Why DevTestOps Might Be the Next Big Buzzword
Oddly enough, one of the trickiest things to do in modern software development is find a consensus on the definition of key terms. The way agile is described by one team might vary wildly from how another equally successful team sees it, and that can cause confusion for those looking to adopt the latest and greatest ideas.
One of the most consistently flexible definitions comes when you ask someone about DevOps. At its core, the idea of blending development and operations into a smooth, seamless mixture is simple and smart. However, in practice, there are a lot of lingering questions that it creates.
One major one is the inclusion of testing. Sunil Sehgal, a managing partner of TechArcis Solutions, spoke about DevOps during an interview at STAREAST this year. During the discussion, Sehgal detailed how you can’t leave testing out of the equation if you’re hoping to reap all the rewards DevOps can provide.
“One of the things we spend a lot of time discussing is actually correcting the definition,” Sehgal said. “When you talk about DevOps, it kind of gives you that notion that testing is not required. It's DevOps: You develop, you operate, get done right the first time, and here it goes out. That whole definition needs to be corrected. I try to say it a lot…the opportunity that comes is DevTestOps.”
That sounds pretty exciting, right? To have your development and operations teams work together without the need for extensive testing to assure quality. But as Sehgal argues, that just isn’t the case. How you test things might change, but the need for testing itself—whether it be manual or automated—is still absolutely there.
“Who does testing and how it's done is a different question, but you have to develop, you have to test, and then you rollout,” he continued. “DevTestOps is really what brings things back. I think that's a definition that should be used going forward.”
The hope with any new concept is that it produces better results while removing certain tedious steps that might cause frustration along the way. While DevOps does change the way you test, you cannot forget that testing is still a major layer to your success.
We might continue to argue what DevOps is all about, but if you’re hoping to make one aspect as clear as day to anyone who asks, it might be time to start calling it DevTestOps.
