10 Advantages and Disadvantages of DevOps

DevOps is a short form for Development and Operations (Dev + Ops). It is a set of tools and practices that helps combine the development and (IT) operations to help decrease the software development life cycle (SDLC). DevOps helps you build, test, and release software at a much faster rate by integrating agile development practices.

The software development methodology of DevOps has been gaining a lot of popularity during the past few years because of its immense benefits for organizations. However, we cannot deny the fact that just like any other tool and technology DevOps also has some disadvantages. So, let’s find out what are the advantages and disadvantages of DevOps.

Advantage#1: DevOps improves software delivery time

When working with DevOps methodology the development cycles are shorter which helps in developing software faster and improves the delivery time. Due to DevOps, around 60% of developers were able to release the code two times faster. As it uses agile development practices instead of the waterfall model, it can respond to changes rapidly and save a lot of time. As the development and IT operations teams are working together, they can automate some processes as well which also improves the software delivery time.

Advantage#2: DevOps helps enhance the quality of software

DevOps helps automate the testing tools in the software development lifecycle which helps companies enhance the quality of software. This is very beneficial for identifying bugs, errors, and software crashes at a very early stage. You can fix all these identified issues and reduce the chances of errors. Early detection also saves a lot of time and close collaboration of development and operations also helps in releasing better-quality software.

Advantage#3: DevOps helps in reducing expenses

Automation in DevOps is one of the key benefits for every organization. When you can automate some important and manual tasks like updates and error detection you can significantly reduce the expenses. Besides reducing the cost, you would have to manage a smaller team and you can allocate resources more efficiently.

Advantage#4: DevOps simplify communication & collaboration

DevOps breaks the silos between different departments of an organization which increases collaboration and communication. All the departments (development + IT operations) work as one single team which streamlines the business processes. Information sharing is also made easy and every person of the team is on the same page.

Advantage#5: DevOps increases efficiency and productivity

Besides the fact that development and IT operations teams are working together DevOps automation follows CI (Continuous Improvement) and DI (Continuous Development) principles which give them time to focus on other important tasks as well. It also reduces development time, cost, and improves software quality, in essence, this helps companies increase efficiency and productivity.

Disadvantage#1: DevOps can increase the complexity

Implementation of DevOps requires the integration of different tools and techniques in the software development process. The implementation of DevOps can increase the complexity of your business environment which makes it hard for managing and troubleshooting. For adopting DevOps, you need more software, and hardware resources as well which means you must have some budget allocated.

Disadvantage#2: DevOps lacks the standardization

Many issues arise due to lack of standardization in DevOps. For instance, undefined process frameworks and too many tools with overlapping features which not only increase complexity but create confusion as well. There is a dire need for standardization, and it should have been done a long time ago. Currently, businesses are creating customized toolsets and processes.

Disadvantage#3: DevOps requires experienced professionals

Whether you need deployment or implementation of DevOps you need experienced professionals. However, there is a shortage of skillful engineers and professionals in DevOps because such individuals are in high demand as every company is adopting a DevOps culture. According to the report of Enterprise DevOps Skills, around 64% of organizations are struggling to find experienced DevOps professionals.

Disadvantage#4: DevOps can have security issues

Although we know that DevOps combines the development and IT operations teams together, the security team still works in silos. This is one of the major drawbacks of DevOps because if the security team finds out any key security issue in the software just before the release then all the efforts will be useless. The security team gets the software for identifying any issues after the development process is complete this can against the purpose of DevOps which is fast development.

Disadvantage#5: DevOps requires a cultural change

Whenever you are implementing DevOps, it is a big cultural change, especially for employees. You need to train them, give them some practical knowledge, and awareness about the best practices. Most employees resist such changes, and it can be a big hurdle as training also requires a lot of time and budget. Employees are usually afraid that they might not be able to understand the change due to its complexity.

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