By Ritu Chaturvedi

2021 has arrived and the focus for this year is on patching up your DevOps and have it up and running as soon as possible. However, it might not be easy, and that’s why we compiled this list of the latest DevOps trends and solutions to help you.

Let’s look at the DevOps challenges companies may face and see how these trends, load balancers, and NoOps can solve them.

Top 10 DevOps trends in 2021

Here are the most popular DevOps trends that help software development companies shorten time to market for testing and deployment in 2021:

1. Rise of serverless architecture

Even virtual servers require some maintenance and management, which is why serverless computing, aka serverless architecture, is trending. Serverless is a Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) or Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) platform that relieves engineers from server maintenance and lets them concentrate on app development.

Server-side logic of FaaS applications is written by the app developer, while the system is fully managed by a third party. Therefore, companies implementing serverless architecture have to rely on developers (vendors) and their support services. Nonetheless, many organizations will opt for serverless architecture because of how cost-effective and time-saving this solution is for DevOps.

2. The return of SQL

People may say the future lies with NoSQL systems. However, a recent survey by Binary Survey indicates that SQL is rising from ashes, becoming the most popular data retrieval language. Over 60% of database systems use SQL, and the demand keeps growing.

The future has exciting things in store for NoSQL. However, most users have realized that SQL is the optimal solution for many cases (for running complex queries and reports, to ensure ACID compliance, or when your project won’t experience significant changes during development). Moreover, you’ll have access to numerous tools that simplify SQL database management in a DevOps pipeline.

3. Companies implement DevSecOps at the beginning of the project's lifecycle

According to the FBI Internet Crime Report, US-based organizations lost over $3.5 billion in 2019 due to data breaches and malware attacks. Small and medium-sized businesses remain the primary target for hackers.
Organizations need to realize DevOps and security should go hand in hand. At Devfactory, we strongly believe in implementing DevSecOps into the product development lifecycle from the get-go.

4. Re-definition of the Modern Application

We’ve reached the point where tools have become so complex that people are debating over what a Modern Application is. It sure is hard to reach the heights of efficiency with obsolete systems. Nonetheless, some companies prefer working with legacy systems due to a lack of elaborate alternatives.

There’s no defined CI process for legacy apps because they weren’t built for incremental and iterative workflows. Therefore, companies have to re-engineer their code, use numerous third-party software, and introduce new CI/CD pipelines for each of these apps. And still, the testing process will take a while to finish.

Modern applications offer resilience, the multi-cloud deployment model, software-oriented architecture, and deployment reliability. Today, holding onto apps that don’t have these features is a low-value and high-risk practice. Focusing on modern apps that handle multiple deployment strategies and database-related changes will maximize DevOps ROI.

5. Containers and Kubernetes continues to grow in popularity

Leveraging containers gives developers more control over application and infrastructure management. Ideally, companies don't want engineers to manage operations and just focus on coding. But the reality is that about 25% of application engineers suffer from unproductive work due to poor deployment support.

With proper Kubernetes adoption, running cloud-based applications has become easier than ever. Many firms have understood the container-first strategy can help them save money and time. It’s safe to say that in 2021, container orchestration solutions have won the hearts of many DevOps admins.

6. Service mesh has become more widespread

The service mesh stack simplifies the DevOps application delivery process, which is why it’s so popular among software development companies that want reliable communication between containers and key capabilities. As a result, we keep getting new service mesh solutions with alternative problem-solving approaches. We’re about to see even more specified service mesh tools for the DevOps community emerging soon.

7. AI automation and Machine Learning

AI-fueled software enhances efficiency across the DevOps lifecycle. For example, it deciphers data collected through regression and functional testing, letting you pinpoint inefficient coding practices that cause errors. Talking about errors, the machine learning model reads into DevOps patterns to predict potential bugs early in the software development life cycle (SDLC) before they evolve into complex problems.

AI solutions can also improve time-to-market in development and operations. For instance, automatic analytics systems can test various outcome possibilities to help you minimize disruptions and ensure operational compliance across departments.

At the same time, automation roots out repetitive processes in DevOps, freeing up engineers’ workload and helping managers cut operational costs during software development. That’s why companies will continue to reach for zero-touch automation in DevOps by implementing AI and Machine Learning.

8. Transition toward cloud databases

Cloud computing keeps growing in popularity. Based on the recent Cisco study, cloud data centers will soon process 94% of all workloads, including DevOps automation and tooling. And that’s not surprising, given the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of cloud computing. It’s safe to assume that most on-premise databases will become obsolete quite soon.

Most software development companies consider migrating their files and apps to the cloud. But not every company has implemented the necessary load balancer tools that shift traffic from on-premise databases to the cloud and ease the transition. Speaking of which…

9. Implementation of the database load balancer software

Nobody wants to lose critical business data or suffer from unplanned downtime due to traffic surges. That's where load balancer tools enter the stage.

Load balancing can save your company from disastrous financial consequences during cloud transition. For instance, load balancer software can help DBAs shift database nodes without crippling app performance. Plus, it improves database workload distribution by optimizing resource use. For example, a load balancer with multiple Availability zones will continue to route traffic even if one of the zones becomes unavailable.

That's why we’re sure that database load balancers will become even more sought-after for database migration and management.

10. Companies reaching for NoOps

Many developers consider NoOps to be the future of DevOps. With NoOps, developers don't need to bother with infrastructure provisioning and operations management. This, in turn, streamlines DevOps and automates app monitoring and optimization. The NoOps environment handles scaling and load balancing, making your application resistant to traffic surges.

What does this entail for software companies? In simple terms, NoOps reduces the manual work needed to get the project going. With a platform like Engine Yard, startups and larger enterprises will realize cost-savings and simultaneously inject energy into their infrastructure. Furthermore, these innovative solutions can monitor your operations 24x7 and improve development productivity.

Choose ScaleArc and Engine Yard for cloud migration

Businesses should deploy innovative DevOps solutions to improve delivery efficiency. The future lies in moving databases to the cloud. But how do you ensure applications remain stable and crucial data is not lost during migration?

ScaleArc can ease the transition as its database load balancing capability can allocate resources accordingly to avoid downtime during traffic spikes.

On top of that, use the Engine Yard NoOps platform to automate app monitoring and optimization. As a result, you’ll save time and money by minimizing the manual work as you deploy apps to the cloud.

Do you want to learn more about ScaleArc and Engine Yard database migration and management solutions? Feel free to contact us at DevFactory for more information!

Devops, Engine Yard