Top 5 DevOps Challenges and ways to overcome them

There is no wonder to know that every process will have pros and cons. Especially when it is new people are skeptical about embracing it. This leads to chaos but every problem has a solution and we need to understand it right to move forward. 

It is the same with DevOps implementation as well. However, it is hyped more since development and operation happens collaboratively in this technique and hence difficult. But that is a myth if you understand things correctly. Let us walk you through the common misconceptions about this process which is named as challenges and also will steer clear you with ways to overcome them. 

In short, what we call it challenges in DevOps is just our illusion. How we perceive it. To provide you with clarity we will first list all the possible challenges as experienced by the different amateur individual and will suggest you ways to make the opportunity.

DevOps Certification

Training Course

100% Placement Guarantee

View course

 

What are the DevOps Challenges?

1. Tools – First things first, let me confirm that all the challenges fear started only when the name tools came into the picture. Yes, DevOps is possible and successful when you deploy continuously, test constantly, and report collaboratively. For all these things to happen concurrently we need tools. Therefore, understanding different tools threatened the users and so they branded it difficult even without attempting to know it. 

With this mindset when they started working they failed to choose the right tools. Here their misconception fire got some fuel and started burning with fear that DevOps is challenging to implement. 

However, due to the demanding need for continuous integration, they started using the tools but that did not get integrate rightly. Overall, the situation got messed up and using tools in DevOps became the primary concern. 

2. Team – The second difficulty here became the people itself. We can even move people to number one. They refused to accept development and operation in one flow. This hostile thought process made them make mistakes. Doing away with legacy methods was really tough for people with a rigid mindset and they argued that development and operation are like railway tracks that will never meet. So the developers started writing codes in silos and the operation team was isolated. This lack of teamwork screwed up DevOps further.

3. Business – The management did not define the vision clearly. DevOps is a relatively new try among many mid-level businesses, the management failed to understand its core. They did not define the requirement clearly. The ambiguity further made the team look puzzled. 

Next, the business failed to create updated systems in place which made the team fumble with the process. The process of continuous development, testing, as well as deployment, must have the right legacy system and no outdated ones. 

4. DevOps differs completely – It took time for the team to embrace agile methodology, scrum framework, Kanban, etc. Then they worked on it to later appreciate the ease in it. Likewise, now there is a thought that DevOps is another new concept which they need to learn by undoing what they learned in the scrum, etc. The definition of DevOps is either not told clearly or misunderstood that it will do away with the present methodologies. This created a rift in the mind of the team. 

5. Lack of subject matter experts – Even after understanding or overcoming all the above-mentioned challenges DevOps is tough because it lacks SMEs. Yes, identifying the right team members is a must. Both the team and the business must work together and create the right team to execute things correctly. Well defined KPI will help in saving the organization and the employees from the threat assumed about DevOps. 

How to overcome challenges in DevOps 

Here we will see some easy yet effective ways to fix the so-called DevOps challenges and take it to the next level. 

Training is the primary and the sole solution to overcome all challenges listed above about DevOps. What will DevOps training offer to the participants? 

1. It explains about DevOps and introduces the vocabulary.
2. It helps people to understand the DevOps version correctly and supports in automating the code. This will allow continuous integration and deployment to happen without any glitches. 
3. Learners can understand different tools, their uses, where to use and how to use them. This will clear the fear of tools. 
4. Apart from knowing the right tools, integrating them also will be taught with practical examples that will throw light on the entire process. When tool integration is done properly automation falls in place. Development and operation happen hand in hand. 
5. Also, tool integration will make data collection possible and quick. All data collected and kept in a common repository will make access easy for calculating the deployment frequency and change in the user volume. The complete process becomes traceable. 
6. Training will not only deal with processes and tools but also in tuning the mindset. It will train the brain to work in a focused manner towards a common goal. 

Business side correction – Getting trained before taking a new role in DevOps is the responsibility of the individual who aspires to move up the career ladder. Likewise business also should contribute to overcome the DevOps implementation challenges. They are 

1. The business must invest in a development team based on their expertise and the project need.  
2. Further, they should not think twice to invest in security practices. A security breach is the biggest challenge faced even by large corporations. 
3. Keep an eye on the legacy system and update them wherever required to ease the working of their employees. 
4. Creating a transparent work environment to motivate the employees and empower them to work with freedom. 
5. Educating the team on the need for training and sponsoring them for DevOps training will provide them with confidence. 
6. Planning the budget properly and not make it a bottleneck will help teamwork with free hands. 

Final recommendation 

Right from the beginning, we are emphasizing that DevOps implementation does not have challenges but it is more related to the mindset and environment. If tools are the problem, then know them and get trained to choose to use them correctly. If the system is the issue, then update it. 

The table above has consolidated the problem and provided easy solutions to overcome that. In case you are an individual looking at career progression, then take formal training and come out of the myths about DevOps implementation challenges. We repeat challenges are part of every process and you need to find the right way to overcome them. 

In the event you run an organization and worried about the challenges, make small changes as mentioned above to secure your system and motivate the team. Identify SMEs to work in your projects to take the business to the next level.