The IT operations and software development fields are ever-evolving domains. In these domains, the process of DevOps has gained huge attention. You might be aware that DevOps is the combination of development and operations. It is a big cultural shift that pays attention to continuous improvement, automation and collaboration. Even though it is a popular approach, there are still some misconceptions surrounding it. 

One of the most common misconceptions about DevOps is that it is merely seen as a task feature. In reality, it is a cultural philosophy that infuses the workflow of an organization. In this post, we will delve into 9 common misconceptions that surround DevOps:

9 Common DevOps Misconceptions Debunked

1. DevOps is All About Tools

Some people see DevOps as a tool. Indeed, tools are a crucial part of the DevOps process. However, it should be remembered that these tools are just part of the process. The relative importance of varied aspects of DevOps is displayed as people – process – tools.

Now, after knowing that DevOps is not a tool, you might come up with a question. Do software organizations need only staff alone to build a DevOps Culture? Will they not be using any tools in this process?  In fact, both people and tools are required. Read on to gain a better understanding:

Let us take the case of an organization that goes from right to left. It means that they go all-in and spend heavily on the greatest platforms and tools available in the market. However, this organization is not spending on processes or people additionally.

Now, the organization owns a capable technology. However, it does not have a single employee with knowledge of how to use the technology. Also, the organization does not have a definable procedure or process in place. Further, the organization has done nothing to build and develop a strong DevOps Culture.

One of the crucial values of DevOps is continuous improvement. Also, DevOps insist on constant, incremental and small changes to improve software development and delivery.  DevOps insists not only on changes. But, spotting the places in which the changes should be in place. It also fosters a culture that motivates this kind of communication. 

This level of cultural transformation cannot be provided by a platform, software, tool or framework. Rather, it needs top-down and consistent effort from leadership to individual contributors and non-technical stakeholders. Only then, it will turn out to be a reality. So, DevOps pays attention to people over processes and tools. DevOps is not a tool. Rather, it is a culture to implement.

It does not mean that tools should be ignored totally. Achieving the underlying objective will become much easier with the right tools. Modern software development benefits from the selection of the best tools for the task. However, tools simply cannot show the entire picture.

2. DevOps is for the Web

Many people believe that DevOps is a culture suitable only for web companies. The reason for this misconception is that it has gained immense popularity among SaaS-based organizations like Etsy and Netflix. Indeed, DevOps favors web platforms. However, it holds equal effectiveness for all kinds of modern software delivery organizations. 

With the continuous delivery philosophy of DevOps, web companies are benefitting greatly. For instance, they are able to keep their software up-to-date. However, the same thing happens to non-web software and native software companies as well.

3. DevOps is Suitable Only for Large Organizations

As we are discussing DevOps myths and facts, you should know about another popular myth surrounding DevOps. It is the belief that DevOps suits only large organizations with a lot of teamwork involved with many engineers working together in the same project or product. Indeed, DevOps is beneficial for large organizations and teams. However, it does not denote that it brings no good to smaller organizations and teams. 

Here are a few reasons why DevOps is equally beneficial for smaller organizations:

• They can improve their time to the market
• Brings down costs
• Improves the quality of their software
• Quickens delivery

When they fasten their delivery, small and medium organizations can gain a competitive edge in the market. This is something crucial for the early-stage growth of any organization.

 Also, small businesses generally face hurdles like expensive teams and the infrastructure required for DevOps. However, they can find DevOps tools that are specially designed for SMBs. So, they need not have to worry about dedicated DevOps teams and costly infrastructure.

DevOps will help streamline not only development but also delivery. An appropriate DevOps system will help small and medium enterprises to achieve agility.

4. DevOps is the Same as Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery

As we are discussing DevOps myths, you should know about another common misconception. It is that many people think that DevOps and CI/CD are the same.

In reality, continuous delivery and integration are key components of DevOps. The adoption of DevOps pays attention to the responsibilities and culture of a team. It pays attention to the need for every team member to participate in each other’s task. In turn, there will be better collaboration and communication in the team. 

When this is the case of DevOps, CI/CD enables this culture with tools and software that give importance to automation. In other words, CI/CD are the means that take you towards the end.

5. DevOps is a Replacement for Agile

The Agile and DevOps methodologies are at times confused. This confusion takes to the point that some people claim that DevOps is replacing Agile. On the other hand, some people believe that both are the same and use the terms interchangeably.

The reality is that you can see Agile and DevOps as complementary to each other as against synonymous. Both of them are not mutually exclusive. Both can exist separately in a business. The underlying objective of both is to improve the software development process. Also, both aim at delivering products not only efficiently but also quickly.

Nevertheless, Agile offers a framework that helps teams split projects into chunks that are manageable. Otherwise, Agile breaks projects into sprints via iterative development. This is done to respond quickly to ever-evolving market and consumer requirements.

For this part, DevOps is focused on breaking down silos that exist between operations and development to permit quicker releases. It does it with the help of tools and an entirely automated pipeline. It also goes beyond the process of delivery and denotes a whole culture to be adopted within an organization. 

You can see Agile as a methodology to develop software. On the other hand, DevOps denotes a set of practices to deliver software that makes cultural shifts essential. Both of them continue to pay attention to collaboration and speed.

From this point of view, DevOps and Agile are approaches that complement each other. The reason is that DevOps builds and enables Agile practices. When you incorporate both in your day-to-day workflows, you can improve the efficiency of your software development processes.

6. You Cannot Have DevOps without Cloud

One of the common misconceptions about DevOps is that many people relate DevOps to the cloud. The reason is that Cloud Technology offers the ability to strategically provision infrastructure resources for testers and developers to obtain test atmospheres at a faster pace without awaiting manual requests to fulfill.

This does not denote that the cloud should adopt DevOps practices. In case, an organization has efficient processes in place to obtain resources for deploying and testing application changes, it can adopt to the DevOps Approach. 

7. DevOps is Driven By Technology

Many companies show interest in adopting DevOps mainly to meet the expectations of customers in a better way. Business betterment is the key driver of DevOps and not technology. The adoption of DevOps brings changes in the way businesses see development as against specifying the use of particular technologies or tools.

Businesses that adopt DevOps experience benefits that are tangible about happier customers, better quality software and quicker deployment to name a few. The change in the thinking as an organization adopts DevOps needs the security staff and the development staff to change how they see the work for the betterment of both customers and the organization. 

8. DevOps Assures Non-Stop Releases

DevOps indeed speed up releases. However, as a responsible person in the organization, it is your responsibility to ensure the quality of the release. With DevOps, you can deliver one release following another. However, the quality of the release will not be taken care of by DevOps. It is a matter that your development and quality assurance team should jointly work on.

9. Creating A DevOps Team Implements DevOps

You are here to learn about DevOps myths and facts. You might be thinking that just when you create a DevOps team in your organization, you will implement DevOps. But, hiring a bunch of DevOps engineers and creating a DevOps team with all of them as members will not implement DevOps in your organization. 

Rather, you have to change your culture and processes. Also, you should remember that DevOps is an association, where every team and person should engage in doing DevOps. Together, the teams should address silos and barriers to remove. 

In short, creating a DevOps team is not an end by itself. Rather, it is the starting point of DevOps practices.

Conclusion

Now, you have a general idea of DevOps myths. Make sure that your team is not affected by these myths surrounding DevOps. You can educate them and can make your organizational functions smooth.