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Home/Blog/Web Development/Agile Vs. DevOps – Difference Between Them

Agile Vs. DevOps – Difference Between Them

3 min read
Jan 11, 2024

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Agile and DevOps are the two most commonly used software development methodologies. Despite many similarities and differences, yet they have the same goal. And the goal is to create the product efficiently and quickly. Many tech companies follow Agile and DevOps methodologies to develop applications on time with higher client satisfaction.

While both methodologies greatly benefit the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), many people are still confused about the differences between them. To answer all your questions, we will explore Agile and DevOps in detail and explain their differences with a brief comparison. Let’s take a look!

Learn Agile Methodologies from Scratch

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Learn Agile Methodologies from Scratch

This course is designed to help learners build an understanding of Agile’s process model and its different approaches and techniques. To understand the advantages of implementing Agile techniques, the course begins with a comparison of Agile methods and the traditional Waterfall model. Then, you’ll get to know about different planning approaches to help users effectively adjust deadlines. Next, there’s a discussion on backlogs and different visual techniques, such as burn-down charts and burn-up charts, that help increase the efficiency of projects. You will also learn Agile methodologies including SCRUM, eXtreme Programming, DSDM, Smart and Kanban, as well as the differences and similarities between these approaches. Finally, you’ll look at some common problems and learn ways to solve them using Agile methodologies.

20hrs
Beginner
10 Quizzes
127 Illustrations

Define Agile#

Agile is an iterative approach to the SDLC that arose in the early 2000s. Since then, tech companies have relied on it due to its utility when dealing with complex projects. Agile methodology focuses on clients and stakeholders. It involves close collaboration with clients and the continuous delivery of software or product.

The core principles of agile methodology include the following:

  • Iterative Development: Agile projects are divided into small iterations or periods of 7 to 30 days. Each iteration results in a product increment.

  • Adaptive Planning: Agile promotes evolving requirements during the project’s lifespan, saving you time on creating a detailed plan in the beginning.

  • Customer Collaboration: Agile teams involve customers and stakeholders throughout development, encouraging feedback so that the final product meets their needs. 

  • Continuous Improvement: Agile methodology promotes continuous learning and refinement. After each iteration, teams reflect on their process and performance to identify areas of improvement according to feedback.

  • Self-Organizing Teams: Agile teams are typically cross-functional and self-organizing, meaning they can decide how to accomplish their tasks.

DevOps for Developers

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DevOps for Developers

Docker and Kubernetes are a staple part of tech stacks across the world. Experience with these DevOps tools will prepare you for the jobs of the future. This path will give you all lessons and practice to master Docker and Kubernetes. By the end, you'll have cutting-edge skills and hands-on experience to excel in any DevOps role.

50hrs
Beginner
374 Playgrounds
157 Quizzes

Define DevOps#

The word DevOps is a combination of two words, Development and Operations. DevOps allows a single team to handle the entire software development lifecycle, including development, testing, launch, and operations. It helps improve communication between developers, the quality assurance team, and system administrators, so that they can create a product efficiently.

DevOps methodologies help organizations achieve faster delivery cycles, reduced time-to-market, improved product quality, and better customer satisfaction. DevOps fosters a shared understanding of goals and challenges by bringing together development and operations teams, leading to a swifter and more responsive SDLC.

Some key principles of DevOps methodology include the following: 

  • Continuous Integration (CI): Developers frequently integrate their code into a shared repository. Automated tests are run on each integration to detect errors early in the development cycle.

  • Continuous Delivery (CD): The software is continuously built, tested, and prepared for deployment in production-like environments. Continuous Delivery ensures that code changes can be released to production with minimal risk.

  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Infrastructure is managed through code and version-controlled, allowing for consistent and reproducible environments. This reduces manual configuration and increases consistency.

  • Security Integration: Security is integrated into the development and deployment process, promoting a “DevSecOps” culture.

Key Differences between Agile and DevOps#

Comparison

Agile

DevOps

Methodology

Agile focuses on continuous iterations, customer support, feedback, and small releases.

DevOps focuses on collaboration and smooth communication between the development and operations teams.

Tasks

Agile focuses on timely changes and customer satisfaction.

DevOps focuses on testing and delivery.

Team Skill Set

Agile focuses on the team having similar skill sets and working together in each product development phase.

DevOps divides the team, tasks, and skill sets between development and operations teams.

Team Size

The Agile team is relatively small in size. The team works together during every phase and then moves onto the next.

The DevOps team is divided, and that is why it is larger in size compared to Agile.

Duration

The Agile team divides the time into sprints of 7-30 days. After each sprint, the team delivers the updates or new features to the stakeholders.

The DevOps team aims to deliver the code as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Feedback

Agile teams rely heavily on feedback from customers and stakeholders.

DevOps teams focus on the feedback coming from the team itself.

Target Area(s)

Agile focuses on software or product development.

DevOps focuses on end-to-end business processes and solutions.

Communication

There is a scrum master in every agile team. The scrum master is responsible for conducting routine team meetings and ensuring that team members’ communication is smooth and efficient.

DevOps teams also focus on team communication to produce efficient results; they ensure that the team is on the same page and thoroughly understands the product they’re working on.

How do Agile and DevOps interrelate?#

Agile and DevOps are two interconnected methodologies in the era of software development. Agile emphasizes iterative and customer-centric development, breaking down the development process into short iterations, or sprints, in order to deliver small increments of functional software. It promotes collaboration among cross-functional teams, continuous feedback, and adaptive planning to meet customer needs effectively. 

On the other hand, DevOps extends Agile’s principles to the entire software delivery pipeline, integrating development and operations teams to create a seamless and automated process. DevOps emphasizes continuous integration, delivery, and continuous deployment (CI/CD) practices to automate building, testing, and deploying software, reducing time-to-market and improving software reliability. Both methodologies focus on customer value, continuous improvement, and team collaboration, making them highly complementary approaches to enhancing software development and delivery processes.

Educative offers great learning opportunities for software engineers and developers out there. We offer a variety of courses with certifications that can help you upscale your soft and technical skills. If you want to learn more about Agile methodologies, we suggest checking out Learn Agile Methodologies from Scratch. Or you can check out our phenomenal DevOps for developers courses.

Happy Learning!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you do Agile without DevOps?

Yes, the Agile method can be followed without DevOps, by focusing on iterative development and customer feedback. But, in order to achieve maximum efficiency, DevOps and Agile go hand in hand. Integrating DevOps can enhance Agile by streamlining deployment and fostering closer collaboration between the development and operations teams.


 
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