If you’re hamstrung by complicated deployment processes, learn how DevOps automation allows you to release software faster – and with fewer errors
While moving your infrastructure to the cloud is likely a good idea when it comes to reducing costs and improving scalability, it doesn’t necessarily ensure your business processes are going to be any more efficient than if they were being run from your own set of in-house servers.
The real gains from a cloud infrastructure come with automation of configuration, data security, and application deployment, and monitoring and scaling up or down of your applications based on computing demands.
Automation is one of the key aspects of DevOps. Experienced engineers can leverage the power of DevOps through the creation of scripts and code that automate common infrastructure demands.
Common examples of DevOps Automation
While there are many applications for DevOps automation, below are a few that show you how a variety of infrastructure changes can be easily automated in the cloud:
- A new virtual instance deployment for testing
- Scaling instances up or down based on computing needs
- Deploy a new version of a certain application
- Patch a large number of instances with software updates
Why should you invest in DevOps automation?
If you’ve worked with development engineers for any length of time, you’ve likely experienced dealing with missed steps during the deployment phase, which may have resulted in failed applications. Having a set of manual procedures to handle deploying software can be fraught with errors because humans make mistakes – and it can also create a culture where everyone is always looking to blame others for any issues that pop up.
With DevOps automation, you can better align your development and operations teams so that the reliability of your release processes can improve, which in turn should decrease the number of software issues you’ll have to deal with.
The true benefits of DevOps automation are in the numbers
The fact that companies are looking to do more with less in terms of their IT budgets makes DevOps automation highly appealing. An IT spending forecast from Gartner pointed out a very small IT spending increase of 1.4% for 2017, as well as a 2.5% – 3% increase annually from 2018-2021. While IT spending remains conservative, companies are continuing to place a big emphasis on digital transformation to ensure they can compete in a changing marketplace. Digital transformation requires constant improvements and quick deployments.
A recent itbusiness.ca article highlights two companies that have mastered the art of digital transformation, which has, in turn, allowed them to iterate and thrive based on market changes: Netflix and Panera.
Netflix has completely reinvented itself multiple times; going from a DVD mail-order company founded in 1997 to a streaming platform starting in 2007, and now to a world-class production company responsible for a wide array of internally-produced series such as Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, Making a Murderer, and many others.
Panera Bread has continuously improved its ordering experience so that now roughly 25% of its overall sales come via mobile devices.
One of the keys to the success of Netflix, Panera Bread, and really any business adapting and thriving in today’s digitally-driven ecosystem is being able to deploy new features more often and with quicker lead times and lower failure rates. DevOps automation allows organizations to streamline and automate their software deployment processes to ensure new features and fixes are released much more quickly than with manual DevOps procedures.
Interested in learning more about DevOps automation?
If your organization could benefit from a more streamlined DevOps process that leverages the power of automation, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today at 800-860-2040 or through our online contact form. We’ll be glad to discuss how we’ve helped a number of our clients roll out DevOps automation processes that have led to faster deployment cycles with fewer software issues.
