DevOps Automation: Best Practices & Tools

What is DevOps?

In 2009, DevOps specialist Patrick Debois first used the phrase “DevOps”.  It is referred to as a development approach that fills the gap between software development and IT operations. Gartner has defined it as “focusing on rapid IT delivery through the adoption of agile, lean practices in the context of a system-orientated approach. It emphasizes people and culture and seeks to improve collaboration between operation and development teams. DevOps implementations utilize technology, especially automation tools that can leverage an increasingly programmable and dynamic infrastructure from a life cycle perspective.”

What is DevOps Automation?

DevOps automation refers to the use of tools, processes, and technologies to automate tasks and workflows in the software development and operations (DevOps) process. DevOps automation aims to improve the efficiency, speed, and reliability of the software development and deployment process, and reduce the time and effort required to deliver software updates and new features to users.

DevOps automation can involve a wide range of activities, including:

• Automated testing, including unit tests, integration tests, and functional tests
• Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), which automates the process of building, testing, and deploying code changes
• Configuration management, which automates the process of setting up and maintaining infrastructures, such as servers and networking equipment
• Deployment automation, which automates the process of deploying code and applications to different environments, such as staging, production, or testing environments
• Monitoring and logging, which automates the process of collecting and analyzing data about the performance and behavior of systems and applications

Overall, DevOps automation helps organizations develop and deliver software faster and more reliably, while also reducing the risk of errors and downtime.

What Makes DevOps Automation Important?

DevOps automation is important for a number of reasons including

Speed and efficiency:  

Automating tasks and workflows in the software development and operations process can significantly speed up the process of delivering software updates and new features to users. This can help organizations keep up with the pace of change in the modern business environment, and respond quickly to changing customer needs and market conditions.

Reliability and quality:  

Automation can help reduce the risk of errors and downtime in software development and deployment. By automating tasks such as testing and deployment, organizations can ensure that code changes are thoroughly tested and validated before being deployed to production environments. This can help to improve the reliability and quality of the software that is delivered to users.

Reduced workload:  

Automation can help to reduce the workload of developers and operations staff by taking over repetitive, time-consuming tasks. This can free up time and resources that can be used for more important, value-adding activities, such as improving the user experience or developing new features.

Improved collaboration:  

DevOps automation can help to improve collaboration between development and operations teams, by providing a common set of tools and processes that are used to build, test, and deploy code changes. This can help to break down silos between these teams and foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.

Ajmera Infotech and Our DevOps Automation Experience

At Ajmera Infotech we have a dedicated team skilled in DevSecOps and DevOps automation.  

The capabilities we bring to the table include

Selecting the necessary tools and applying the best resources:  

In order to implement DevOps automation, organizations need to have the right tools and resources in place. This can include CI/CD tools, testing tools, configuration management tools, and other tools and technologies that are needed to automate tasks and workflows in the software development and operations process. For CI/CD our expertise includes using tools like GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, AWS Codebuild, and Codepipeline. For testing tools, our experience includes Cypress, Test project, and jest.

Setting clear goals and expectations:  

Effective implementation of DevOps automation requires a clear understanding of goals and expectations for. This include assessing optimal coverage of code and functionality, setting targets for speed and efficiency, as well as defined metrics for reliability and quality.

Providing support:  

In order to effectively implement DevOps automation, organizations need to ensure that their teams have the necessary skills and knowledge. This may involve helping team members learn the relevant tools and technologies and understand the benefits and best practices of DevOps automation. Our experts in DevOps are also adept mentors and coaches.  

Establishing a culture of continuous improvement:  

DevOps automation is most effective when it is part of a broader culture of continuous improvement.  Ajmera Infotech’s culture of encouraging learning and challenging our teammates to explore new ways to address problems, lends itself to create such an environment. For DevOps, this translates to encouraging teams to regularly review and optimize processes and workflows, provide support for experimentation and innovation, and close collaboration between development and testing teams.

While the term DevOps might have been coined over a decade ago, the field is clearly still maturing. We would appreciate an opportunity to learn more about your experience and share some of ours. If you are interested in working with us, you can contact us by clicking here info@ajmerainfotech.com