront, providing guardrails for us as we navigate through the ever-changing landscape of technology. And let’s be honest, with all the bots, AI, and software out there, we’re going to need those guardrails more than ever. So, let’s raise a glass to the future and say it loud and clear: DevOps is here to stay!

Conclusion

Hopefully, by now I’ve convinced you that the “RIP DevOps” headlines are simply clickbait and that DevOps is actually thriving. Being more human-centric rather than tool-focused makes all the difference. This means that at its core, DevOps is about communication, collaboration, and culture. A broadened vision of software delivery is being established as we speak. Looking beyond tools to people and processes, and taking an enterprise view across teams in order to achieve those real business outcomes that customers rely on us for. So why not give it a try? Maybe even pop on over to the #InfraMatters podcast episode to hear the pros debate the topic in glorious detail. If you’re left inspired by this post, how about tweaking your culture just a small bit today?

Connect on Slack

Want to continue the conversation? Check out the shared #is-devops-dead channel in the Chef Community Slack.