Implementing DevOps: A Step-by-Step Guide In 2024

Implementing DevOps is a strategy that integrates software development (Dev) with IT operations (Ops). Implementing DevOps can be described as a method to help companies deliver code faster and more reliably. However, the process of implementing DevOps is not simple, requiring considerable planning and effort. This article outlines a step-by-step approach to implementing DevOps, which organizations should consider when crafting their own strategy.

How does implementing DevOps work?

DevOps implementation refers to the integration of development (Dev) and operations (Ops) teams to improve collaboration, efficiency, and the overall software development lifecycle. By adopting DevOps practices, organizations aim to automate and streamline workflows, enhance software quality, and accelerate the delivery of applications and services. This cultural and technical shift encourages shared responsibilities, continuous integration, and continuous delivery (CI/CD). According to a 2020 State of DevOps report by Puppet, high-performing DevOps teams deploy code 208 times more frequently than their lower-performing counterparts, with 106 times shorter lead times from development to deployment. Furthermore, organizations that successfully implement DevOps achieve 24 times faster recovery from failures, highlighting the significant impact that DevOps practices can have on software reliability and performance. 

Source: Gleecus

Step 1: Set Goals and Create a Roadmap

First, clearly define the business goals you want to achieve with DevOps. Improved deployment frequency? Faster time-to-market for new features? Higher quality code through test automation? Pick 1-3 measurable goals.

Next, map out a high-level roadmap with target milestones over the next 6-12 months. Outline what people, processes and tools you need to transform at each stage. Be realistic about timelines and account for organizational change management. Update the roadmap as you progress through implementation.

Example milestones:

1. Month 1-2: Stand up basic CI/CD pipeline.
2. Month 3: Automated testing in place.
3. Month 6: Infrastructure as code adopted.
4. Month 12: Comprehensive DevOps platform operational.

These are roughly the steps that DevOps Implementation Services take when they get started. But you can develop your own plan that works for you.

Learn more about DevOps vs. Agile in our latest article.

Step 2: Build a Cross-Functional Team

Implementing DevOps successfully requires collaboration across development, QA, and operations teams. Identify key stakeholders from each group to form a dedicated DevOps team responsible for driving the implementation roadmap.

Define clear roles within this team:

• DevOps Architect: The technical expert for CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure management.
• Integration Specialist: Ensures smooth interaction between different tools and systems.
• Automation Engineer: Develops scripts and code to automate manual processes.
• DevOps Evangelist: Promotes the benefits of implementing DevOps across the organization.

Decide if you need new, dedicated DevOps roles or if you’ll upskill existing team members to share these responsibilities.

Step 3: Establish a CI/CD Foundation

A solid CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous delivery) pipeline is critical for implementing DevOps. CI/CD automates the building, testing, and deployment of applications. Choose your CI/CD stack to align with your technical environment and the broader DevOps roadmap.

Common components for implementing DevOps CI/CD pipelines include:

• Source control: Manages code in repositories like GitHub or GitLab.
• Build automation: Compiles code after changes are committed.
• Test automation: Runs unit, integration, and other tests.
• Deployment automation: Automates releases into lower environments and production.

When selecting CI/CD tools such as Jenkins or CircleCI, prioritize flexibility and integration capabilities, which are vital when implementing DevOps.

Step 4: Shift Left on Security

Historically, security testing happened later in the development lifecycle, leading to costly delays in fixing vulnerabilities. With DevOps, take a “shift left” approach, building security upfront into CI/CD pipelines using automation:

1. Static analysis. Scan code for vulnerabilities as developers write it.
2. DAST/SAST scanning. Dynamic & static analysis of builds for malware, data exposure etc.
3. Pen testing. Simulate attacks against running apps to surface risks.

Shift left security improves code quality and reduces escape defects into production. Adjust your software lifecycle policies to mandate security checks during CI/CD.

Step 5: Modernize Infrastructure

Traditional hardware or virtual machines make automation difficult. Instead, embrace infrastructure as code (IaC) and treat infrastructure like software:

1. Leverage the cloud. AWS, Azure and GCP for self-service and elasticity of resources that can be quickly provisioned and released. 
2.  Containerize apps. Microservices have to be created out of monoliths and placed into containers for portability. 
3.  Automate config management. Treat IaC with Terraform/Ansible as configuration files and avoid configuration drift. 

 Ensure that the environments used in development, testing, and staging are as close to the other as possible. Treat infrastructure as a self-service model to enhance the efficiency of developers. 

Step 6: Optimize Feedback Loops

One of the key goals of implementing DevOps is to shorten feedback loops in the build, test, and deployment phases. Track critical metrics like the time between code commit and production, and the mean time to recovery after failures.

To further optimize feedback loops:

• Test early and often: Implement unit and integration tests early in the process.
• Fail fast: Identify failures early in the pipeline to quickly address issues.
• Validate releases: Use feature flags and canary deployments to ensure production readiness.

Continuous feedback optimization is central to successfully implementing DevOps.

Step 7: Evolve Culture and Organization

The most challenging part of implementing DevOps is fostering cultural change. Teams need to break down silos and adopt shared ownership of the software development lifecycle:

• Promote collaboration: Replace a blame culture with one that values learning and user experience.
• Empower teams: Give developers and operations the tools and visibility they need to self-manage applications.

Culture plays a significant role in the success of implementing DevOps. Without a strong cultural foundation, technical efforts may falter.

Step 8: Measure Results

Finally, when implementing DevOps, track metrics aligned with your business objectives. Key metrics include:

• Deployment frequency: Measures how often code is deployed.
• Lead time: Tracks the time from code commit to production.
• Change failure rate: Indicates the percentage of changes leading to issues.
• Mean time to recovery: Measures how quickly problems are resolved.

Regularly analyze and share these metrics to build support for further DevOps initiatives.

Conclusion

Implementing DevOps offers significant benefits but requires thoughtful planning and execution. By following this 8-step process for implementing DevOps, organizations can build a foundation for faster, more reliable, and secure software delivery. Customize the plan to fit your needs, but don’t delay—start implementing DevOps now for quick wins and long-term transformation.