Top 10 trends for DevOps engineering in 2023

Software development teams are constantly exploring new approaches in an effort to refine their workflows and produce top-notch solutions more efficiently. DevOps engineering has emerged as a popular approach to improve collaboration and automation.

Looking back on the DevOps trends of 2022, it is clear that an increased focus on automation, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence has continued to drive innovation and streamline software development processes.

In this article, we will cover the basics of DevOps engineering and take a look at some of the top trends that we expect to see in DevOps Engineering in 2023.

What is DevOps engineering?

DevOps engineering is an approach to software development that emphasizes collaboration and communication between development and operations teams, with a focus on automation and continuous delivery.

It involves breaking down silos and creating cross-functional teams that can work together more efficiently and effectively. The goal of DevOps engineering is to deliver high-quality software faster, with fewer errors and greater reliability.

What is continuous engineering?

In DevOps, continuous engineering is an essential practice that helps to ensure the delivery of high-quality software products at a faster pace. It emphasizes the importance of continuous feedback and collaboration between developers, testers, and other stakeholders to improve the overall software development process.

Engineering vs. DevOps

While traditional engineering approaches focus on building software in a linear, step-by-step process, DevOps engineering emphasizes continuous integration and delivery, with a focus on automation and collaboration.

DevOps engineering enables teams to work more efficiently and respond to changes more quickly.

Platform engineering vs. DevOps

The terms platform engineering and DevOps are often used interchangeably, but there are important differences between them. Platform engineering focuses on building the underlying infrastructure and tools needed to support software development and delivery.

DevOps, on the other hand, is a broader approach that encompasses platform engineering but also includes collaboration, automation, and continuous delivery. While platform engineering is an important component of DevOps, it is only one part of the overall approach.

What are the top trends in DevOps engineering for 2023?

Keeping up with the latest DevOps trends is essential for organizations to stay competitive and improve their performance.

As a company experienced in DevOps engineering practices, Twenty Ideas encourages organizations to embrace digital trends and leverage their potential to drive success.

Let’s explore the top 10 DevOps engineering trends we think merit attention in 2023.

1. DevSecOps

Security is an important aspect of the digital age, and with the increasing threat of cyber-attacks, organizations are prioritizing it more than ever before. DevSecOps integrates security into the DevOps lifecycle.

DevSecOps involves a shift-left approach that focuses on integrating security right from the beginning of the development cycle instead of being added later as an afterthought. This approach helps organizations to develop secure software that is compliant with regulations.

In healthcare technology, DevSecOps can be crucial in ensuring that patient data is kept secure and compliant with regulations such as HIPAA.

Healthcare organizations can leverage the benefits of DevSecOps by integrating security into the software development lifecycle from the start and using automated security checks throughout the process. This approach helps to reduce the risk of data breaches and ensures that patient information is safeguarded, allowing healthcare organizations to build secure, reliable systems that can be trusted to protect patient data.

2. Serverless computing

Serverless computing is a modern approach to software development that enables the deployment of services and applications without the need for server management. It has become a popular trend in DevOps engineering and is estimated to reach a market value of $30 billion by 2030.

Serverless computing has significantly benefited the DevOps process by bridging the gap between development and operations. It has also facilitated the generation of DevOps pipeline code without requiring the host to develop, test, and deploy.

According to Gartner, over 85% of businesses are expected to adopt a cloud computing strategy by 2025, with almost all new digital workloads taking place on cloud platforms. This means that companies that don't implement serverless computing may face challenges in keeping up with their competitors.

An example of serverless computing can be seen in the healthcare industry through the use of data analytics to identify trends and patterns in patient data. This information can be leveraged to inform treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes.

By using serverless computing, healthcare organizations can reduce the cost and complexity of managing and processing large volumes of medical data while ensuring fast and reliable access to critical information. This can result in improved patient outcomes and faster decision-making, as clinicians can collaborate seamlessly and share critical information with each other, leading to better diagnoses and treatment plans.

3. Microservice architecture

Microservices simplify the development process and improve the overall quality of software and applications. They have gained popularity in DevOps engineering as they help to break down large, complex applications into smaller, more manageable components that can be developed, tested, and deployed independently.

Coca-Cola is a large organization that produces and distributes a wide range of products globally. As a result, the company has an extensive IT infrastructure, which requires continuous management.

The company used microservices architecture to create a separate area for concerns and reusable modules. This approach helped to streamline development and reduce data flow in the network.

By breaking down the application into smaller services, Coca-Cola could reduce the number of dependencies and connections between services, resulting in less network traffic and more efficient scaling.

4. AIOps

Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps) is a DevOps trend that automates IT processes and operations by leveraging AI. It helps identify the main cause of the problems that hamper operational productivity and optimizes operations to enhance productivity.

