Reducing the time to create usable software with short Scrum sprints is a nice thing, but then how do you deliver it to the users? How can Agile developers who embrace changes work with system people who like stability? To answers these questions, Scrum.org and the DevOps Institute have produced a white paper titled “The Convergence of Scrum and DevOps”.
The white paper declares that Agile and DevOps share a lot of common aspects like faster delivery cycles, smaller increments of releases, quick feedback, removing waste and impediments. Their focus is slightly different and these apparent differences are amplified by misunderstandings. The white paper lists the following differences:
* Some Agilists think ALL process is bad, while Ops is steeped in a history of stability through process.
* DevOps looks to tools and automation to increase speed, while some Agilists view tools as a necessary evil at best and a distraction at worst.
* DevOps looks to holistic systems thinking to solve problems, while Agile looks to people to drive change and discover it through work.
Agile and DevOps have different culture and this can cause communication issues. As the authors wrote it “Language does matter, and teams need consistent language and concepts to work together.” People should work together and find a balance between automation, process, and empowering teams. This balance and the integration between Agile development teams and operation people are discussed in details in this document.
In the conclusion, the authors wrote: “DevOps was born from the pain generated by Agile teams and was initially termed “Agile Infrastructure”. The intent was to better support Agile teams with more flexible approaches to infrastructure. That intent has become part of a broader movement that is focused, not just on infrastructure, but driving a revolution throughout the IT profession. But, it is important that DevOps does not forget its roots. Supporting customer-centric Scrum/Agile teams is still fundamental for success. And that means radical changes to how change is managed, services are provided and teams are organized. There continues to be a need for the DevOps movement and Scrum Teams to work together to deliver DONE software, and support each other in their constant need to improve by inspection and adaptation through transparency.”
This white paper can be downloaded (without registration) from https://www.scrum.org/resources/convergence-scrum-and-devops