Like any newer software development methodology, DevOps obviously has many proponents, but at the same time, others feel antipathy towards the practice. Similar reactions have happened in the past; for example, with Agile, as well as even older methodologies, like the Waterfall. Software engineers tend to be a passionate group, and it is not surprising that a measure of dissension arises once anything reaches a certain level of popularity.
Here is a closer look at some of the rationale behind a DevOps backlash. If your organization already uses it or is considering the transformation of its own software development process to follow its principles, read on for useful insights.
A recent article by the DevOps development shop, Fixate, looked at why some developers hold a grudge against the methodology. One major reason is many software engineers are used to handling full-stack development – everything from the database design to the middleware to the user interface. They are even able to deploy the completed application into production.
DevOps divides many of these responsibilities among a collaborative team while also leveraging automated tools to increase the efficiency of the software development process. Organizations are trying to thrive in an increasingly competitive business landscape, and this fact remains the biggest driver of the adoption of DevOps. Intra-team interaction and speed are the keys, not necessarily the venerable lone cowboy programmer who’s a jack of all trades.
Modern companies using DevOps want technology professionals that are experts in a specific area and are able to work well on a team. This makes full-stack developers feel threatened about the future of their careers, so they lash out at DevOps. The concerns of the business generally carry more weight when it comes to a choice of methodologies.
Fixate also notes the difficulty in successfully adopting DevOps at larger enterprises that already have their own well-defined software development processes. Still, as the practice matures, many larger organizations are successfully transforming to take advantage of the new methodology. Expect this rationale to lessen over time as DevOps continues to evolve, and the tools that support the process add more useful functionality, especially containers and process automation.
With DevOps rapidly becoming an industry standard, any naysayers, especially individual developers, will likely have their voices drowned out. Larger enterprises still wary of the practice need to consider their ability to survive in a marketplace where the competition is taking advantage of DevOps in larger numbers. Fixate feels that fans of the practice should continue to advocate its advantages while keeping an open mind towards those who may feel differently.
Ultimately, there is no denying that DevOps is almost an industry standard. At the minimum, companies of all sizes need to explore following at least some of its practices in addition to taking advantage of related tools to make its own software development process work better. Remember, your competition is probably doing the same thing.
Stay tuned to the Betica Blog for additional dispatches from the always evolving software development world. Thanks for reading!
Posted on October 20, 2017 | Categories Software Development | Tags DevOps, Software Development, software engineering