DevOps vs Agile! Everything You Need To Know

As a software developer, you want to make sure you are picking out a methodology that is likely to make your life easier. You want something that helps you develop the exact application or software that you need for the client, with a good guarantee of success, while getting things done quickly and efficiently.

As you do some searching and research, you will likely run across two methods that are popular and can help you get the work done; Agile and DevOps. Both of these have a lot of good benefits that developers like, and choosing which one you would like to use for your needs is sometimes difficult. Let us take a look at these two options and decide which one is best for our projects.

What is Agile?

First, we will take a look at what Agile is all about so we can better compare it to DevOps later. Agile is a methodology that is designed to work on an iterative structure so that it can adapt to changes and respond to constant feedback from the end-user. The point here is to provide constant results that meet the needs of the client.

When Agile is used in software, this methodology is meant to define the roles of each person on the project, increase collaboration between each group, allow for ongoing review, and any adaptation that is necessary and allows the teams to be self-organized on what they need to get done. Many software developers like to use this because it allows them to provide a high-quality product quickly, one that has been tailored to the needs of the customer while still meeting all-important business goals.

There are a number of different options and principles that come with Agile. All will revolve around the idea of minimizing waste and providing the best product for the client by making quick changes based on feedback. Some other methodologies that fit here include SCRUM, Lean, Kanban, and more.

Many companies who try to work with Agile for their needs, whether it is in terms of manufacturing, website development, or software or another industry, will first start working with Lean or Kanban. These come together to form a whole system that has helped many businesses, though it may not be the right solution for everyone.

What is DevOps?

Then we are able to move on to DevOps so we can see how this compares to the Agile framework we looked at before. DevOps is actually a method that comes from Agile. It is slightly different though because it takes into account the unique needs that come with increased software velocity compared to Agile.

Agile was designed to work well with the manufacturing world. While many of the ideas that come with it can be translated into almost any type of business model, including software, DevOps is able to take this a little bit further. It understands the unique situation that happens when a developer creates a new piece of software and tries to use methods that are more holistic to the end-to-end software delivery life cycle along the way.

There are a number of goals that programmers are able to use when it comes to using DevOps and these include:

1. Improve the frequency of deployment.
2. Achieve a faster time to market for all of the versions of the software.
3. Lower the failure rate that new releases will see, thereby saving the company a lot of money.
4. Shorten how much lead time there is between the fixes.
5. Improve the meantime to recovery as necessary.

All of these are important components for helping developers make the new software they would like to bring to the market. Lowering the failure rate, for example, will make the software better and can ensure that there are a market and a profit that comes from it as well. Being able to get the software to market faster can reduce costs. And fixing any bugs that show up will ensure that hackers will stay out and the client will be happier. These reasons and more are all why DevOps is often the best choice for software developers.

Which One is Better?

Both of these methods are helpful to use based on the type of project you would like to handle. For those who are developing software and new applications for web and mobile, DevOps is going to be the better choice. This option is designed to specifically work with the unique needs of the software and can handle the major challenges that show up.

Agile is not a bad option and many software developers have chosen to go this route as well. It can get the work done and is helpful if you are doing other processes in the business as well. Agile eliminates waste, looks for constant feedback, and can handle a lot of software development as well.

Agile is often the method to use for other types of work. It can handle some software development, but companies in manufacturing and inventory control often fare the best with this method because of the way it is set up. When developing a new product that is not software, or keeping inventory organized, then Agile is the better choice.

However, DevOps is able to do this better. Since it stems from Agile, in the beginning, you may recognize a few of the components of Agile in it as well. But DevOps can take this a little further and makes software development easier. Those who use this method will be able to get software out faster, while also fixing anything that goes wrong quickly and efficiently. And since new software can be expensive to design and make, reducing the failure rate of any new releases can be invaluable to many companies.

Finding the right development methodology to help grow your business is important. This will ensure that you are able to get everything organized and get the product to market as quickly as possible. Both Agile and DevOps are great options, but for those who are trying to work with software and getting that to the customer, DevOps is going to provide more of the tools and functionality that you need.