Day-2 | Improve SDLC with DevOps | Free DevOps Course | 45 days | #devopscourse #learning

Introduction to DevOps: Day 2 - Software Development Life Cycle

Recap of Previous Session

• Abhishek welcomes viewers back and thanks them for watching the previous video on DevOps, specifically the introduction.

• He encourages viewers to watch Day 1 of the series for context, mentioning a dedicated playlist that includes all related videos.

Importance of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

• The focus of Day 2 is on understanding the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), which is crucial for anyone in software development or DevOps.

• SDLC is defined as a standard process followed by organizations to design, develop, and test software products.

Phases of SDLC

• Abhishek emphasizes that every organization follows specific standards in their SDLC processes regardless of size or type (startups, MNCs).

• The primary phases include designing, developing, and testing. Each phase must be completed sequentially to ensure quality delivery.

Goals and Standards in SDLC

• The end goal of SDLC is delivering high-quality products. Testing is highlighted as essential; without it, even well-designed products may fail to meet customer expectations.

• A clear explanation is provided about how each phase contributes to achieving high-quality outcomes in software development.

Practical Example: E-commerce Application

• To illustrate the concepts practically, Abhishek introduces an example organization called "example.com," simulating an e-commerce application development scenario.

• He outlines various phases involved before delivering an application: planning, building, testing, deploying—emphasizing that these steps are standardized across organizations.

Circular Approach in Development

• The circular approach signifies that after deployment, any new feature requires revisiting the same phases (planning → building → testing → deploying).

Understanding the Launch of a New Kids Catalog

Introduction to the New Feature

• The organization, example.com, aims to introduce a new feature by launching a kids' clothing section, expanding beyond their current offerings for men and women.

• Research indicated that adding a kids' catalog could benefit the business, prompting this decision.

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

• The discussion will explore each phase of the SDLC and how DevOps can enhance these processes.

• Emphasis is placed on understanding SDLC from a DevOps engineer's perspective to improve organizational efficiency.

Importance of Planning and Requirements Gathering

• High-level design decisions are made by senior leadership (e.g., CTO), but planning and requirements gathering fall to core team members like business analysts or product owners.

• This stage is crucial as it involves collecting customer feedback on whether launching a kids' catalog would be beneficial.

Customer Feedback and Market Research

• Gathering insights from existing customers helps determine interest in specific age ranges for kids’ clothing (e.g., 1-4 years vs. 6-12 years).

• If market research shows low interest, the idea can be suspended before further development stages.

Documentation and Design Phases

• After gathering requirements, documentation such as Software Requirement Specification (SRS) is created to outline findings.

Understanding Software Development Phases

High-Level and Low-Level Design

• The kids catalog application must be scalable, especially during peak times like Christmas. This scalability requirement is defined in the high-level design (HLD).

• In HLD, decisions about database types and the number of application replicas are made to ensure system performance.

• The low-level design (LLD) involves detailed specifications such as programming languages (e.g., Java or Python), database choices (e.g., MySQL), and function calls necessary for implementation.

• LLD focuses on very granular details, including argument passing and expected responses from functions.

Role of DevOps Engineers

• DevOps engineers play a crucial role primarily in three phases: building, testing, and deploying software. Their main focus is on automation within these processes.

• While involvement in planning, defining, and designing phases is beneficial for DevOps engineers with development interests, their primary responsibilities lie in building, testing, and deployment.

Building Phase

• The building phase refers to the actual development of the application after requirements have been gathered and designs finalized.

• Developers begin writing code based on user stories and design documents using their preferred programming language or one specified by the organization.

• Code written by developers is stored in a source code repository (like Git), allowing collaboration among team members rather than being isolated to individual developer machines.

Testing Phase

• After development, applications undergo a testing phase where they are deployed on servers for quality assurance checks.

Software Development Life Cycle and the Role of DevOps

Overview of Software Development Phases

• The software development process involves multiple phases: development, testing by Quality Engineers (QE), and deployment to production.

• Testing occurs on virtual servers (staging or development) before the application is pushed to the production server, where customers access it.

Introduction to DevOps

• DevOps integrates into this cycle by enhancing organizational efficiency; it is described as a culture rather than just a set of practices.

• A DevOps engineer automates processes from code storage in local repositories to pushing updates to Git repositories for testing and deployment.

Automation and Efficiency

• The role of a DevOps engineer is crucial in speeding up delivery through automation, ensuring that building, testing, and deployment occur without manual intervention.

• Effective automation correlates directly with increased efficiency in product delivery; thus, a well-executed automation strategy is vital.

Importance of Understanding the Software Development Life Cycle

• All team members—developers, testers, and DevOps engineers—must understand the software development life cycle (SDLC) as they collaborate within an organization.

• While DevOps engineers focus on automating processes rather than developing or testing software themselves, their work significantly impacts overall efficiency.

Project Management Methodologies

• Various project management models exist such as Waterfall, Iterative, and Agile. Agile methodology is particularly prevalent today due to its flexibility in handling projects through short sprints.

• In Agile methodology, teams begin processes once small portions are completed instead of waiting for full planning or documentation completion.

Key Takeaways for Aspiring DevOps Engineers

• Understanding SDLC pillars is essential for interviews; candidates should articulate their focus on automating building, testing, and deployment phases.

Sharing Resources for Learning DevOps

Encouraging Community Engagement

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of sharing the channel and video links to help others learn DevOps for free, highlighting a community-focused approach.

• The primary intention behind creating these videos is to benefit as many learners as possible in the field of DevOps.

• Viewers are encouraged to engage with the content by liking the video, which can help increase its visibility and reach.

• The speaker invites viewers to post questions or feedback in the comments section, whether positive or negative, fostering an interactive learning environment.