Microsoft Azure is the leading SaaS or (Software as a service) platform with various functionalities for developers and creators. It is a popular platform for integrating with other available tools in the market. DevOps is a combination of two words; development & operations, with a tinge of QA (Quality Assurance) thrown into the mix. Together three terminologies make the word DevOps, which is quite the hit in IT & software circles.
DevOps offers a quick and ‘agile’ way of developing software, providing a coordinated front for developers and companies to manage their resources seamlessly. Since all the focus is on DevOps and how it benefits the IT ecosystem, there are bound to be issues such as adaptability and optimization. Any ecosystem needs to be optimized for companies to extract the maximum benefits.
DevOps integrations and tools from various platforms, such as Jfrog, are your best bet if you want to fully capitalize on implementing DevOps. Where DevOps already increases the output of a company by providing a set of rules and philosophies to run applications, it, too, needs optimization to run smoothly. Its automatic loop of developing software and monitoring that software for quality assurance may cause errors. Here are three methods to make Azure DevOps more productive:
- Agile Testing:
Agile testing is one of the components of Azure DevOps, which you can tweak to get the best results out of your project. Agile testing is the precursor to DevOps as it also aims to enhance the software development process by continuously testing the software or code throughout its operation.
Agile testing is non-sequential and different from the traditional model, which only occurs after the software/code has been completed. This non-sequential testing offers the best chance for the code to go through the rigors of testing before it even faces the actual deployment tests. So, the code is refined before it is completed and put to deployment. Thus, all its components are vetted and tested repeatedly for the most bug-free final product.
Enhancing agile testing by taking onboard stakeholders early in the planning process can significantly increase the output of Azure DevOps. Moreover, the testing regime must be published on different company-wide platforms for maximum visibility. Also, the reporting regime must be available centrally and visible to all the teams, from software development to engineers and operations.
- Feature Flagging:
Feature flags are code inserted into any code that acts as a switch or toggle to turn ‘on’ desired features during runtime. These switches are inserted into the code to be observed during the runtime without deploying a new code each time for a different feature observed. Hence, you can observe many features in a single run of the code, which saves time and is part of the agile testing regime.
Feature flagging is one of the ways to enhance Azure DevOps’ productivity by allowing the developers to experiment in a controlled manner. Their experimentations are easier to manage and quick to perform. A simple ‘if’ statement with the power to turn on a remarkable feature minimizes risks during testing and helps developers validate the feature functionality during beta rollouts.
Planning to introduce feature flagging in your code and standardizing the labeling regime can help you get maximum gains from this useful Azure DevOps feature. Standardized labeling enables you to find the desired feature quickly, while periodic reviews of your flags keep your code free of accidental ‘left on’ flags.
- Observability & Monitoring:
Monitoring is a term we are familiar with as it turns up many conversations regarding QA/QC in particular. It is the process of carefully keeping in check the activities of a system or process to gain valuable insights into its work. Further, these insights are then used to predict future patterns and make decisions based on them. On the other hand, Observability is observing patterns not visible beforehand to debug a system.
Both observability & monitoring require certain qualities in a system which mostly revolve around adequate and timely reporting of errors, system health, quality of customer experience, and so on. Observability & Monitoring helps DevOps enhance their collaborative environment even further. Teamwork and collaboration are crucial to observability, and AI can significantly increase the gains. Further, formulating detailed reporting metrics and adapting to universal tools everyone can understand will enhance the DevOps efforts.
The DevOps market is burgeoning at an exceptional rate. Its popularity means companies and developers are looking to adopt it wholeheartedly. However, to fully maximize its gains, companies must employ strategies such as the above.
