By Ahmed Al-Buheissi
In a previous blog, I wrote about the need for DevOps to rapidly release software and argued that DevOps is first and foremost about transforming operations.
The Operations and Development teams can be a roadblock to each other’s work schedule. The Development team frequently requires infrastructure and platform to test their code, while Operations does not always have the resources readily available to satisfy Developers’ requirements. This means schedules slip and releases become few and far apart, resulting in dissatisfied developers.
Since that blog, VMware released VMware vRealize Code Stream for facilitating DevOps, which I spent some time recently installing, configuring, and exploring—and I wanted to share my experience with you. Amazingly, I found that VMware’s response to DevOps is a tool that can be described in three words: automate, automate, and automate. Yes, vRealize Code Stream automates the entire software release process:
- Infrastructure provisioning automation
- Software build automation, and
- Testing cycles automation
And these automation steps can be executed across all environments: Development, Testing, Staging, and Production, with the premise that automation will ensure consistency across all environments and prevent issues due to human errors. The figure below shows examples of tools used in software development, and how vRealize Code Stream integrates and automates these tools.
So is it all about the tools?
There are several tools available that will assist in implementing DevOps, including VMware vRealize Code Stream. These tools can automate and expedite the software release process, and apply the organization’s policies. But is that all there is to DevOps? As this is a new paradigm and a new way of operating, the organization will also need to transform. After all, DevOps disrupts the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) as we know it:
- The process is not always linear (or circular); for example the Design phase does not always precede Implementation; sometimes the design is written as the code is being developed.
- Testing cycles (Unit Testing, System Testing, and User Acceptance Testing) are executed concurrently, and will test only random pieces of code.
Organizations implementing DevOps must also apply operational methodologies, which will clearly define the transformation processes and document the evolving roles within the IT organization.
Why transform operations?
Even though the deployment and release processes are automated, we still need to tranform operations from both people and process perspectives, including:
- The need to define the relationship between Operations and Development (as well as other teams). Development will depend on Operations only when creating the automation workflows, and subsequently they can release the software themselves using these scripts. Operations will focus more on automation project work, and much less on reactive day-to-day operations.
- While the focus is on automating the release process, there is little emphasis on post-release monitoring. Developers need to have access to monitoring tools to ensure deployed software is performing adequately.
To conclude…consider these operations-related steps prior to adopting tools to implement DevOps:
- Determine the scope of your DevOps implementation; which teams, which applications, and which environments will be impacted.
- Document the process that will govern the interactions between various DevOps tasks and roles.
- Define the roles, for example Development, Operations, and Quality Assurance, as well as their responsibilities.
The figure below depicts the process of implementing DevOps, and steps required to roll out such environment.
Also, this short video below will provide you with high-level information about VMware vRealize Code Stream, along with technical white paper: “Releasing High Quality Applications More Quickly with vRealize Code Stream.”
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Ahmed Al-Buheissi is an operations technical architect with the VMware Operations Transformation global practice and is based in Melbourne, Australia.
