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Scofield Idehen
Scofield Idehen

Posted on • Originally published at blog.learnhub.africa

Difference Between Agile and DevOps

To assist teams in producing high-quality software, numerous approaches and practices have been created in the world of software development, and two commonly used software and program are Agile and Devops. 

The two most well-liked techniques are DevOps and Agile. While both attempt to enhance the software development process, their methods and priorities differ. 

We will examine the distinctions between Agile and DevOps, the significance of DevOps, whether DevOps has supplanted Agile, and how to discover more about these techniques in this post.

What is Agile?

Agile software development methodology emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and adaptability. 

The following concepts are outlined in the 2001 Agile Manifesto:

  1. People and interactions over procedures and equipment
  2. Usable software over thorough documentation
  3. Choosing customer input during contract negotiations
  4. Adjusting to change instead of sticking to a plan.

Agile involves iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams. 

By adapting to shifting requirements and regularly releasing functional software, it focuses on providing value to the client. 

Scrum, Kanban, and Lean are just a few of the frameworks on which the Agile methodology is built.

What is DevOps?

A software development process called DevOps strongly emphasises integrating the development and operations teams to boost productivity and communication. 

It entails continuous integration and delivery, a culture of continuous improvement, and software delivery automation and infrastructure modifications. Putting changes into live systems more quickly is the aim of DevOps.

The following tenets form the foundation of the DevOps methodology:

  • Teamwork and dialogue between the development and operational departments
  • Automation of the software delivery process
  • Continuous integration and delivery
  • Infrastructure as code
  • Monitoring and logging of the software and infrastructure
  • Continuous improvement and learning

DevOps involves several practices and tools, such as version control systems, automated testing, configuration management, and deployment automation.

Difference Between DevOps and Agile

The primary distinction between DevOps and Agile is their separate focuses. Agile primarily concerns the development process, whereas DevOps concentrates on the entire software delivery process, including development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

Agile emphasizes teamwork and flexibility, while DevOps strongly emphasises automation and continuous delivery. While Agile emphasizes software delivery in iterations, DevOps emphasizes continuously releasing software updates.

The degree to which Agile and DevOps are involved in software development is an important distinction between the two methodologies. 

While DevOps covers the development and operations teams, Agile concentrates on the development team. 

To enhance software quality and shorten the time it takes to deploy a change into production, DevOps promotes teamwork and communication.

Why is DevOps So Important?

DevOps is significant because it expedites the delivery of corporate software, allowing businesses a more effective means to produce high-quality software. 

By combining the development and operations teams, DevOps enhances teamwork and communication while reducing the time it takes to make and deploy a change

When it comes to changes in client demand, this will help firms respond fast and stay ahead of the competition.

 

DevOps additionally emphasizes automation heavily, which reduces the chance of human error and improves the dependability of the software delivery process. 

Additionally, automation helps make the software delivery process more effective, saving the organization money.

Last but not least, DevOps promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement, which aids firms in staying current with the newest techniques and technology. This aids businesses in maintaining their competitiveness in the quickly evolving field of software development.

Has DevOps replaced Agile?

DevOps is not taking the place of Agile. By merging development and operations teams and automating the software delivery process, DevOps expands on the principles and practices of Agile. 

Today, Agile and DevOps methods are utilized by many firms to enhance their software delivery process. Both methodologies are still widely employed in the software development industry.

Agile is still highly important in software development, especially in the beginning phases. Agile enables teams to swiftly produce functional software and adapt to the changing needs of their clients. 

DevOps, however, targets the entire software delivery process, including development, evaluation, deployment, and maintenance. 

DevOps minimizes the time between committing and executing a change into production by improving collaboration and communication between development and operations teams.

In some cases, DevOps might be an ideal choice for a company trying to quickly and efficiently deliver software improvements. 

However, Agile and DevOps have a place in software development, and the choice of which technique to employ will depend on the company's specific needs.

Understanding DevOps and Agile

Many resources are available online if you want to learn more about DevOps and Agile.

The following sources are suggested for finding out more about these methodologies:

  • The Agile Alliance is a nonprofit organization that supports Agile software development. They have an array of resources on their website about Agile approaches like Scrum, Kanban, and Lean.
  • The DevOps Institute is a worldwide organization that supports DevOps methods and offers training and certification for DevOps specialists. Their website is a goldmine of knowledge regarding DevOps techniques and resources.
  • Books: Numerous books on Agile and DevOps are readily accessible such as "The Phoenix Project" by Gene Kim, "Continuous Delivery" by Jez Humble and David Farley, and "Agile Estimating and Planning" by Mike Cohn.
  • Online classes: You may find various online courses in Agile and DevOps on websites like Udemy, Coursera, and edX.

DevOps vs Agile: Head-to-Head Comparison

Here is a side-by-side comparison between DevOps vs Agile:

  • Focus: While DevOps focuses on the complete software delivery process, Agile is more concerned with the development phase.
  • Methodology vs Practices: DevOps is a collection of practices and tools, whereas Agile is a methodology.
  • Software delivery: Agile relies on iterative software delivery, whereas DevOps uses continuous software delivery.
  • Collaboration: Whereas DevOps stresses automation and continuous delivery, Agile promotes collaboration and flexibility.
  • Involvement: DevOps engages the development and operations teams, whereas Agile concentrates on the development team.
  • Agile is necessary for delivering usable software rapidly and reacting to changing customer requirements. In contrast, DevOps is essential for producing high-quality software faster and improving collaboration between development and operations teams.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the approaches of Agile and DevOps are both widely employed in the field of software development today. 

They both attempt to enhance the software delivery process, although having various objectives and methods. 

While DevOps focuses on all facets of the delivery method, including development, testing, deployment, and maintenance, 

Agile is mainly concerned with the development process. The technique used for software development will rely on the distinctive demands of the company. Both approaches have their uses.

To learn more and get started in Cloud computing, follow our article on ChatOps, the future of cloud. 

To get started on Cloud, click here.

 

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