How DevOps is Transforming IT, and What it Can Do for AcademiaNicole Forsgren, PhD Director, Organizational Performance and Analytics, ChefResearch Affiliate, Clemson University

@nicolefv

Outline

Listening to industry: the good and the bad

The promise of DevOps● What it is -- and isn’t● What it is doing for the industry● What we’ve found● What it can do for academia

@nicolefv

Listening to industry

Whenever I have industry peers come to me, I warn them:

Faculty own curriculum! If we listen too closely, our students will end up learning COBOL!

● We know what is best for them● We will focus on fundamentals

Industry laughs at the COBOL example…

@nicolefv

Listening to industry

@nicolefv

Listening to industry

So we’re back to the beginning!

Faculty own curriculum! If we listen too closely, our students will end up learning COBOL!

● We know what is best for them● We will focus on fundamentals

… But which fundamentals?

@nicolefv

Listening to industry

Which Fundamentals… ?

What we learned?

HBR? That will point you to Agile.● We KNOW they’re overly conservative

DICE salary survey? That points to technologies, and runs the risk of COBOL

@nicolefv

The promise of DevOps

What is DevOps?

A cultural and professional movement, focused on how we build and operate high velocity organizations, born from the experiences of its practitioners. -- Adam Jacob

@nicolefv

The promise of DevOps

What is DevOps?

A cultural and professional movement, focused on how we build and operate high velocity organizations, born from the experiences of its practitioners. -- Adam Jacob

● People -- and not just technical people● Mindset

@nicolefv

The promise of DevOps

What is DevOps?

A cultural and professional movement, focused on how we build and operate high velocity organizations, born from the experiences of its practitioners. -- Adam Jacob

● Technology● Process and management● Culture

@nicolefv

The promise of DevOps

What is DevOps?

A cultural and professional movement, focused on how we build and operate high velocity organizations, born from the experiences of its practitioners. -- Adam Jacob

● Lived experience● Different in every team/org

@nicolefv

The promise of DevOps

What is DevOps NOT?

● Agile (“capital A Agile”)● Technology (though tech is very important)● Prescriptive processes● One size fits all● EASY

But it most definitely is WORTH IT

@nicolefv

What is DevOps doing for industry?

“IT doesn’t matter”

-- Nicholas Carr (2003)

@nicolefv

What is DevOps doing for industry?

IT Performance:

● Throughput/ Speed○ lead time for changes○ release frequency

● Reliability/ Stability○ time to restore service○ change fail rate

@nicolefv

What is DevOps doing for industry?

Firms with high-performing IT organizations were twice as likely to exceed their profitability, market share and productivity goals.

http://bit.ly/2014-devops-report/

http://bit.ly/2015-devops-report/

@nicolefv

High performing IT organizations

More agile

@nicolefv

High performing IT organizations

More agile What does this mean for:

New content deliveryValue/savings around A/B testingValue around speed to marketCompliance/regulatorySecurity

@nicolefv

High performing IT organizations

More reliable What does this mean for:

Value/savings around reliabilityValue/savings around uptimeComplianceSecurityReputation around uptime, compliance, and security

@nicolefv

Evaluating well-designed and executed experiments that were designed to improve a key metric, only about 1/3 were successful at improving the key metric!

@nicolefv

High performing IT organizations

More reliable

@nicolefv

@nicolefv

DevOps promises – and deliversMore throughput

More stability

In tandem. Without the tradeoffs that ITIL calls for.

@nicolefv

@nicolefv

@nicolefv

@nicolefv

@nicolefv

@nicolefv

Culture is also a key piece

@nicolefv

Google also found this

@nicolefv

Intuit

“By installing a rampant innovation culture, we performed 165 experiments in the peak three months of tax season.

Our business result? Conversion rate of the website is up 50%. Employee result? Everyone loves it, because their new ideas can make it to market. ”

- Scott Cook, Intuit founder

@nicolefv

Amazon

“I think building this culture is the key to innovation. Creativity must flow from everywhere. Whether you are a summer intern or the CTO, any good idea must be able to seek an objective test, preferably a test that exposes the idea to real customers. Everyone must be able to experiment, learn, and iterate.”

- Greg Linden

@nicolefv

What is DevOps doing for industry?

@nicolefv

What is DevOps doing for industry?

DevOps is transforming technology. Imagine the impact on Minnesota’s economy:

● Major employers: United Healthcare, Robert Half, Wells Fargo, Accenture, TEKSystems, US Bank…

○ Healthcare and Finance are areas embracing DevOps

● InfoSec is an emerging field-- and becoming a major player in DevOps

● DevOps skills command top incomes (source: DICE.com)

Source for MN employment info: www.realtimetalentmn.org, IT 2015 Report

@nicolefv

What can DevOps do for us?Let’s take some cues from the movement itself:

● It’s not just technology○ Updating our LMS won’t solve it.

● It’s not just process○ Making all of our lectures a flipped classroom won’t

solve it. ● Culture is really important. Foundationally important.

○ Open communication - across silos - is important● Embrace the blameless post-mortem

○ Default to a position of trust

@nicolefv

What can DevOps do for us?

Curriculum development is HARD and takes a lot of time.

● Sharing is a key aspect of this -- use your academic networks and your industry contacts. They are willing and eager to help.

● Embrace the MVP (minimum viable product) and iterate.● Every team or organization’s DevOps will look different

-- so will yours.

@nicolefv

We’ve talked about

Listening to industry: the good and the bad

The promise of DevOps● What it is -- and isn’t● What it is doing for the industry● What we’ve found● What it can do for academia

It’s an exciting time!

@nicolefv

Thank you

nicolefv.com