Technology evolves, roles change, but books remain. In this blog, we will talk about 5 DevOps books that every mastermind of this trend should know. Whether you want to start or continue growing in DevOps.
1. DevOps for Developers by Michael Hüterman
A book that we highly recommend for those who are starting in DevOps since it highlights basic concepts and practices that demonstrate the importance of this role in development projects. This book is designed for software developers who want to understand and implement DevOps principles and practices. It aims to help developers:
- Improve collaboration between development and operations teams.
- Accelerate the software delivery cycle.
- Increase the reliability of applications in production.
- Reduce development and operational costs.
The book starts with an introduction to the basic concepts of DevOps, including:
- DevOps Culture: The importance of collaboration, communication, and continuous learning.
- Automation: How to automate repetitive tasks to improve efficiency.
- Continuous Integration (CI): How to integrate and test code regularly.
- Continuous Delivery (CD): How to deploy code automatically and safely into production.
- Monitoring: How to monitor application performance and health.
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2. The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win by Gen Kim
If you’re a fan of novels, complex characters, and suspenseful endings, ‘The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win’ by Gen Kim is a must-read. The story revolves around Bill Palmer, who has just been promoted to IT operations manager at Parts Unlimited, an automotive parts manufacturing company on the brink of collapse. The book uses the narrative of Bill’s journey to illustrate the challenges and benefits of implementing DevOps in a real-world business setting.
Bill is assigned to rescue Project Phoenix, a critical initiative for the company that needs to catch up, is over budget, and is riddled with issues. As Bill investigates, he uncovers deep-rooted dysfunction among the development, operations, and security teams.
Bill must unify these teams and overhaul the company’s culture to turn things around. Along the way, he learns and implements fundamental DevOps principles, including:
- The Three Ways of DevOps: Workflow, continuous feedback, and a collaborative culture.
- Queuing Theory: Identifying and eliminating workflow bottlenecks.
- Kanban: Visualizing and managing work in progress.
- Automation: Streamlining repetitive tasks to boost efficiency.
Monitoring: Keeping a close watch on system performance and health.
3. The DevOps Handbook by Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois y, John Willis
As you navigate the vast landscape of DevOps, you’ll come across the names of the authors of this book more and more frequently. Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, and John Willis are not just authors; they are renowned experts who have dedicated years to developing DevOps practices. Gene Kim is a multiple award-winning CTO, researcher, and author. Jez Humble is a co-author of the Jolt Award-winning book ‘Continuous Delivery’ and a principal at ThoughtWorks. Patrick Debois is a recognized DevOps thought leader and the founder of the DevOpsDays conference series. John Willis is a co-author of ‘The DevOps Handbook’ and a former VP of DevOps and Digital Practices at SJ Technologies. Their work is a theoretical guide and an extensive practical manual on implementing DevOps within organizations. They outline DevOps’s essential principles and practices and offer a framework for assessing and enhancing software development processes, equipping you with actionable knowledge to drive real change.
The authors emphasize that DevOps represents a cultural shift that dismantles the barriers between development and operations teams, enabling organizations to deliver software more rapidly and reliably. The book includes case studies showcasing companies that have successfully adopted DevOps and practical advice for organizations embarking on their own DevOps journey.
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4. The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson
Although it does not focus on DevOps practices or theories, this book on organizational culture is highly recommended for those projected as leaders who seek to instill innovative practices and proactivity. In The Fearless Organization, Amy Edmondson argues that organizational cultures that foster psychological safety are essential for success in the knowledge economy. The book’s central thesis is that psychological safety is the climate in which people feel comfortable taking risks, asking questions, and admitting mistakes. In such environments, people are more willing to share their ideas, collaborate, and learn from their failures.
Edmondson presents three types of organizational cultures and invites the readers to think about them:
Punitive cultures: In these cultures, people fear being punished for making mistakes, so they keep their heads down and avoid taking risks.
Bureaucratic cultures: In these cultures, people are more concerned with following rules and procedures than innovating or making creative decisions.
Supportive cultures: In these cultures, people feel safe taking risks, asking questions, and admitting mistakes.
Edmondson provides several strategies for creating a culture of psychological safety in organizations.
5. Beginning Azure DevOps by Adora Nwodo
Suppose you are looking for more technical training. In that case, this book on Azure DevOps, the evolution of VSTS (Visual Studio Team Services, a set of collaborative development tools built for the cloud), introduces you to leverage Azure’s functionality to plan, build, test, and release your software applications. The book covers many topics, including DevOps Fundamentals, Azure DevOps Tools, Project Planning, Team Collaboration, and Code Security. You will learn about:
- DevOps Fundamentals: This book introduces key DevOps concepts and practices, such as continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD).
- Azure DevOps Tools: Discover integrated Azure tools that will help you at every step of the software development lifecycle. This includes Azure Boards for work planning, Azure Repos for version control, Azure Pipelines for build and deployment automation, and Azure Test Plans for software testing.
- Project Planning: Learn how to plan your software projects using agile methodologies like Scrum.
- Team Collaboration: Discover how Azure DevOps facilitates collaboration between development, operations, and QA teams.
- Code Security: The book also addresses the security capabilities built into Azure DevOps to protect your code.
This resource is essential for any developer who wants to understand and apply DevOps effectively and securely in the Azure environment.
Bonus: The Value Flywheel Effect by David Anderson, Michael O’Reilly y, Mark McCann
In The Value Flywheel Effect, David Anderson, Michael O’Reilly, and Mark McCann introduce a groundbreaking method for managing organizations in the digital era. The book presents the “Value Flywheel Effect,” a metaphor illustrating the transformative potential that emerges when organizations concentrate on creating value for their customers. It not only inspires but also challenges you to reimagine your approach to value creation.
The authors contend that organizations adopting the Value Flywheel Effect can attain sustainable growth and enduring success. The book elaborates on essential principles and practices for applying this approach, such as:
- Clarity of Purpose: Organizations need a clear vision of their objectives and a strategy for delivering value to their customers.
- Time to Value Obsession: Organizations should prioritize delivering value to customers swiftly and efficiently.
- Market Mapping: Organizations must understand their customers’ needs and find ways to stand out.
- Cycle Time Reduction: Organizations should streamline their processes to shorten the time needed to provide customer value.
- Learning Culture: Organizations must develop a culture emphasizing continuous learning and improvement.
The Value Flywheel Effect includes practical examples and case studies of companies that have successfully adopted this approach, as well as tools and resources to help organizations begin their transformation journey.
How to keep learning about DevOps?
The path to becoming a DevOps expert is constantly evolving. Staying at the forefront of knowledge, trends, and new releases is essential. Leveraging various online learning platforms can significantly enhance your professional growth and keep you ahead in the field. The most popular ones are:
- KodeKloud: This platform offers a hands-on approach to learning DevOps through labs and interactive learning. Its structured learning path includes essential DevOps skills like Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD.
- Cloud Academy provides scenario-based learning paths with courses, hands-on labs, and quizzes. It covers a variety of DevOps tools, including Puppet, Docker, Chef, and Ansible.
- Coursera: Offers courses from top universities and companies like IBM, Amazon Web Services, and Google. You can find classes on various DevOps topics, from introduction to more advanced subjects like DevOps on AWS.
Learning DevOps requires time, patience, practice, and the guidance of expert leaders. Through staff augmentation and nearshore services from Ceiba, we can drive DevOps practices in your organization and promote proactivity and innovation.
