Get the most out of your DevOps platform

From DIY toolchains to a seamless DevOps platform

A DevOps platform is a single application that will support software development from the idea stage to
deployment and beyond. It saves time and money, eliminates integration challenges, and bakes in security
and compliance right from the start.

Here are 7 tips to get the most out of a DevOps platform:

1. Understand the workflow
Take a hard look at existing workflows, pain points, and areas where communication and
collaboration may stumble. A DevOps Platform can optimize your workflows, but it can also instantiate
inefficient processes. Invest the time to map your ideal flow before automating it within the platform. With a solid
understanding of team workflow, it’s possible to see if your platform is a match, or if adjustments must be made.
A DevOps platform should operate as a seamless extension of the team, and not create extra steps or
processes that slow things down.

2. Check the culture

A DevOps platform is meant to support a wide variety of users from development, operations, security,
product, design, and even data. Each of these groups will use the platform differently, but it must be in a
coordinated way or there is a risk of losing the benefits of a single DevOps platform. A culture of collaboration
and communication (or what some call “teamwork”) will bring these disparate groups together.

At its core, DevOps is about collaboration. But communication and collaboration don’t just happen; they
need to be fostered. Scheduled meetings, built-in time for more “organic” communication and regular
retrospectives on what is and isn’t working and not are good starting points to ensure a DevOps platform
that works for everyone.

3. Dissect deployments
A huge benefit of an open DevOps platform (versus a bunch of disparate tools) is rapid deployments,
but it can take some fine-tuning to ensure that everyone makes the best use of the DevOps Platform’s
end-to-end visibility.

Every DevOps team needs a deployment protocol that will empower speedy code commits to a myriad
of environments without too many hurdles or the risk of over-thinking. Establish a protocol by practicing
the process, documenting everything and then regularly meeting to measure results and tweak the process.
Time invested up front in establishing these best practices will prove very useful in the long run.
 4. Simplify security
Security is critical, but a DevOps platform provides the perfect opportunity to simply bake it in
from the beginning, shifting it left (earlier in the process) and right (something everyone is responsible for).
Teams that have chosen an open DevOps platform report dramatic improvements in both identifying
and remediating bugs within a single sprint, or less.

5. Consider the cutting edge

A streamlined DevOps platform can offer teams the chance to easily try new technologies. Without the
time and cost involved in supporting multiple toolchains, there is space to consider more “modern”
development technologies including microservices, containers, and container orchestration options like Kubernetes.
Microservices and containers offer DevOps teams the luxury of modularity and, thus, flexibility. Microservices and
containers enable small changes to be made, tested, rolled out, pulled back, and discarded, all without interfering
with an existing application.

6. Plan Big, Work Small

With the security of end-to-end visibility and security scans running on every commit, a DevOps platform
gives you the confidence to embrace agile concepts more deeply. Focus on the smallest incremental
changes that add value; release and iterate as you measure their impact. At GitLab, we actually use the
term “minimum viable change,” but the concept is the same: Make the smallest possible change so customer
feedback happens fast. It’s one of the biggest advantages of a DevOps platform, but it’s critical to ensure
team processes support what can be a substantial mindset shift.

7. Don’t miss the view

A busy DevOps team using multiple toolchains has no way to see across the entire development
lifecycle. But with a DevOps platform, the team can now enjoy the view…literally. With a DevOps platform,
metrics are automatically correlated with work items, so you can move from discovering problems to addressing
them in one click. Quickly identify and remove blockers in value streams to maximize your efforts and deliver better
business results.

Contact us to learn more about how to optimize your organization’s DevOps tools.