Someday, I would like to be a world traveler – to visit
other countries, experience other cultures, sample other foods and see other sights. And while the thought of that journey is very
exciting, it is also a little intimidating.
In many places, I won’t speak the
language, fully understand the customs or know what to do and when.
There are similarities between travelling the globe and
travelling the road between Dev and Ops. The potential outcome of the DevOps journey is
exciting, but also a little intimidating. In some cases, we won’t understand the vocabulary,
customs or know what to do and when.
Both trips will require us to be open to new learning and new
experiences.
Before I embark on a world journey, I must build an appreciation
for the unique aspects of each national culture and it’s contributions to the
global community. The DevOps journey is
no different - it begins with the recognition of and mutual respect for the unique
skills and practices at each stop on the itinerary. It is vital that Dev and
Ops are viewed as peers with each function adding its own special value to the
provision of IT services. Neither is subordinate
or superior to each other.
To prepare for my world trip, I will need to learn a little
about the places I will visit. To
prepare for a DevOps journey, we must also learn a little about the function
areas that we will work with. Each team
should strive to understand just enough about each other so as to “talk the
talk”, but not necessarily “walk the walk”. Fluency is not required to navigate the basics.
Understanding is great, but experience is better. I may read about different countries but until
I actually walk the streets, the experience will not be
complete. The same is true for DevOps.
It is important for Dev teams and Ops teams to actually cross each other’s
border and witness the daily workings of the develop-deploy-release-operate
production line. Engagement can range
from passive “shadowing” to active participation. Consider putting an Ops person on a Scrum
Team for a sprint, ask a developer to work
in tandem with an operator for a shift or have developers and operators take
calls or observe the service desk in action.
Whether in travel or in DevOps,
immersion is the best way to learn to function in a different environment.
Your packing list wouldn’t be complete without some useful technologies.
Automation can be a great travel
companion as both an expediter and a universal translator. In DevOps, automated configuration, testing
and deployment can make the transport of software from Dev to Ops consistent and faster. Similarly,
monitoring tools, metrics, reports and dashboards can translate and interpret data that provides a common basis for discussing what’s happening in the environment and why.
While my world journey will eventually end, the DevOps
journey will not. By crossing the
borders into each other’s territories, we will be better equipped to engineer
realistic DevOps systems that are lean, with common vocabularies, integrated processes,
greater efficiencies and greater success.
A DevOps without
borders.
