DEVOPS HISTORY
In recent years, DevOps has become an invaluable part of the IT and software engineering landscape. By combining people, process, and technology to create high-functioning IT systems, it partially accounts for the rise in digital transformation initiatives within the enterprise; after all, no transformation can succeed without reliable core infrastructure. But to understand DevOps’ value and success within the enterprise, it’s important to understand its history. Emergent within the corporate landscape during the early 2000s, DevOps quickly evolved as an approach to bridging the gaps between development and operations—ultimately providing a more rapid, efficient, and cost-effective way of deploying services and engaging customers. The Origins of DevOps The concept of DevOps likely began with the occurrence of two major events: the pioneering and growth of Agile software development processes, and the rise of cloud computing technologies. During 2006, Agile was making significant inroads into the DevOps landscape, with the introduction of the ‘Manifesto for Agile Software Development.' Committed to designing and developing software with sustainability and customer-centricity in mind, this manifesto was a crucial event in the development of DevOps. Then, in 2008, cloud computing vendors began to sprout across the market, rapidly taking off. By 2009, cloud vendors like Amazon AWS had gained significant ground, and IT as a discipline was beginning to recognize the value of disruptive, cloud-backed technologies. As certified cloud developers evolved and infrastructures were created through cloud-based technologies, Agile and traditional release management processes began to blossom. Rapidly, developers were beginning to consider the idea of ‘infrastructure as code’ as the size and complexity of their systems grew. The Rise of DevOps It was the arrival of this concept that emboldened developers and IT practitioners alike to consider a ‘DevOps’ approach to IT. During the early and mid-2010s, the rise of DevOps within the enterprise was swiftly gaining traction as IT practitioners realized the value of an integrated ‘people, process and technology’ approach to development, deployment, operations, and customer service. While the idea of DevOps had been around as long as 1997, it was the introduction of cloud-based technologies combined with the increasing complexity of IT services that led to DevOps’ adoption. Additionally, the need for IT practitioners to adapt to the increased demands of digital transformation encouraged enterprise IT departments to consider an integrated solution. DevOps Today Today, DevOps continues to be a valuable part of enterprise IT and software engineering. With an approach that takes into account all of the complexities associated with software development (and deployment) DevOps has enabled enterprises to remain agile and competitive—especially in the face of digital transformation initiatives. As the enterprise IT landscape continues to evolve and new technologies aim to facilitate and streamline processes, DevOps will remain a crucial part of a successful IT strategy. From tools designed to improve release management and data backup/recovery to enhanced security solutions, DevOps offers leveraged solutions that provide the most reliable and cost-effective technologies for supporting enterprise IT departments.
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