IntroductionAgile and DevOps are two methodologies that shine for their game-changing impact as software development evolves. Agile thrives on iteration, while DevOps champions collaboration and continuous delivery. Although they may seem different at first glance, they redefine the landscape of software development methodology. They are complementary, and the practitioners of both methodologies work to enable quality, efficiency, and innovation during software development. Yet, they can both be similar and distinct in certain aspects, which we’ll uncover below. What is DevOps?It encourages a nimble software development lifecycle by combining operations with the development team. Both the teams (dev and ops teams) work together to accelerate software delivery through collaboration, automation, faster feedback, and iterative enhancement. This methodology stems from an agile approach, or you can call it the next step taken to improve the flow of the software delivery process. 4 DevOps PhasesDevOps has evolved into four distinct phases, driven by two key trends (transition to microservices & increase in tool integration). Phase 1: Bring Your DevOps (BYOD)This is the first phase, where each team brings or selects its tools. Yet, this approach became problematic, especially when teams weren't familiar with each other's tools. Phase 2: Best-in-Class DevOpsOrganizations moved to this phase to tackle the challenges of using different tools. They prefer to follow a collaborative approach and use a standard tool for each phase of the DevOps lifecycle. Yet, they faced the challenge of moving software changes through tools in each stage.Phase 3: Do-it-yourself (DIY) DevOpsAdopting DIY DevOps is the solution for the above challenge. Organizations tackled this problem by adopting DIY DevOps. They customized and integrated their tools themselves. But because these tools weren't designed to work together, they didn't fit perfectly. Maintaining DIY DevOps required a lot of effort. This led to higher costs, as engineers spent more time on tool integration than on their core software.Phase 4: DevOps PlatformDIY DevOps is replaced with a single-application platform. This enhances team experience and business efficiency, and you get more control and visibility over all stages. Combining all the teams in a DevOps platform helps plan, build, secure, and deploy software within a central system. This approach unlocks DevOps' full potential.What is Agile?Agile software developers work or respond to the software development/delivery process by the principles and values defined in the Agile manifesto. This methodology is based on iterative development where self-organizing cross-functional teams collaborate to meet the requirements and solutions of the project. It encourages a leadership philosophy that promotes frequent adaptation and inspection of engineering practices to allow rapid and high-quality software delivery. 12 Agile PrinciplesKeep customers happy by delivering quality software early and often.Be open to changes, even late in development, to stay competitive.Release software frequently.Ensure daily collaboration between stakeholders and developers.Support and motivate team members with the tools and resources they need.Hold regular face-to-face meetings.Measure progress by how well the software works.Create repeatable and sustainable processes and workflows.Improve continuously and use good design to increase agility.Keep things simple.Use self-organizing teams to design and develop requirements.Regularly review progress and adjust as needed.DevOps Vs. Agile: Differentiation on Various Factors The Agile Manifesto values people and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and adapting to change. DevOps shares these priorities and applies them to managing systems and running applications.Basis of ComparisonDevOpsAgileFocusAutomate every manual task to reduce delays and human errors.Value people and their interactions more than processes and tools.DocumentationCombine strong collaboration and communication with automation.Prioritize working software over detailed documentation.FlexibilityConstantly seek improvements, automate repetitive tasks, and monitor performance metrics to reduce release times.Embrace change rather than strictly following a plan.Customer CollaborationUse automation, better communication, and continuous improvement to focus on real user needs and deliver accordingly.Focus on customer collaboration instead of rigid contract negotiations.Team InvolvementInvolves the operations team, fostering collaboration between development and operations.Promotes teamwork between developers and product managers.ScopeCovers delivery and maintenance in addition to development.Focuses on taking software from idea to completed code.Development ApproachPrioritizes automating testing and delivery.Emphasizes developing in iterations and small batches.Work ManagementHandles the unplanned work often found in operations.Structures planned work for developers. When Agile and DevOps Align?As mentioned earlier, DevOps is agile practices' next step or evolution. It involves applying the innovative principles of agile methodology to operations processes. For example, agile documents often mention continuous software delivery. However, since delivery pipelines involve operations, continuous delivery is seen as a DevOps practice. Improving feedback loops requires better communication across teams. Agile, especially Scrum, supports this with ceremonies like daily standups, planning meetings, and retrospectives.Why Combine Agile & DevOps?Combining DevOps and Agile helps sustain and boost success. Here’s why:DevOps tools support the QA team’s Agile efforts.Responsibility and freedom shape the culture.CI/CD and automation speed up development.DevOps teams communicate technical needs clearly to stakeholders and product owners.Continuous testing is key to development.Agile metrics measure how well DevOps works with Agile.The DevOps team meets daily at stand-ups and sprint meetings to ensure product alignment and progress.ConclusionAgile and DevOps share the same goals: improving the quality and speed of software development. It’s hard to discuss one without the other. Some teams find Agile helpful, while others struggle to see its promised benefits. So, you can combine these methodologies in the best possible manner to get the most results. Read Morehttps://devopsden.io/article/how-to-create-aws-devops-engineer-resumeFollow us onhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/devopsden/
