DevOps in practice

Agile development methods have become established over the last few years and have found a firm place in software development. The success is due to the impressive advantages: thanks to shorter cycles, it is easier to respond to changes and value is created for the customer more quickly. The stereotypical friction between business ("IT is far too slow") and development ("the customer always wants changes") has improved massively and collaboration is more constructive, but it is precisely these shorter iterations that lead to a new area of tension between development (Dev for Development) and operations (Ops for Operations). And this is precisely where DevOps comes in. It is the consistent continuation of agile methods throughout the entire value chain. Operations is included in the development team and testing and deployment are largely automated. This means that deliveries to the customer's hands are theoretically possible within a few minutes. And most importantly, the customer has value and their feedback can influence further development.

The Netnear IT team is led by Dirk Harberg and supported by Marcel Wolf as a coach for agility and DevOps. We have been gaining practical experience with DevOps in this team for several years. Among other things, they are developing a smartphone app that simplifies the commissioning of new network elements and thus creates the basis for bringing even faster Internet to Switzerland.

Let's take a detailed look at the development phases of the Netnear IT team.

The requirements are recorded directly at the customer's premises. There, in the context of the customer's daily work, we look at how the further development can deliver value. Together with the team, we then plan what can be implemented in the next development cycle. In line with agile principles, the collective intelligence of the team is utilised for planning.

Development, testing and deployment - the code is often checked into the code repository. This is followed by a largely automated process that packages the software, carries out various tests and installs it on the relevant instances.

Everything continues to take place in close consultation with the customer. They are involved in the development process and can contribute their tests.

However, the cycle is not complete with delivery to production. Now comes the important part where feedback is collected from the customer. It can happen that we put on our wellies and climb into the shaft with the net makers. To see whether it works out in the field the way we thought it would in the warm office.

Continuous improvement is also very important in the DevOps context. The team regularly reflects and considers how they can further improve the process. This is helped by the dialogue with other DevOps enthusiasts, which we also seek out with specialists outside Swisscom.

Interested in what that looks like? Then why not take part in our next DevOps Meetup: DevOps Meetup Zurich(opens in new tab)

Martin Thalmann

Martin Thalmann

Former Agile Enabling Coach und DevOps Enthusiast

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