DevOps Challenges in 2019 and How to Overcome Them

This article was originally published on 4/18/19

As DevOps is becoming mainstream, multiple teams ask themselves where they should begin with DevOps adoption, what challenges they will face along the way, and how to resolve those challenges. Every year, more companies are expected to move from traditional waterfall approaches to DevOps.

Asking for Help

The most important thing for all software engineers to remember is that they shouldn’t necessarily be afraid to ask for help. Some common DevOps problems can be best tackled by asking for help from those who have done this work before you. It is common to speak with those who have done this kind of work before to ensure you know what you are getting yourself into. 

The problems that come up with DevOps are something that we will get into momentarily, but you should understand that one of the best things about having a list like this is that you can use it to figure out where others have gone wrong before you. 

Knowing a little more about the mistakes they have made and how you can correct them for yourself when you take on your DevOps projects is a great way to bolster your confidence in your ability to get the job done. 

Please look over how people have made mistakes in the DevOps program for yourself to see what you may want to do to correct your issues moving forward.

Many software development companies look at DevOps as a pinnacle of what a company can reach in terms of effectiveness, which is a little bit hard. Addressing challenges can substantially reduce your productivity, while adapting to DevOps approaches results in diverse automation tools and a lack of coordination among development processes.

In this article, we will discuss some of the biggest challenges faced by DevOps in 2019 and what measures can be taken to overcome them.

Focus on Legacy Apps and Systems

The first and primary challenges DevOps teams face involve facing legacy applications built without keeping DevOps in mind. This might seem harmless, but it’s pretty tricky for the transition. You must maintain these legacy systems even if you focus on new apps and systems with DevOps.

There are other reasons for transitioning with legacy applications. In the beginning, you need to work on phasing them out or gradually slowing down the transitioning customers to a new version maintained with a DevOps system. 

Otherwise, you can try to create a new system for maintaining your legacy apps that will not interfere with your DevOps system. You can also use a Scala Performance measuring tool like AppOptics, which can help to phase out non-DevOps systems in the upcoming years.

Select the Right Projects

For a new DevOps team, it may seem smart to choose DevOps for every new project, but that cannot always be the case. DevOps is not mandatory as sometimes it can slow down the entire production process if not implemented properly. 

So you should be diligent when selecting projects to use DevOps. When it comes to thinking about whether DevOps is necessary or not, it is best to remember that DevOps is an operational strategy that won’t be the right fit all the time.

DevOps is a smart choice if you are working to scale your software quickly and gain more speed from its agility. Also, DevOps doesn’t work all the time, so it should not be treated as a go-to solution that will solve all your problems. For instance, if you are using an older system, it is better to stick to old methods and processes as it is not always possible to find automated systems.

In addition, planning and designing work is seen as a poor fit for DevOps as going through design and UX is a more successful way to approach the process instead of constant improvement.

Performance Testing

One thing that has not changed is the requirement for extensive testing, as user expectations are leveling up. Thanks to DevOps, now it is possible to create and release products faster, but you should not do it but sacrifice sufficient product testing before release.

DevOps is great at multiple things, but it also has some limitations regarding bugs. Fortunately, tons of tools like Tricentis and Zephyr help you ensure the top performance of your released products.

Elusive People Problems

Various studies and research about DevOps make it quite a wonder that many teams are struggling with a challenge called “people problems.” The problem is with developers and management as they create an environment where DevOps fails to start. This trouble begins with a lack of experience as many teams simply adopt DevOps because of the shiny-object syndrome and end up experiencing disasters.

Another hurdle can be a lack of poor leadership as DevOps teams need abundant freedom to make strategic decisions for the projects. With strong leadership support, you can make your DevOps efforts by training your entire development and operational team.

What Is the Future of DevOps in 2019?

DevOps is on track to grab the top position in developers’ minds in 2019, and it is easy to see why. The DevOps approach finds room for automation and constant improvements, which are vital in our modern technological world. 

As we discussed above, many challenges are still threatening the DevOps success for many teams this following year. If you are thinking of DevOps or searching for better ways to improve your strategy and embrace these above challenges, it can be resolved better with the right patience and commitment. Keep learning!