In the medical industry, AIOps can help healthcare organizations streamline operations and improve patient outcomes.

For example, AI algorithms can analyze patient data to identify patterns and predict potential health issues. This enables healthcare providers to take a proactive approach to patient care, providing early interventions and preventing complications before they occur.

AIOps can also help healthcare organizations streamline administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, managing patient records, and processing insurance claims.

5. Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open-source platform designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It was originally developed by Google and is now maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

Kubernetes is considered a DevOps engineering trend because it enables teams to streamline the deployment and management of applications across multiple environments, such as development, testing, and production.

It provides a powerful set of tools for container orchestration, including automated scaling, self-healing, and rolling updates, which make it easier for teams to manage complex applications.

Kubernetes also allows teams to use a range of different containerization technologies, such as Docker, to deploy applications to a variety of cloud providers or on-prem infrastructure.

For example, universities and colleges can leverage Kubernetes to manage their learning management systems (LMS), student information systems (SIS), and other educational applications in a reliable and efficient manner.

Kubernetes can also help educational institutions to manage their IT resources more effectively, reducing operational costs and enabling faster development and deployment of new applications and services.

6. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

IaC involves managing and provisioning infrastructure through code rather than manual processes. Using IaC tools like Terraform enables teams to create, test, and deploy new infrastructure configurations quickly and easily.

An example of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the University of Michigan's Center for Academic Innovation (CAI). They implemented IaC to manage their cloud infrastructure for online learning platforms such as Coursera and edX.

The use of IaC helped CAI to automate the process of creating and maintaining its cloud infrastructure, reducing the time and effort required for manual processes. It also enabled them to quickly scale their infrastructure as demand for their online courses grew.

7. ChatOps

ChatOps involves using chat platforms to enhance collaboration, automation, and visibility in the DevOps workflow. This approach helps to bring together the tools, processes, and people involved in DevOps in one place.

ChatOps is a popular trend in the education industry as it can be used to enhance collaboration among students and teachers. For example, a teacher can use a chat platform like Slack or Intercom to communicate with students and automate certain tasks like sending reminders and notifications about upcoming assignments or tests. Chatbots can be used to provide quick answers to common questions or to provide personalized feedback to students.

In the healthcare industry, ChatOps can be used to improve communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals. For example, doctors and nurses can use a chat platform to discuss patient cases and coordinate care between specialists.

Chatbots can also be used to automate certain tasks like scheduling appointments, sending medication reminders, and providing patients with basic health information.

8. Observability

Observability is about making it easy to monitor, understand, and troubleshoot complex systems. Using observability tools like logs, metrics, and tracing helps teams to identify bottlenecks and troubleshoot issues quickly. Google uses observability to enhance the site reliability and performance of its complex systems.

Observability has become a popular digital trend in the healthcare industry because it enables healthcare professionals to monitor and troubleshoot the performance of medical devices and systems. With observability tools, healthcare workers can track the status of a patient and detect any problems before they become serious. Additionally, tracing can help identify the underlying causes of an issue, making it easier to resolve the problem quickly and maintain patient health and safety.

9. Low-code development

Low code development, also known as "hacking" or "rapid application development,” is a trend that involves using existing development tools and pre-built components to create applications without having to write extensive lines of code.

Low-code development helps to reduce the workload on developers and allows for more efficient collaboration between developers and non-technical stakeholders.

This approach can be used to create a minimum viable product (MVP), as it allows teams to quickly build and test applications with limited resources. Low code development platforms provide pre-built components and integrations, allowing teams to focus on creating custom functionality without worrying about the underlying technology stack.

By combining MVP and low code development, teams can rapidly develop and deploy products to the market, collect feedback, and iterate quickly based on customer needs. This approach can help companies stay agile, respond to market demands, and ultimately deliver better products to their customers.

In the education industry, low-code development can be used to create custom applications to improve the student experience. For example, a school can use low-code development tools to create a custom learning management system (LMS) that meets the unique needs of its students and teachers. This can help to improve engagement, collaboration, and learning outcomes.

10. Shift-left testing

This trend emphasizes testing earlier in the software development lifecycle to identify and fix issues before they become more significant problems later in the process.

Facebook, for example, encourages developers to write their own tests and automates testing as much as possible to achieve faster release cycles and improved software quality.

In the education industry, shift-left testing can be used to improve the quality of online learning platforms. For example, a school can encourage developers to write automated tests for each new feature or update to the platform. This can help to identify and fix issues early in the development process, reducing the risk of issues affecting the user experience.

Final thoughts

In 2023, organizations should pay attention to emerging DevOps trends to stay competitive and improve performance. These trends help organizations develop secure, scalable, and efficient software solutions that meet the needs of their customers.