Cloud Native DevOps: Working Together to Bring More Efficiency and Improved Productivity

DevOps practices, which focus on blending and automating processes between development and operations teams, can help you streamline your cloud native implementation. A cloud native approach is designed to help you deploy code faster and more efficiently, and DevOps supports that goal by facilitating smoother collaboration with automated tools and processes. Let’s dive into the cloud native DevOps approach in greater detail, before discussing implementation best practices and considerations.

First: What is Cloud Native Software Development?

As the name suggests, a cloud native approach to software development involves conceptualizing, developing, testing, and releasing software in a cloud environment. Some of the key principles of cloud native include:

• Orchestration – Cloud native infrastructure and software rely on the orchestration of automated configurations, deployments, updates, and management tasks.
• Containerization – Cloud native software is built in lightweight and modular containers, with granular infrastructure management and container orchestration.
• CI/CD – Cloud native software is continuously tested and delivered using automated continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) processes.
• Immutable Infrastructure – A cloud native environment uses an immutable configuration in which servers are never modified after they’re deployed. If something needs to be updated, fixed, or modified in any way, new servers built from a common image with the appropriate changes are provisioned to replace the old ones. After they’re validated, they’re put into use and the old ones are decommissioned.
• Microservices – Cloud native software development breaks applications down to small, granular pieces, which makes cloud native apps (CNAs) scalable and flexible, with services that are independently deployable and customizable.

Cloud native is the future of software development because it allows you to build scalable, efficient, and flexible applications to meet long-term business and computing needs. But how does DevOps fit into the equation?

What Is Cloud Native DevOps?

DevOps enables the seamless collaboration of all individuals and teams involved in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) including developers, QA, and infrastructure management. DevOps relies heavily on automation to ensure that software can be continuously tested, integrated, and delivered by multiple people working together simultaneously, which allows for greater speed and agility.

Both cloud native and DevOps are about increasing your efficiency, flexibility, and productivity using similar principles like CI/CD and cross-team collaboration. Without DevOps, you’re likely to struggle to meet the requirements and objectives of cloud native software development.

How to Implement Cloud Native DevOps: The Dos and Don’ts

You can’t implement cloud native DevOps by simply purchasing a solution or hiring an expert—your entire organization will need to face three key changes:

1. Technological Changes – You’ll need to migrate your on-premises environment to a cloud-based environment. In addition, you’ll need to invest in tools for containerization, orchestration, CI/CD, and other cloud native DevOps requirements. Your teams will also need to change the way they’re building applications to favor microservices, which may require additional training and/or technology.
2. Organizational Changes – Cloud native DevOps requires buy-in from everyone in your organization, from the C-level executives down to the front-line support staff. You need all teams to focus on collaboration, allowing you to shrink your feedback loop between developers and end users and ensure that code can be delivered, tested, and fixed as quickly as possible.
3. Cultural Changes – Cloud native requires the support of a DevOps methodology, and DevOps requires a massive cultural shift in your organization. Collaboration should be the number one priority, with everyone committing to breaking down the silos that keep developers, testers, and sysadmins from working together effectively. 

You won’t be able to implement these changes overnight—the DevOps logo is the infinity symbol for a reason. Cloud native DevOps isn’t a race so much as a never-ending quest for improved efficiency and flexibility. You should always be striving to optimize your processes, rather than trying to cross a finish line.

However, every quest needs to start somewhere. Here are some “dos” and “don’ts” to consider as you begin your cloud native DevOps implementation.

DO:

Prioritize containerization so your teams can easily provision environments for development, testing, and production on an ad hoc basis.

Transition from monolith to microservice application development as soon as possible so teams can establish the tools, training, and processes needed for cloud native software.

Use a container orchestration platform (such as Kubernetes) to help reduce the complexity of managing your containerized environment.

Check-in with teams regularly to ensure staff is adapting to the technological, organizational, and cultural changes, and make sure you provide adequate support to help them transition (such as additional training or better tools). 

DON’T:

Buy too many tools, or hang on to tools that are no longer useful. Take your time to choose the right cloud native DevOps tools for the job, and make sure you re-evaluate your existing solutions on a regular basis. Don’t rely on older, less-efficient tools just because your developers are used to them.

Neglect the security of your applications and environments. You can avoid the delays caused by security checks by integrating automated security testing in your cloud native DevOps processes, which will then evolve into cloud native DevSecOps.

Transition too fast. Your organization needs time to adapt to the many changes involved in a cloud native DevOps implementation. Plus, as mentioned above, you’ll never “finish” your implementation, so there’s no sense rushing it. 

By prioritizing cloud native principles, applying DevOps practices, and supporting your teams through each step of the process, you can successfully implement cloud native DevOps. 

Cloud Native DevOps: Working Together to Bring More Efficiency and Improved Productivity

Cloud native DevOps is the blending of two complementary principles to enable fast, flexible, and scalable software development and delivery. Implementing cloud native DevOps will be an ongoing journey of encouraging collaboration, automating workflows, and optimizing your tools and processes to bring more efficiency and improved productivity to your organization.