DevOps is a portmanteau (blending of two words) of ‘development‘ and ‘operations‘. It is the processes put into effect to improve the performance of the organization by delivering the applications fast and effectively. It differs from the traditional software development processes, shortening the regular software development life cycle. DevOps clubs all the tools and philosophies that automate and integrate the development process and the IT teams. It is not a coding language or a software application. Rather, it is a methodology combining all of the processes. However, coding, scripting, etc. are important skill sets to be possessed by a DevOps Engineer.
DevOps depends mainly on effective tools. Tools are an integral part that helps the different teams to coordinate and complete the work at the required speed and quality. They help in automation of the manual tasks and handle complex problems. The four key elements include planning, automated testing, automating deployment, and tying it all together.
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7 Best DevOps Books For Beginners in 2024
The Internet might be a great resource for any topic named. However, books provide us with a consolidated version, that is the author compiles the required content for oneself to get a vast knowledge of the DevOps concepts. We have analyzed and presented to you the top 7 books recommended for the study of DevOps methodologies. It is suited for beginners and experienced as well. Let’s explore 7 top picks curated for various learning styles and goals:
1. The DevOps Handbook
The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability & Security in Technology Organizations, written by Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, and John Willis, was published by IT Revolution Press in 2016.
This book is the top recommended as it helps in increasing profitability and productivity goals. It elevates the work culture, through various DevOps practices. It discusses in detail the three ways- The Principles of Flow, The Principles of Feedback, and The Principles of Continual Learning and Experimentation.
The DevOps Handbook guides you on where to start and how to start, for instance, the author(s) begin with the selection of a value stream. The First Way analyzes all the automation and risks. The Second-way briefs on the creation and analysis of Telemetry. Integration of various processes and coordinating them could be learned ease with it. The book also deals with management and other security-related controls. Thus, the book covers most concepts, it is easy to understand for all levels of a DevOps Engineer.
2. Effective DevOps: Building a Culture of Collaboration, Affinity, and Tooling at Scale
Effective DevOps: Building a Culture of Collaboration, Affinity, and Tooling at Scale by Jennifer Davis and Ryn Daniels was also released in 2016. It was published by O’Reilly Media, Inc.
The book can be described as a practical guide to several approaches for improving collaboration within teams. The book begins with a brief introduction to what DevOps is. It brings in a lot of case studies for you to understand the concepts better. It discusses in detail the foundational terminologies and concepts of both software development methodologies (Say, agile, waterfall, scrum, etc.) and Operational methodologies such as ITIL, COBIT, etc. System methodologies and deployment concepts are also covered.
The author(s) also deal with the anti-patterns and misconceptions. Collaboration, Affinity, Tools, and Scaling are mentioned to be the four pillars of DevOps which are further discussed in detail in each unit. The separate units contain the overview, individual and team culture, misconception, and troubleshooting of all four pillars. Later the concept of bridging DevOps Culture is described with acute clarity. This book is also strongly recommended in order to know all the aspects of DevOps.
3. The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping your Business Win by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford, published by IT Revolution in 2018.
This book gives a different perspective on the IT field. If you are a business and IT executive struggling, do add this book to your library in order to cope with the growing complexity of the field. The author(s) has compiled the book with various good theories that contribute valuable points that helps with business application and time management.
The book does not deal with any technical content, details, or tools, instead, it just covers the ‘systems thinking’ approach. It also compares and delivers the parallels of IT work with factory work. The book is set up in a story format that makes the readers enjoy and understand the concepts with ease. In a lot of cases, scenarios that often occur are discussed so that everyone can relate to them and act accordingly. This book is great for beginners.
4. Accelerate: Building and Scaling High-Performing Technology Organizations
Accelerate: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, and Gene Kim was released in 2018. It was published by IT Revolution Press.
It is said that after four years of research, the authors found a way to measure software delivery performances. This book basically provides the users with the details of the research, procedures, and science underlying. The book has in it three parts that are to measure, research, and transformation. The four metrics followed are Cycle time, Deployment Frequency, Change Failure Rate (CFR), and Mean Time To Recovery (MTTR). Better the metrics, the better the profitability, market share, and customer satisfaction. Thus the book is a completely data-driven discussion.
The Science being explained gives the readers a better understanding. To summarize, there are a few practices that are mentioned to improve Software Delivery Performance. It includes continuous delivery, security, infrastructure-as-a-code, experimentation, transformational leadership, etc. Further, many such practices are discussed in detail in the book.
5. The DevOps Adoption Playbook: A Guide to Adopting DevOps in a Multi-Speed IT Enterprise
The DevOps Adoption Playbook: A Guide to Adopting DevOps in a Multi-Speed IT Enterprise by Sanjeev Sharma was released in 2017. It was published by Wiley.
This book is said to break all of the myths on DevOps and provide practical and actionable guidance on implementing the same. It deals with the challenges at an enterprise level. The chapters begin with an overview of DevOps describing its origin, roots, practices, and culture. It then proceeds with how DevOps is adopted, developing a business case for the transformation which deals with various resources, activities, structure, and partnerships. Delivery Pipeline Automation and Driving Innovations are core themes dealt with in brief.
As the book focuses on enterprise-level scaling, there is a separate chapter that deals with the related themes (Standardization, security, team models, outsourcing, etc.). The book also provides with case study building an organizational structure, roadmap, and adoption. Thus if you are someone looking out to expand your organization or built it on a large scale, The DevOps Adoption Playbook is a ‘must read’.
6. The Unicorn Project: A Novel about Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of Data
The Unicorn Project: A Novel about Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of Data by Gene Kim was released in 2019. It was published by IT Revolution.
This book was a highly anticipated follow-up to The Phoenix Project. In this part, Gene Kim has dealt with the perspective of software development. Just like the Phoenix Project, it deals with the story of the concept based on Maxine, a senior lead developer, and architect. This book conveys the various system approaches to solving various problems rather than describing the technical tools, measures, and practices. The Unicorn Project deals with making invisible but required structures available to the developers.
It also discusses the terrible effects of technical debt and complexity. Though Phoenix and Unicorn Project are said to be sequels, they are also stand-alone books that can be read separately.
7. The Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation
The Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation by David Farley, Jez Humble were released long back in 2010. It was published by Addison-Wesley Professional and is probably one of the earliest DevOps books.
This book provides foundations for a rapid, reliable, low-risk delivery process. State-of-the-art techniques are introduced. Foundations, the deployment pipeline, and the delivery ecosystem are the three major parts of the book. The book conveys in detail the automation of building, integrating, testing, and deploying the software. This is a standard book that can develop and deliver the business rapidly and reliably.
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Conclusion
Hope this article was helpful in providing you with an overview of the various DevOps books for DevOps Engineering. They are a great resource that can help you improve your business by delivering the software with high quality and at a faster rate. All these books are powerful source that gives a clear understanding of how the developing and operations teams can coordinate and work together in order to deliver the required output rapidly.
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