Month 1: DevOps Foundations, Linux & Git/ Week 1: Introduction to DevOps & Linux
Hi, I’m Aisalkyn Aidarova, a DevOps Engineer at MHC Software. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) and previously graduated from Wilbur Wright College with a focus on cybersecurity. Currently, I am pursuing a master’s degree in Computer Science at NEIU while also teaching cybersecurity at NEIU. Additionally, I am preparing to pursue a PhD in cybersecurity.
This course will help you understand the cultural, as well as technological, transformation
The History and Growth of DevOps (2007-2019)
2007: Patrick Debois noticed that developers (Dev) and operations (Ops) teams were not working well together. He wondered if there was a better way to collaborate.
2008: At the Agile Conference, Andrew Clay Shafer proposed a discussion about “Agile Infrastructure,” but he didn’t attend his session. Patrick Debois showed up, eager to discuss how Ops could be as Agile as Devs.
2009: John Allspaw and Paul Hammond gave a talk at the Velocity Conference about how Flickr deployed code 10+ times per day, proving that better collaboration between Dev and Ops could improve software delivery.
In 2009, Patrick Debois organized the first DevOpsDays Conference in Belgium, which officially coined the term “DevOps.” This event sparked interest worldwide, and now, DevOpsDays is held in multiple countries every year.
Key Milestones in DevOps Growth
2010: Jez Humble and David Farley wrote Continuous Delivery, a book that introduced automation as a key factor in DevOps, allowing teams to release high-quality software quickly and continuously.
2013: Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford wrote The Phoenix Project, a book that explained DevOps using a business story based on lean manufacturing principles. It helped companies understand how to apply DevOps in real-world scenarios.
2015: Dr. Nicole Forsgren, Gene Kim, and Jez Humble founded DORA (DevOps Research and Assessment), which conducted large-scale studies on DevOps performance. Their research showed that companies using DevOps had higher efficiency and lower costs.
2016: Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, and John Willis wrote The DevOps Handbook, which became a practical guide on how to successfully implement DevOps.
Why Is DevOps History Important?
DevOps was not created by a company or a product. It was started by engineers for engineers to solve real-world problems in software delivery.
Damon Edwards described DevOps as:
“From practitioners, by practitioners.”
This means DevOps is an open movement—not a product, tool, or job title. It is a way of working that helps teams collaborate, automate, and continuously improve.
Key Influential People in DevOps
Patrick Debois – “Father of DevOps,” organized the first DevOpsDays conference.
Andrew Clay Shafer – Discussed “Agile Infrastructure” and helped shape DevOps concepts.
John Allspaw – Proved that DevOps practices allow fast, frequent deployments at Flickr.
Jez Humble – Co-wrote Continuous Delivery and The DevOps Handbook, influencing modern DevOps practices.
Gene Kim – Author of The Phoenix Project and The DevOps Handbook, helping DevOps adoption in businesses.
John Willis – Co-author of The DevOps Handbook, involved in Docker and Chef automation tools.
Bridget Kromhout – Led DevOpsDays events and co-hosted Arrested DevOps podcast.
Nicole Forsgren – Co-founded DORA, leading research on DevOps performance and its impact on businesses.
Understanding DevOps in Simple Terms
What is DevOps?
DevOps is a way of working where development (Dev) and operations (Ops) teams collaborate throughout the entire software development process. Instead of working separately, they share responsibilities, communicate openly, and use automation to deliver software faster and more reliably.
Why Was DevOps Created?
Before DevOps, developers wrote code and passed it to operations, who then deployed and managed it. This created delays, miscommunication, and inefficiencies. DevOps was introduced to bridge these teams' gaps and create a more agile and efficient workflow.
What Makes DevOps Successful?
To make DevOps work, companies need to change their culture, not just adopt new tools. This means:
✅ Breaking down silos – Developers and operations teams must work together, not separately.
✅ Encouraging collaboration – Open communication and teamwork help speed up development.
✅ Using automation – Manual processes are replaced with automated tools to ensure faster, more reliable software releases.
What DevOps is NOT
🚫 Not just a team – You can’t simply create a "DevOps team" and expect success. DevOps is a company-wide approach.
🚫 Not just a tool – While DevOps uses tools like Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes, tools alone don’t create a DevOps culture.
🚫 Not just automation – Automating tasks helps, but DevOps is about improving teamwork and processes, not just writing scripts.
How Does DevOps Work?
Small, frequent updates – Instead of big, risky updates, the software is released in small, manageable pieces.
Microservices instead of monoliths – Instead of one big, complex system, software is broken into smaller services that can be updated independently.
On-demand environments – Developers should be able to create and deploy environments instantly, instead of waiting days for manual setup.
Understanding Cultural Change in DevOps
What Does Cultural Change in DevOps Mean?
Cultural change in DevOps means changing the way teams think, work, and collaborate to improve software development and delivery. It’s not just about using new tools; it’s about creating a mindset that supports teamwork, efficiency, and continuous improvement.
Why is Cultural Change Important?
According to DevOps experts, 75% of DevOps initiatives fail because organizations focus only on tools and skills but ignore teamwork, communication, and learning. DevOps success depends on how well people work together, not just on technology.
Key Aspects of Cultural Change in DevOps
New Ways of Thinking
Teams must adopt a mindset of continuous learning and improvement.
Instead of working in silos (separate departments), teams should collaborate from start to finish.
Developers and operations engineers should work together, not as separate teams.
New Ways of Working
Social coding – Developers share and reuse code to improve teamwork.
Small batches – Breaking work into small, manageable parts instead of doing everything at once.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) – Releasing early versions of software to gather user feedback quickly.
New Ways of Organizing Teams
Teams should be cross-functional, meaning they include developers, testers, and operations engineers working together.
Organizing teams properly improve how software is designed and delivered.
The way teams are structured affects the overall success of a DevOps initiative.
New Ways of Measuring Success
Success in DevOps is measured by how quickly and reliably teams can deliver software.
Continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) ensure that every change contributes to a working product.
Team culture has a significant impact on how well organizations meet their goals.
what we will learn in this course:
Now that we’ve looked at what DevOps is, what skill sets should current students learn to become DevOps engineers? If you like the philosophy of DevOps and automation, here are the key skills:
Version Control (git.)
Linux (Linux is everywhere in DevOps.)
Coding (Python, JavaScript, Golang—pick one.)
Agile Development (Understand Scrum, sprints, and planning.)
Operations (Learn networking, servers, and cloud platforms like AWS.)
Kubernetes & Docker (Containerization is essential.)
Infrastructure as Code (Learn Terraform or AWS CloudFormation.)
Configuration Management (Learn Ansible.)
Jenkins (Automate your CI/CD pipelines.)
Monitoring Tools (ELK Stack, Grafana, Splunk.)