Technology is always improving, and developers are always trying to find easier and better ways to improve the software. This is how DevOps came to be, and over time DevTestOps emerged as a new strategy.
Today, companies like Spotify apply DevTestOps in software production which makes it easier for them to update, test, and deploy any changes quickly and easily.
In this article, we are going to look at DevTestOps, its objectives, and processes. We'll also look at how to get started with DevTestOps, best practices, and why a company should adopt DevTestOps.
Before we dive into DevTestOps, let’s look at what DevOps and TestOps are and how they work.
What are DevOps and TestOps?
DevOps is a combination of Development and Operations. DevOps was introduced in the software development life cycle because of the need for continuous product development. It helps teams more easily integrate and deploy software updates.
TestOps involves carrying out large automation test suites across software so that the software is highly efficient with fewer bugs.
Initially, DevOps was introduced in software teams which enabled collaboration across developers and operators only. Then testers carried out tests towards the end of development.
This posed some challenges to the team, though. Especially after working on some software and concluding it was ready for production – only for the testers to run it and discover complex bugs. It was through these challenges that DevTestOps came to be.
What is DevTestOps?
DevTestOps is a pattern and part of the software development life cycle that includes continuous testing, integration, and deployment.
In DevTestOps, you test the product throughout the different development stages, which helps reduce the number of bugs at later stages.
In DevTestOps, the Development, Testing, and Operations Teams work hand in hand to ensure quality and proper product testing.
This results in quick delivery, with few to no bugs at the end of the software development lifecycle.
DevTestOps came about as an improved version of DevOps with TestOps included. This makes it easier to build, deploy, and develop quality products with fewer bugs.
Objectives of DevTestOps
DevTestOps has objectives that are called manifestos. The manifestos define the goals that you expect to achieve.
According to mabl.com:
"There are five manifestos of DevTestOps which include:
Continuous testing over testing at the end.
Embracing all testing activities over only automated functional testing.
Testing what gives value over testing everything.
Testing across the team over testing in siloed testing departments.
Product coverage over code coverage." (Source: mabl.com)
How DevTestOps Works
There are various stages of the DevTestOps process. These stages are:
- Plan: In this stage, you define product details and cross-check to make sure everything aligns with the market.
- Build: In this stage, you build the program and upload it to the repository, carry out unit tests, and if you found the program to have no bugs, then it becomes the codebase. You can add possible updates (suggestions or improvements) before moving to the next stage.
- Testing: In this stage, you carry out and analyse all test cases. You can make subsequent updates and test the program again before delivering it and considering it ready for deployment.
- Release: You launch the product and test other written updates before it is added to the codebase.
- Monitor: You constantly check the product for feedback and issues which are handled and updated immediately.
How to Get Started With DevTestOps:
Many organisations already use DevOps but keep producing buggy software. If you want to switch to DevTestOps to try to reduce the bugs in your code, here are some steps you can follow.
Add continuous testing to yout DevOps roadmap or guide:
DevTestOps has a similar culture to DevOps except that in this case, you add continuous testing. Testers should become part of the DevOps team so they can test the software immediately after an update.
Create a DevTestOps toolchain:
A toolchain includes all the tools required to implement DevTestOps.
For example, your toolchain might comprise tools like Jira, Kubernetes, Selenium, GitHub, Jenkins and more.
You can assign roles to different teams using these tools so they can work effectively with them.
Implement the tools in your organization:
Next, you'll need to teach teams how to implement these tools and follow the strategies you put in place for software production.
You could add testing roles to each team, which would transform the work culture and encourage collaboration between the developers, testers and operators in each team.
Automation:
You should apply automation in each of these processes, from the build phase to the deployment phase. This will help all the developers and testers work more efficiently.
Make Constant improvements:
Finally, you can constantly update the tools and processes to accommodate relevant trends and updates in the technological space.
Best Practices for DevTestOps:
Here are some best practices you can follow to implement DevTestOps in your team:
- Use the right tools and frameworks for integration, testing, delivery and deployment. This will depend on what works best for the organization.
- Apply automation in testing, deployment, and even other stages as well. Automation will help to speed up the process and make it easier for teams to produce faster and meet with deadlines.
- All teams should communicate effectively. They should promote collaboration across teams to increase understanding which will increase productivity and eliminate confusion.
- The pipeline which comprises continuous integration, testing, delivery and deployment should be monitored always. If you spot a problem, teams can make changes and integrate the updates immediately.
Why Should You Adopt DevTestOps?
There are many reasons to adopt DevTestOps. First, it improves code quality.
It also improves collaboration between developers, testers, and operators. Like in the manifesto, testing is no longer done in siloed testing departments but across each phase.
Additionally, it saves time that is spent on fixing bugs when testing at the end instead of in each stage.
And finally, it makes it easier to perform continuous integration and deployment.
Conclusion
In a world of constant improvements in technology, companies must continually improve their software to meet market standards.
With DevTestOps, it becomes easier for software teams to make updates and improve their products.