Should you ask most folk to explain the highest DevOps tendencies in 2024, you’ll possible hear buzzwords like AI or DevSecOps.
These are actually fashionable subjects. However primarily based on the work I do on an on a regular basis foundation serving to companies plan and execute DevOps methods, I’m noticing a unique set of salient tendencies on the planet of DevOps. Though a lot is being stated about how applied sciences like AI would possibly influence DevOps, the largest modifications I’m seeing proper now contain different kinds of options and strategies.
Right here’s a take a look at what I view because the three most essential DevOps tendencies at current, in addition to a breakdown of how they’re poised to alter DevOps instruments and processes.
Pattern 1: Coverage-based administration and IaC allow drive DevOps safety innovation
Safety has at all times been a precedence for many DevOps practitioners. However proper now, I’m seeing DevOps groups adopting new methods in a bid to enhance the safety of the purposes and environments they assist.
One large-scale change is bigger use of cloud-based coverage administration as a way of imposing safety finest practices in cloud environments. Groups are configuring cloud companies and sources utilizing the code-based configuration frameworks that cloud suppliers assist, then scanning the configurations to detect dangers.
This strategy makes it potential to implement cloud governance constantly, centrally and mechanically. As a substitute of merely writing governance insurance policies and hoping that engineers bear in mind to observe them when they’re configuring cloud sources, companies are more and more constructing automated governance guardrails through policy-based administration.
In the same vein, increasingly more of the DevOps groups I work with are embracing static code evaluation of Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) templates as a way of detecting dangers. As with policy-based administration of cloud sources, an IaC-centric strategy to infrastructure provisioning makes it potential not simply to automate infrastructure administration, but additionally to determine safety dangers earlier within the improvement lifecycle.
What’s extra, some groups are making use of cloud coverage and IaC code scanning as a approach of warning one another about safety coverage modifications which may trigger an utility or service to interrupt. They do that by inserting configuration modifications into their code utilizing “audit” mode if their configuration framework helps it, or by merely configuring IaC scanners to flag modifications if an audit function isn’t out there. This enables engineers to detect whether or not a change would possibly trigger an issue for an present deployment.
That is essential as a result of inside many organizations, the safety group operates individually from utility groups. When the 2 teams lack an environment friendly approach of speaking with one another about modifications, they could find yourself disrupting one another’s operations – a difficulty I prefer to name the “proper hand/left hand” drawback. Configuration scanning gives a scientific approach of making certain that every group is on the identical web page when it comes time to introduce modifications – and the “audit” mode strategy gives a grace interval that permits time to react earlier than a change really takes impact.
Pattern 2: Doubling down on DevOps automation with GitOps
One other overarching pattern that’s at present reshaping DevOps is the usage of GitOps to make DevOps automation extra environment friendly and constant.
GitOps is the usage of Git (or the same supply management system) to handle automated DevOps workflows. It entails defining configurations utilizing code, then making use of them by way of options like GitHub actions.
Once you go for GitOps, you progress DevOps automation controls from particular person workstations to centralized supply management repositories. The result’s the flexibility to trace and handle all automated workflows through a central hub, which will increase effectivity and mitigates points like completely different engineers working with completely different variations of the identical automation frameworks on their private desktops.
As well as, GitOps mechanically generates data of what has modified and the way it has modified, since each motion is logged by way of the supply management system. This isn’t precisely documentation within the conventional sense, nevertheless it does imply that GitOps comprehensively paperwork each change – which is helpful as a result of human engineers have a tendency to not be so thorough in the case of documenting their actions.
To make sure, GitOps isn’t with out its challenges. Implementing GitOps successfully requires further abilities – particularly, experience with each IaC frameworks and supply management programs – that not all DevOps engineers possess. I additionally discover a bent on the a part of some groups to arrange GitOps pipelines, however depend on handbook approvals as a substitute of automated actions to set off modifications – an strategy that largely undercuts the worth of automating pipelines within the first place.
Nonetheless, these are challenges that groups can resolve by way of schooling and by absolutely leaning into GitOps. As well as, strategies like automated testing of GitOps configuration code may help to construct groups’ confidence in automations and cut back reliance on handbook approvals.
Going ahead, anticipate to see increasingly more adoption of GitOps strategies amongst groups looking for to level-up their strategy to DevOps automation. Automating particular person DevOps processes like software program testing and deployment gained’t be sufficient; really environment friendly organizations will flip to GitOps as a approach of automating their total DevOps workflows, from end-to-end.
Pattern 3: Investing in developer expertise
Making software program supply processes extra predictable and environment friendly is merely a step towards the last word aim of DevOps, which is to assist builders turn into extra productive and happy with their jobs.
To that finish, I’m noticing an excessive amount of curiosity and funding proper now within the realm of developer expertise. That is taking part in out by way of two interrelated kinds of initiatives.
One is platform engineering, which entails creating DevOps groups who specialise in sure features – corresponding to community administration or safety – and designating them to assist these features all through the group. This strategy reduces cognitive overhead for builders by releasing them from having to deal with kinds of work that aren’t their important focus. In different phrases, as a substitute of forcing builders to be DevOps generalists, platform engineering lets completely different groups concentrate on doing what they know and revel in finest – resulting in larger productiveness and better ranges of job satisfaction.
The opposite main pattern at present taking part in out within the realm of developer expertise is developer self-service. This implies the flexibility of builders to acquire the technical options they want on-demand, with no sophisticated procurement course of. Generally, organizations allow self-service by implementing Inner Growth Platforms, or IDPs, which host ready-made infrastructure sources and software program environments that builders can deploy on a self-service foundation.
There are dangers inherent in these tendencies. They require specialised kinds of abilities, and when poorly carried out, platform engineering and IDP options can create extra issues than they resolve. Nonetheless, when you make sure that your groups have the requisite experience, and if you deploy a rigorously deliberate IDP that provides builders entry to the sources they really want, you’re more likely to see a big discount in friction inside your group, and a lift in developer productiveness and happiness.
Conclusion
Admittedly, discussing DevOps tendencies that heart on safety, automation and developer expertise will not be as thrilling as debating whether or not AI will take away DevOps engineers’ jobs. However if you wish to know what’s really altering on the planet of DevOps – versus which conversations are most hype-worthy – these are the locations to look.
Safety, automation and developer expertise are additionally among the many domains of DevOps the place there may be an excessive amount of alternative at current to innovate – and, certainly, the place adopting new instruments and strategies shall be crucial for organizations that don’t wish to be left behind as DevOps evolves.
