DevOps, a disruptive methodology introduced in 2007 and 2008, revolutionized the IT development industry. Despite its profound impact on IT practices, companies initially hesitated to embrace it. Businesses require time to understand and integrate DevOps, resulting in a slow adoption rate. Although organizations have been embracing DevOps in a big way, there are still a few misconceptions that prevent them from implementing it. These are the top 10 myths surrounding DevOps.

1)  DevOps can be a tool

Most people believe that DevOps can be used as a tool or product. This is false. DevOps cannot be bought or subscribed to as a technology or tool. It’s a method that integrates operations, development, and security into a cross-functional team to collaborate on software development projects. This system relies on tools, processes, and people. Continuous integration can be achieved by using CI servers like Bamboo, Jenkins and GitLab. Kubernetes and Docker allow for automatic deployment and management.

2)  DevOps stands for the Web

SaaS-based companies like Netflix and Etsy popularized DevOps, leading to the misconception that it’s exclusive to web companies. While DevOps is commonly associated with web platforms, it applies to any modern software delivery. Continuous delivery, which enables web companies to provide the latest software, is equally beneficial for native and non-web applications.

3)  DevOps means CI/CD

DevOps is a tool that helps organizations deliver continuous delivery through the creation of CI/CD pipelines. However, it is just one part of the DevOps process. DevOps does not just focus on CI/CD but also deals with the entire organization. DevOps is more than tools and processes. It creates cross-functional teams that collaborate seamlessly and communicate throughout the product lifecycle. Businesses should focus equally on people, tools, and processes to fully benefit from DevOps.

4) DevOps Solves All Problems

A common misconception is that DevOps will automatically handle all your problems when you use it to create continuous delivery pipelines or automate processes. You must first design the right DevOps strategy, with the right tools and the right people to manage the processes. You must also set up continuous feedback loops and analyse metrics to continuously update the process. DevOps does not automatically fix everything.

5)DevOps can be used by both developers and operations teams.

DevOps is short for Development and Operations. It started as a system that combined these two teams to work together on software development projects. However, the system has evolved greatly. DevOps cross-functional teams today include members from QA, security and administrators, data engineers, analysts engineers, business management, and data engineers. Interesting to note is that cross-functional teams include members from sales, marketing and tech support.

6) DevOps stands for End of Operations Teams

Developers can automate software deployments to production environments in an automated DevOps environment using tools like Jenkins, TeamCity and Docker. It doesn’t necessarily mean that operations professionals are done. Ops teams have the option to use Infrastructure as Code (IaC), tools that allow them to manage infrastructure through code. Ops teams play an important role in the DevOps team’s responsibility for the entire product life cycle.

7) Programming is a must for Operations professionals

It is common to believe that operators and professionals need to be proficient in programming languages, with infrastructure as code being at the forefront of infrastructure management. Although you will need to be able to understand basic scripting concepts, you don’t have to be an expert in programming languages like C# or Java. Ruby, for instance, is an IaC language that’s easy to learn. Ops teams that have basic scripting skills can quickly pick this system up.

8) DevOps can only be used in non-regulated industries

Many believe that DevOps doesn’t fit well in highly regulated industries due to stringent security and compliance policies. However, DevOps excels in these environments too. It simplifies compliance by maintaining audit trails for all automated processes, ensuring that one can always audit business processes.

9) DevOps can be cloud-based

Indeed, a common misconception is that DevOps is synonymous with cloud deployment. While some use the term “cloud” as if it’s interchangeable with DevOps, this isn’t accurate. DevOps certainly introduces dynamic infrastructure resources, but it doesn’t mandate the use of cloud infrastructure. Instead, DevOps enables the dynamic testing and deployment of code, offering flexibility regardless of the underlying infrastructure.

10) DevOps is replacing Agile

One common myth about DevOps is that it will replace Agile. DevOps is a tool that enables agile practices. It incorporates continuous integration, continuous testing and continuous deployment. It complements agile software development. DevOps can only be fully leveraged if you choose the right strategy. AVIANET can help you!

Read more: Top 10 DevOps myths debunked