Top 4 challenges to adopting DevOps and the best ways to resolve them

Most companies both large and small have already implemented or are progressing towards implementing a DevOps model into their day-to-day operations for improved workflow and productivity. DevOps is a methodology involving application delivery that encourages communication and collaboration between the operations teams and developers across all stages of the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle).

The collaboration between the operations and development teams promotes a well-defined integration and enables them to strive for a common goal which ensures the creation of an efficient, reliable, and faster delivery system.

Major challenges in the DevOps implementation

Though it is well-known that DevOps’s goal is to accomplish integration and automation, its practical implementation is quite challenging. Replacing older methods and practices with the newer ones or implementing newer methods and techniques has always been a difficult task to accomplish.

Now, let’s dig deeper into various challenges people face during the implementation of DevOps in an organization. We will then look into the ways to resolve the various challenges during the DevOps implementation.

Integrating tools of different domains

Continuous integration is regarded as one of the major pillars for DevOps. We need tools to be integrated properly to make testing, deployment, and building all work together in a continuous form. Nevertheless, the major challenge here is how to get these tools integrated.

Adaption of new methods

Even if the older applications and infrastructure are being used for many years for now, they can spell problems related to stability and lack of support. So, using microservices together with infrastructure-as-code is a big step towards the future of continuous innovation.

The development life cycle has been modified by need to swiftly adapt to the continuously changing desires of customers and markets. Companies that do not offer new options may be outpaced by their competition. A company that modifies or replaces their monolithic, older apps with latest microservices architecture can open the gates to quicker innovation and faster development.

However, this shift to new methods has its own share of problems. When you move to microservices architecture, you must have the foundations of continuous delivery, configuration management, and automation in place to withstand the enhanced operational workloads that microservices bring.

Usage of new tools

The flashy new tools as part of the DevOps tool set seem like they will be able to solve any kind of problem. Though we acquire all the tools, you must train your staff on how to utilize them effectively. Additionally, it’s important to see that these tools meet the security requirements and they are well properly integrated with the current infrastructure. These things can divert you from your team which is your key priority.

Your organizational structure and your team are key to DevOps success. Your team’s progress will follow once you have a proper structure in place. Ensure you maintain your focus on your team rather than your tools. When transitioning to DevOps, the people in your team are the most important factor. There might be some confusion if no one is properly trained on the newly implemented tools and processes.

Separate tool-sets for Dev and Ops teams

Another challenge for DevOps implementation is the entirely separate metrics and toolkits between operations and development teams. Unifying and harmonizing any difference between the two is a big part of making everything work properly.

Legacy tools may slow down the new infrastructure or be technologically inferior to the latest option on the market. Still, legacy tools are that way for a reason. Instead, ensure that the tools being used are aligned with the organization’s needs.

How to overcome the challenges?

Proper guidance

Good management is key. Clear instructions and cogent communication make everything better. Also, the people working in an organization should be aware of the organizational goals and how to achieve them. In order to acquire this knowledge, proper training and guidance are necessary.

Better collaboration

Improved collaboration leads to increased productivity for DevOps teams. Instead of working at cross-purposes, they can work toward a common goal. This collaboration also leads to improved visibility and it’s easier to track changes across teams.

Providing an enterprise-level framework

Finding the right orchestration options solves the problem of tool integration. There are many tools available on the market for providing an enterprise-level framework by automating the tool environments. These tools provide significant advantages like an integrated framework as well as support for multiple diversified features.

Analytics

The task of collecting relevant data and placing them in one central repository is usually carried out by the integration tools. With the help of specific parameters, these integration tools can help in generating of useful metrics and reports out the accumulated data. Thus, data provides various advantages such as understanding critical business problems, work scheduling, training information, and more.

Conclusion

DevOps represents a major step forward in closing the gap between operations, business, and development. There are many challenges that companies face with DevOps implementation, but there are certain underlying principles and practices you need to apply in order to resolve them. This article presents various challenges that we face during DevOps implementation and the ways to successfully resolve them.