Development vs Cloud Operations - who takes care?
We all know the standard scenario: Software development starts with requirements analysis, followed by design, implementation, testing, integration, and finally go-live.
And then?
Customer Incident – Who is responsible?
System Crash – What now?
The DevOps process: From development to operation
The development cycle (DEV)
The DevOps process starts with the development phase. It all kicks off with a clear concept: What are the requirements? What's the goal? This is the basis for everything that follows.
In the development phase, developers turn the defined requirements into code. They rely on the principle of continuous integration (CI): minor changes are regularly incorporated into the main system. This allows errors to be detected at an early stage.
A central component of quality assurance is the build process. Here, the code is checked automatically, for example by:
- SAST (Static Application Security Testing) analyzes the source code for potential security vulnerabilities
- SCA (Software Composition Analysis) checks the libraries and dependencies used for known vulnerabilities
After successful verification, the code is converted into executable artifacts. Extensive automated tests ensure that the software works flawlessly and meets all requirements. Only when all quality criteria have been met is the software released for deployment.
The operations cycle (OPS)
Once approval has been granted, the next phase begins: the operations phase (OPS). Here, the software is transferred to the production environment. The operations team now takes responsibility for the smooth running of the application. Its main tasks include:
- Continuous monitoring of system performance
- Ensuring availability
- Responding quickly to incidents and malfunctions
- Implementing monitoring and logging systems
Continuous monitoring allows potential problems to be identified and resolved at an early stage, ideally before they affect operations. The experience gained from operations is then incorporated into the next development cycle as new requirements, completing the characteristic DevOps cycle.
Early planning of operations
A key success factor: Operations must be considered from the very beginning. Not only from a technical perspective, but also from an organizational one.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
An SLA sets out binding agreements between the service provider and the customer:
- Clear responsibilities and accountabilities
- Defined response times in the event of malfunctions
- Agreed availability
- Quality standards for services
- Measurable performance indicators
A SLA creates transparency and clear expectations on both sides. It precisely defines which services the service provider must provide and what service quality the customer can expect.
Conclusion
Early planning of operations in parallel with development is a key element of the DevOps approach. Only when development and operations are closely interlinked can a smooth transition to the production environment be achieved. The result: stable and efficient operation of the software with continuous further development.
At M&M Software, we accompany our customers throughout the entire DevOps process – from the first line of code to reliable operation. With DevOps and agile development, we achieve Agility 2.0: faster releases, automated processes, and direct response to customer feedback. Together, we take your software operations to a new level.
