When you first encounter the term DevOps, you might guess it stands for Development and Operations correctly, but the term is too abstract to what it is. To assess whether learning DevOps is worthwhile, let’s look at what it looks like.

Development & Operation

The “development” aspect of DevOps is fairly straightforward, especially if you've been following this blog. It refers to writing code, building (compiling), and testing in order to create secure, efficient software that solves specific problems. High-quality development is essential for delivering great software to users, but it doesn’t stop there.

Software also needs to be deployed on servers in an optimized configuration and monitored closely to ensure that the service remains available to users, while continuously identifying bugs and vulnerabilities to improve the software. The tasks of deploying, maintaining, and monitoring the software on the servers fall under operations, which is another critical part of providing great software to users. Both processes must be done collaboratively, seamlessly, and continuously to ensure that the software maintains or even improves its quality over time.

What is DevOps?

Despite the interconnectedness of development and operations, historically these have been managed by separate teams. This separation often led to communication breakdowns and accountability issues, hindering effective collaboration. For instance, when development teams focused on building software in their own environment, operations teams were then tasked with adapting the code to work in production and managing errors. To the operations team, it often felt like developers were simply throwing non-functional code over the wall for them to fix.

DevOps emerged as a solution to bridge this gap, facilitating better collaboration between development and operations through the use of automation tools for infrastructure, workflows, and continuous monitoring. These tools enforce best practices, enabling smoother teamwork. This way, development teams can concentrate on building secure and high-performance software, while operations teams focus on deploying and monitoring applications effectively. If you want to take a glimpse at what involves DevOps, I highly recommend the video titled Do this before you deploy to Vercel by Web Dev Cody.

Why Learn DevOps?

Regardless of whether you end up in a development, DevOps, or operations role, it is crucial to have at least a foundational understanding of these automation tools to collaborate effectively in building high-quality software. No matter the company, project, or team size, if you aim to deliver software quickly while maintaining high quality, you’ll inevitably appreciate the value of these tools.

Speaking from personal experience, as someone primarily focused on development, I often struggled with the manual aspects of maintaining my code and managing operations as I developed more applications. Initially, I avoided the fundamentals of servers and networks, relying on services that abstracted the operational side for easier deployment and monitoring. However, this approach was often less flexible and more costly. Learning DevOps was a game changer for me, and I believe it will be for many others as well. I hope that by sharing my experiences, I can help you benefit from DevOps too.