DevOps - Trends to watch in 2022

The new year is here. We are all ready with new plans for developments and innovations. However, for the last couple of years, everything revolved around one thing - the COVID-19 pandemic. You had to prepare contingency plans for all your plans to be on the safer side. The pandemic has had adverse effects on businesses worldwide, but it also had some unexpected positive impacts. This challenging time accelerated innovation and creativity. Technology plays a vital role in people's lives. And it also streamlined the businesses streamlining to adapt to the needs.

Organizations started adopting agile methodologies for businesses worldwide at a much faster rate than before. It was a combined result of next-gen coding practices and some cultural shifts. Although it has been there for more than a decade, DevOps was one of the cultural shifts. With several new technologies and new tools coming into the picture, DevOps is gathering pace now. The increasing numbers of market share further cement the statement. Adding automation possibilities to the cultural shift further facilitates faster deployment and enhanced customer experience. Puppet's 2021 State of DevOps report shows 90% of respondents with highly evolved DevOps practices have automated repetitive tasks. 97% of the respondents agree that automation improves the quality of their work. Just like automation, some factors are equally essential to your DevOps practices. These factors decide the success of your DevOps initiatives. And before we switch to the DevOps trends for 2022, let's look at these factors that can tell you if you are doing DevOps the right way.

Six signs you’re doing DevOps right

According to Puppet's 2021 State of DevOps report, 83% of decision-makers reported their organization is implementing DevOps practices. However, a vast majority of organizations are stuck in the middle. DevOps is more than using tools and following certain practices. Every organization and its processes need to follow specific DevOps principles and customize its operations accordingly. However, particular criteria can tell if your DevOps initiatives are moving in the right direction. Here are six critical signs that can tell if you're not just using the DevOps title but doing it right.

• Automating all possible deployment processes
• Frequent and rapid release cycles
• Selection of the right tools and platforms
• Continuous feedback loop
• Harmony between Dev and Ops
• Clearly established goals and objectives

Here are my predictions for DevOps in 2022 -

DevOps trends 2022

• Automation is integral: DevOps and automation have become imperative in today's fast-paced business environment. According to the 2021 State of DevOps report by Puppet, highly evolved companies are far more likely to have implemented extensive automation. 90% of respondents having highly developed DevOps practices stated that their teams have automated most of the repetitive tasks. Automation in DevOps empowers software teams to focus on frequent releases, faster feedback, and enhanced user experience.
  The prevailing mix of remote and in-office teams has nurtured organizations' cross-functional and hybrid team culture. It brings together multiple teams to deliver value to the end user. Automation helps different groups to communicate and collaborate efficiently. With the increasing remote work culture and offshore models, automation will continue to be an integral part of DevOps.
• Security first: The COVID outbreak has forced businesses across the globe to significant organizational changes, including remote working. And with this, the need for bolstered security is no longer a choice but a mandate. Organizations need to integrate security in every business process, and software development is no exception. The cultural shift was already coupled with increased security measures at every stage with DevSecOps to make DevOps automation practices foolproof with safe and faster deployments.
  The markets and Markets survey anticipates that the DevSecOps market size will grow to USD 5.9 billion by 2023. Tools and frameworks that can simply integrate with CI/CD pipelines and test tools might be on the up in the new year. Organizations can notice significant cybersecurity enhancements and overall IT effectiveness with the help of DevSecOps practices.
• Get smart with AI and ML: With increasing workloads, changing environments, dynamic requirements, and the need for faster delivery, it is essential to make your DevOps processes smarter than ever. Introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can improve the performance of DevOps teams. AI and ML are helping DevOps teams promote continuous feedback loops at every stage of the process and manage the flurry of alerts. AI and ML also have the potential to help developers with the application development process by evaluating the past performance of the applications in terms of operational performance, observing & analyzing patterns, sentiment analysis, building success, and successful testing completion.
  The use of advanced analytical tools like predictive analytics to keep up with the advancements in the market will be on the up. It is imperative for organizations to predict trends, behavior, and activities with precision to prepare themselves for future DevOps needs. In short, the integration of AI, deep learning, data mining, statistics, and modeling in your DevOps, which was occasional, may become customary.
• Low-code/no-code for accelerating innovation: The past couple of years has seen the rise of no-code & low-code platforms. They have simplified the development processes, and even a newbie can quickly start the development journey using these platforms. As the low-code & no-code tools mature, their utilization in mainstream DevOps processes can become more common this year.
  According to Gartner forecasts, low-code application platforms will be responsible for 65% of application development activity by 2024. You may expect organizations to leverage more low-code & no-code platforms to meet the growing needs of digital-first customers, deliver enterprise-grade applications, and respond to unforeseen scenarios.
• Site Reliability Engineering (SRE): Generally, DevOps is a term that encompasses processes, tools, and cultural change. DevOps isn't just about automation, the adoption of tools, or cultural change. It requires the sophisticated amalgamation of all three with a golden touch of architectural transformation. Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) leaps forward by applying engineering principles and practices to the way operations are carried out.
  Teams leveraging modern operational practices accompanied by SRE are more likely to have higher operational performance. According to the 2021 Accelerate State of DevOps Report, 52% of respondents reported using SRE practices to some extent. The report states that SRE drives DevOps success with exceptional reliability.

The future is unpredictable, but DevOps isn't. No matter what the future will bring to organizations or employees, DevOps is bound to evolve and change the way applications are developed. The current challenges will be new opportunities, and organizations will push their limits with a skilled workforce and innovative technologies.