Agile, DevOps, and the Cloud – A perfect trio

Adopting a DevOps approach does not yield benefits in isolation but rather in conjunction with other concepts, such as Agile planning and cloud computing. Agile is a way of managing a project that focuses on being flexible and responsive to change. cloud computing refers to using web-based computing services instead of physical servers and software. Together, Agile, DevOps, and Cloud can help organizations work more effectively and efficiently.

Some organizations may use only one or two of these concepts, but the best results come from combining all three. It is possible to adopt an Agile approach to software development without practicing DevOps; it is also possible to implement DevOps practices but not with cloud computing, and it is, sadly, common for many organizations to adopt cloud computing without implementing DevOps practices. For cloud-native applications and new software, the synergy of all three—Agile, DevOps, and Cloud—often yields the best outcomes, as illustrated in the following diagram:

Figure 1.22 – Agile, DevOps, and Cloud

We put it this way: Agile is what we should be doing; DevOps is how we should be doing it; cloud computing is where we should be doing it.

However, it is essential to recognize that there are exceptions to this general rule. Combining Agile, DevOps, and cloud computing for certain applications can present a different set of challenges and dynamics. While the integration of these three elements can be highly beneficial for many applications, it is not a guaranteed formula for success in every scenario. As the saying goes, not everything that glitters is gold, and not every combination of DevOps and cloud will yield golden results.

Let us move on from our discussions for now. In the next sections, we will set up the required cloud accounts necessary to follow along with the hands-on exercises covered in the rest of this book.