DeVops Practices & tools

DeVops Practices & tools

by | Apr 20, 2021 | The DevOps

DeVops Practices & tools

Sandrine Favier

DevOps is a set of practices that standardize software development (Devs) and infrastructure management (Ops) processes to shorten development and software update delivery cycles. Here you will find the most important practices.

DevOps practices

CI/CD Intégration

CI/CD practices are the answer to problems caused by new code integration. More specifically, it is about integrating automation and continuous monitoring throughout the application lifecycle, known as the “CI/CD pipeline».

CI, intégration continue, is a development practice in which code changes are regularly integrated into a centralized repository and then creation and testing operations are performed automatically.

CD, livraison continue (Continuous delivery), allows test automation without being limited to unit testing, in order to test and check application updates on several dimensions before deploying them to clients.

Microservices

Microservices architecture is the process of breaking down an application into a set of small, independent (micro) services. Each microservice focuses on a specific set of business functionality and communicates with other services via application programming interfaces (APIs). Microservices allow organizations to not be locked into a single technology stack.

Infrastructure as a Code

As the term implies, Infrastructure as a Code is a way of managing your operating environment in the same way that you manage applications or any other code that is intended to be pushed into production.
Simply put, rather than manually changing the setup, the infrastructure is managed by scripts stored in a version control system (VCS) and versioned on command. These text files are called “Manifests” and are used by tools like Kubernetes to automatically provision and configure servers

“Simply put, things always had to be in a production-ready state: if you wrote it, you darn well had to be there to get it running!”
— Mike Miller

Monitoring et logging

Le monitoring est un pilier de la pratique DevOps. Le contrôle continu (continuous monitoring) est un processus automatisé servant à détecter les problèmes de conformité et les menaces de sécurité à chaque phase du pipeline DevOps.
Les avantages de cette pratique sont multiples : amélioration de la transparence et de la visibilité des opérations informatiques, à relever les problèmes de performance, suivre le comportement des utilisateurs.

 

Communication & collaboration

Communication between operations and developers is at the core of the DevOps approach. The feedback loop plays an essential role in every phase of planning and delivery but not in the intermediary phases.
This is why DevOps must be supported by collaboration. Each team must identify the points of friction, have regular feedback on all aspects of their work.

In a nutshell

DevOps requires a culture shift and the implementation of new tools and practices.
The practice of DevOps encourages communication and collaboration between teams, using frequent but small-scale updates for continuous integration and deployment. To get the most out of DevOps, an enterprise must adopt an adapted architecture (microservices) and implement automation practices, especially concerning the infrastructure (IaC) in order to be able to react more quickly to problems.

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DeVops Practices & tools

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The 4 key areas of expertise in digital transformation

The 4 key areas of expertise in digital transformation

by | Mar 29, 2021 | Digital Transformation

The 4 key areas of expertise in digital transformation
Digital transformation is a major strategic focus for executives. In fact, 70% of companies report having a Digital Transformation strategy in place or are working on one, but only 21% believe they have completed their Digital Transformation implementation. The truth is that there is a lot of hype and confusion about what digital transformation is. It is not unusual to hear Digital Transformation confused with digital marketing initiatives, omnichannel, or e-commerce initiatives. These initiatives are commendable, but Digital Transformation is much more than that, it is the sum of all these initiatives, it’s a business strategy that implies changes in culture, organization, processes, but also in rethinking customer experience and in fully understanding & adopting the right technologies for the specific needs of each company.

Innovation / Technology

Digital transformation can be defined as the development of a unified platform, consisting of systems and processes that leverage digital technologies in a way that radically shifts the way an organization collects and uses data to influence customer interactions favorably.
Internet of Things (IoT), distributed systems such as wireless sensor networks, the cloud, Customer Data Platforms (CDP), headless tech, microservices, Everything-as-a-Service (XaaS), Quantum as a Service (QaaS)… The potential of these emerging technologies is tremendous. Many of these technologies have become easier to manage, for others it may be more difficult. Understanding how a technology could be a transformational opportunity or on how to customize it to the specific needs of an enterprise.
This is why you need technology experts to make strategic choices based on a balance between innovation and technical debt management.

Process

Digital transformation is critical to the industry. For a long time, unlike other fields, industrial companies have been ahead of the curve in integrating new technologies into their processes.
However, digital technologies are not only a tactical aspect of the production activity, they require an end-to-end approach in order to improve the efficiency and quality of the processes, as well as reducing costs and losses, and finally enabling the creation of innovative products and services. Digital transformation accelerates the time-to-market of products and brings new added value to customers.

Customer Experience

To scale and thrive in the age of digital, companies must learn to think about their customers in a completely different way. A winning digital transformation delivers new and enhanced customer experiences. Thus, before launching any digital transformation initiative, it is imperative that companies have in-depth customer knowledge. However, this knowledge should not be limited to gathering data on previous transactions but should lead to a real reflection on the key values provided to customers. Only a genuine, customer-centric attitude will enable companies to stay ahead of the change curve and remain competitive

“90% of CEOs believe the digital economy will impact their industry, but less than 15% are executing on a digital strategy.”
— MIT Sloan and Capgemini

People

The key challenge, though often overlooked, of Digital Transformation is People. The core of digital transformation is people, they are the backbone of all initiatives.
Nowadays, companies are facing a dual threat: a massive technical and organizational backlog and the accelerating pace of technological innovation and changes. This is why a company’s HR strategy and organization can help or hinder the growth and digital maturity of companies.
The driving force behind a successful digital transformation is the CEO and leadership. The creative aspect of any innovation relies on the people, not the technology. The greatest technology will be useless if it is not adapted to your business needs, only people, and the right data, will allow you to use the right technology as a growth enabler.

Pull it all together

So far we have outlined key areas of Digital Transformation as if they exist in isolation. You need to make them work together.
Without a deep knowledge of each area, it’ s difficult for many business leaders to grasp the full potential of digital transformation. That’s why it’s necessary to have talent in these areas.

business strategy