DevOps and open source are, however, functionally related in many ways. Proponents of both concepts share similar goals and adopt similar strategies.
Consider the following ways in which open source and Devops overlap or intersect:
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They prioritize flexibility. The DevOps community prefers technology and methodologies that are agile, meaning they can easily be modified, extended or replaced. Open source software is popular for a similar reason: With access to source code, anyone can customize or extend an open source program.
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They help you work in parallel. DevOps proponents often talk about the importance of working in parallel, meaning that different teams (such as developers and software testers) work on different tasks (such as coding and running QA tests) at the same time. Parallel workflows lead to faster results and allow a more efficient use of everyone’s time. Open source can also help teams work in parallel because an organization that uses open source code can focus on internal workflows while third-party open source developers work on the upstream open source software.
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They facilitate maximum collaboration. The modern incarnation of the open source movement arose from the idea that software production works best when a large, decentralized community (which Eric S. Raymond famously described as a “bazaar”) collaborates on it. DevOps is similar in that it emphasizes the importance of allowing different teams to work side-by-side, rather than leaving them in isolated silos.
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They’re good for your career. DevOps expertise and open source familiarity are both high high on the list of qualities employers look for when hiring.
So, while open source and DevOps may not appear to have much in common, they are related in key ways. It’s time to make them part of the same conversation.