You might have come across DevOps so often that it may seem to penetrate each and every organization slightly related to IT. But the reality is different, as always. The point is that this model is far more complicated to apply compared to Agile and other popular forms of SDLC.
Simply because the role of each department undergoes significant changes…
Although many definitions are available, we think of DevOps as the space for keeping the software deployable regardless of the new features implemented. Most importantly, DevOps means that everyone — from Jr Analyst to developer, QA engineer, project manager, owner — takes equal responsibility and makes a contribution to the product success.
The fundamental benefit of the model is a clear segmentation of roles that follows the principles of Continuous Integration & delivery (CI/CD).*
*Off-top for those unaware: CI/CD is a concept that enables effective merge of newly developed features into the main codebase. It fulfills the integration aspect by running different tests at each sprint stage and provides delivery aspect by deploying the committed code into the software available for the end-user.
Back to the roles. Although separated, DevOps is a strategy that embeds each just in time and keeps their activity during the whole product growth.
In a pure DevOps world, QA is an enabler, not a gatekeeper. The model is all about blurring the boundaries between the roles of QA and development in project delivery. Meaning the part of software quality assurance goes in line with development and operations, creating a back-up line for correct product functioning.
These are the areas to work on when implementing QA into DevOps environment:
Continuous testing (CT) & delivery are the other two milestones of the DevOps culture. Test early and test often — that`s how the key principle of Continuous testing sounds. It implies the use of Agile-related methods to build a QA strategy. Although DevOps highly encourages automating the whole testing process, QA engineers still play an important role in providing testing solutions into the development. When effectively implemented, CT helps to detect risks, address them, and enhance product quality. That`s a relatively new concept in the area of tech, yet QA engineers achieve CT process via automated test cases and support each development stage with instant feedback.
Notably, DevOps is an environment of highly coordinated cross-team functioning in the development chain. In a perfect scenario, continuous testing & delivery, a developer configures deployments; and while a QA engineer configures automated test cases, developers add them to the QA repository. As such, the team takes collective responsibility for the software quality, together adheres to the deadlines.
With the DevOps emphasis on automation approach, many think that traditional software quality assurance might be called into question. The transformed relations of development and operation stuff could be one of the reasons for that. There is also an opinion that independent software testing service providers with the QA engineers performing their prior function are slowly becoming outdated.
Sounds scary.
What if we say QA engineers have still plenty of work to do in DevOps environment? The truth is that reinvented role of operations (Ops) in the product development has a powerful impact on the role QA engineer must be ready to acquire.
Software QA as a consultant.
Seems like QA experts won`t be working the same role anymore. For DevOps, a QA engineer would have to change their mindset and start helping businesses to grow instead of providing traditional testing services. Luckily, our experience shows most of the software testers can make this shift. QA consulting is one of the most effective shifts we`ve taken recently. Just because a structured audit provides an unbiased review of the software, and reveals potential changes, suggested ways to improve the project.
So instead of running tests and crafting the documentation, QA pros will have to transition to software quality expert consulting and help developers learn how to make their approach more quality-oriented.
Software QA as a strategist.
There always been an opportunity to embed QA expertise directly to development via SCRUM. When the QA part is involved from the very beginning of each sprint, product growth takes a totally different path.
To account for a crucial role of testing expertise and responsibility in the DevOps model, QA engineers should look for the new ways to add value in the software lifecycle. This means making high-level strategic decisions related to testing and software quality assurance. The point is that a QA engineer thinks what end-users are doing, how they interact with the software. This is what a QA strategy often lacks. QA engineers might consult the team how to mimic user-experience, what kind of code data is required to meet users` needs.
No more “passed/failed.”
The info above should have answered this question 🙂 One of the major hurdles DevOps model implies is the process itself. A lot of tech specialists used to their responsibilities will have to redefine their roles. Moreover, to combine several teams takes efforts, requires high-standard management, resources. That`s why there are still companies resistant to DevOps culture.
It is a relatively young method, though. If to approach it with open mind and implement it step-by-step, you`ll manage to bring the best parts together into a greater whole.
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