Next-Generation InfraOps

Embrace the spectrum of Ops methodologies to build a virtuous cycle.

Executive summary

Your Challenge

IT Operations continue to be challenged by increasing needs for scale and speed, often in the face of constrained resources and time. For most, Agile methodologies have become a foundational part of tackling this problem. Since then, we've seen Agile evolve into DevOps, which started a trend into different categories of "xOps" that are too many to count. How does one make sense of the xOps spectrum? What is InfraOps and where does it fit in?

Common Obstacles

Ultimately, all these methodologies and approaches are there to serve the same purpose: increase effectiveness through automation and improve governance through visibility. The key is to understand what tools and methodologies will deliver actual benefits to your IT operation and to the organization as a whole.

Info-Tech's Approach

By defining your end goals and framing solutions based on the type of visibility and features you need, you can enable speed and reliability without losing control of the work.

1. Understand the xOps spectrum and what approaches will benefit your organization.
2. Make sense of the architectural approaches and enablement tools available to you.
3. Evolve from just improving your current operations to a continuous virtuous cycle of development and deployment.

Info-Tech Insight

InfraOps, when applied well, should be the embodiment of the governance policies as expressed by standards in architecture and automation.

Project overview

The xOps spectrum

xOps categories

There is no definitive list of x's in the xOps spectrum. Different organizations and teams will divide and define these in different ways. In many cases, the definitions and domains of various xOps will overlap.

Some of the commonly adopted and defined xOps models are listed here.

Shift left? Shift right?

Cutting through the jargon

• Shifting left is about focusing on the code and development aspects of a delivery cycle.
• Shifting right is about remembering that infrastructure and tools still do matter.

Info-Tech Insight

Shifting left or right isn't an either/or choice. They're more like opposite sides of the same coin. Like the different xOps approaches, usually more than one shift approach will apply to your IT Operations.

IT Operations in the left-right spectrum

Shifting from executing and deploying to defining the guardrails and standards

Take a middle-out approach

InfraOps and DevOps aren't enemies; they're opposite sides of the same coin.

• InfraOps is about the automation and standardization of execution. It's an essential element in any fully automated CI/CD pipeline.
• Like DevOps, InfraOps is built on similar values (the pillars of DevOps).
• It builds on the principle of Lean to focus on removing friction, or turn-and-type activities, from the pipeline/process.
• In InfraOps, one of the key methods for removing friction is through automation of the interstitia between different phases of a DevOps or CI/CD cycle.

Optimize the Ops in DevOps

Focus on eliminating friction

With the shift from execution to governing and validating, the role of deployment falls downstream of IT Operations.

IT Operations needs to move to a mindset that focuses on creating the guardrails, enforced standards, and compliance rules that need to be used downstream, then apply those standards using automation and tooling to remove friction and error from the interstitia (the white spaces between chevrons) of the various phases.

InfraOps tools

Info-Tech Insight

Your tools can be broken into two categories:

• Infrastructure Architecture
  • HCI vs. CI
• Automation Tooling
  • IaC and A&O

Keep in mind that while your infrastructure architecture is usually an either/or choice, your automation approach should use any and all tooling that helps.