DevOps and Cloud computing are intrinsically linked by their agile methods, making it imperative for any business looking to apply the best development operations in the cloud, to put in place some best practices and ‘rules’ to ensure the two processes complement each other. Whilst there are still fundamental differences between these methods, we explore ways in which they can be combined to benefit a business in our guide to the best DevOps strategies for businesses using cloud computing:

Security Is Still Key

Cloud security models are different from those applied in DevOps, so if you’re considering combining the two you will need to extend security to the DevOps tools as well as your wider organisation. Security should be part of the automated testing process as well as being built into the continuous integration and deployment processes as you move to a cloud-based platform. Consider hiring or appointing someone in your team as CISO, or Chief Information Security Officer, to ensure there is someone solely responsible for monitoring and assessing the security of on-premise, Cloud and DevOps.

Be Prepared To Fund DevOps In Cloud Transformation

If your business is seriously considering moving to a cloud-based platform, be prepared to fund the DevSecOps that will be required to make the transition as safe and seamless as possible for the business. Whilst the upfront cost for investing in your IT budget to apply DevSecOps within a cloud platform, may seem higher for the first year or two, underfunding a project of this scale will only cost your business even more in the long term. Abandoned cloud projects directly affect the everyday running of a business and this can also cost businesses unnecessary costs. Whilst everyday operations will be ongoing, the DevOps and cloud project must be funded independently, for the first year or so.

…As Well As Funding Training for Both

Moving a business to use a cloud-platform is essentially asking staff to change their cultural habits so be prepared to invest in training for all staff. This will reduce the risk of staff struggling to accept the shift in change as well as educate them about why your company is making these changes. Getting everyone on-board with the technological change by showing them they way will ensure morale is maintained and the project runs smoothly between the teams involved.

Pick DevOps Tools That Work On Multiple Clouds

When picking the right DevSecOps tools to suit your individual company, it is highly advisable to pick more than one cloud platform as more and more applications are deployed across a variety of different clouds. Pick a cloud platform that will suit specific application needs; whether that’s a private or public cloud network, and make sure not to limit your choices during development.

Don’t Overlook Automated Performance Testing

Automated performance testing is very important for spotting any application issues before they go live. Testing during the development stage is a great process to put into practice as it ensures any bugs are fixed before the application is pushed to the cloud. It’s far more productive to continuously work on any issues found than it is for teams to test in the live environment and report back on issues or bugs they find.

Don’t Migrate Every Application To The Cloud

It isn’t practical for companies to consider migrating every single application they use day-to-day, as there are simply hundreds and sometimes even thousands of applications in daily use. Whilst many applications in use won’t be able to migrate to a cloud platform, as they will be run on traditional technology, it isn’t cost-effective to move all apps over so be selective. Look at the applications that are used most, relied on for the larger or more business-focused processes and invest in moving those.

There are a number of benefits to applying DevOps and DevSecOps when migrating your business applications to a cloud-based platform but there are some important factors to consider, such as cultural changes and budgets. Before you commit to moving operations to the cloud, why not contact our experienced DevOps consultants, here at Deployflow, who can offer impartial and practical advice about the best move for your business.