Automated Provisioning In DevOps

For as long as anyone can remember, software development has always faced one major challenge. This challenge, which is the separation of software developers and IT operation teams, often leads to the slow release of software, and increased rate errors in software development. This silo in operation caused serious dysfunction in operation.

A remedy to the situation led to the rise of DevOps. DevOps aims to remedy the situation, by breaking down the barriers of communication and collaboration between the software development (Dev) teams, and the technology operation (Ops) teams. 

A collaboration between the software developers and IT operation helps to properly streamline the development of software, throughout its lifecycle, thereby leading to faster software release.

Advantages Of DevOps

Enhanced Communication And Collaboration

One of the main advantages of DevOps is that it increases the communication rate between development and operations teams.

The increased communication enhances project collaboration between them, leading to quicker software development and releases.

Entwined Learning

The increasing project collaboration between both teams for software development has led to the improvement of a continuous, entwined learning culture.

Both teams can now experiment together, learn from past failures, and make improvements to processes and tools.

Improved Security And Feedback

With DevOps, the security of the software has improved greatly. From the starting process, security measures like vulnerability scanning and code reviews are used to monitor the performance of application software and infrastructure.

Feedback are usually gotten by analyzing data together, thereby helping the joint team optimize processes.

Infrastructure As Code

DevOps has led to the process of using codes to manage infrastructure resources. This process, which is known as infrastructure as code (IaC), helps to define configurations in imperative format and store them in the version control system, so they can be treated as codes.

This infrastructure, as code can be executed to create and manage components and resources, automatically. To ensure valid configuration, the team can execute automated tests against the infrastructure code, as this helps to detect errors, thereby improving the stability of the software.

Automated Provisioning

Automated provisioning is one of the fundamental advantages of DevOps. Automated Provisioning, involves the use of provisioning tools to automate tasks like building, testing, and deployment of software.

Automated user provisioning helps the team attain consistent processes. It is easier for the team to attain repeatability of processes using these automated provisioning tools.

Automated Provisioning Benefits

There are so many benefits of provisioning automation Viz;

Accuracy

It is easier for the team to attain accuracy in software development, and projects, as the use of automated provisioning tools excludes errors that would have otherwise appeared due to human factors.

Unified Communication

Unified communication is a system that integrates different communication tools, like email, voice call, chat box, video conferencing, etc, into one single system.

The use of provisioning automation in unified communication cannot be discarded. From simplifying the setup and configuration, down to evenly deploying it throughout the organization, automated provisioning makes the start to finish process easier.

Unified communication benefits include seamless communication within organizations, amongst others.

Provisioning Users

Provisioning users is a tool in organizations today. It involves creating user accounts for all the employees of an organization, and giving them access privileges, according to rank or department.

Automated user provisioning tools help to make the process of creation easier by automating the steps, and tailoring them according to the organization’s needs.

Saves Time

The time that would have been taken to manually set up and configure applications and software, can be drastically reduced with the use of automated provisioning tools.

Automated provisioning prevents unnecessary delays that would have otherwise occurred during manual development. 

Saves Cost

The use of automated provisioning tools helps in saving the cost of employing people to manually undertake the process of development. 

Organizations can save a lot of cost by utilizing automated provisioning tools to run some processes.

Becoming A DevOps Personnel

Delving into DevOps can be a fulfilling and right career choice, as statistics have proven that DevOps personnel would be in high demand in the future. 

Starting a career in DevOps can be broken into these steps:

Understanding The Principles Of DevOps

To fully understand a thing, you must understand its purpose. The purpose of DevOps is to bridge the gap between software developers and IT operations.

Understanding the purpose of DevOps is the first step toward a successful career.

Acquire Technical Skills

The role of DevOps personnel involves the use of different skills. It is required that DevOps personnel must be tech-savvy person that loves innovative skills.

From infrastructure as code to cloud platforms to version control systems, to containerization, to scripting and automation, a DevOps personnel is expected to gain mastery over these skills, as they are sure to come in handy in time.

Master Configuration Tools

The process of infrastructure as code as a DevOps personnel requires configuring of infrastructure as codes. To be able to do this, a DevOps personnel needs to be able to tweak configuration tools.

Gaining mastery over configuration tools will aid an individual in infrastructure to code projects, as well as a host of other projects.

Master Automation

In recent times, the oxygen of DevOps has become the automation of tasks. Automation is key to the success of DevOps personnel.

Mastering skills and provisioning software will help save time in building, testing, and deploying software. From scripting languages to CI/CD pipelines, and a host of other automation software, DevOps personnel is expected to master them, as they are sure to come in handy.

Master Agile and Lean Practices

The fact that a DevOps personnel is supposed to be a developer and operations personnel says a lot about his skill set.

Gaining mastery over Agile and Lean practices, like Kanban, value stream mapping, as well as others will help the DevOps personnel in iterating software processes.

Continuous Practice

Perfection of skill comes from continuous practice. It is not enough for an individual to just learn all these skills, he must continuously practice them.

With time of continuous practice, an individual will grow into perfection of the DevOps practices, and become the best in the field.

Certification

As much as a certificate without knowledge is a waste, knowledge without a certificate can be limiting. Getting certified by well-known certification bodies like the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, and other well-known bodies, can help distinguish a DevOps personnel from his contemporaries. 

Meaningful Networking

To go fast, one can go alone, but to go far, an individual is expected to walk with like-minded people. Networking with other like-minded individuals that are on a path of DevOps growth will do an individual good.

Participating in hackathons, learning, and relearning from folks and mentors in the field is sure to set the DevOps personnel on a path of explosive growth.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, DevOps is a futuristic career path that will be in high demand. The role of a DevOps personnel is to bridge the gap between software developers, and IT operation teams.

To become a competent DevOps personnel, one has to master a lot of skills, ranging from Agile and Lean practices, infrastructure to code, configuration tools, automation tools, and a host of other skills. A mastery of these skills will set an individual apart in the world of DevOps personnel.

One of the main skills of DevOps personnel is automated provisioning. Automated provisioning is the heart of the DevOps skill, as it is required in almost all processes, from building to testing to the deployment of software. A mastery of automated provisioning is the key to faster, and more efficiently delivered projects.