DevOps is the application transporter.

DevOps is a lot like trying to build and operate a Star Trek transporter. The primary DevOps goal is to create a process and tools that can deconstruct a modern enterprise application on the development side of the universe and transport it over into the operations side of the universe. The application has to remain intact and ready to run when it gets there — reliably and on demand, as required.

As with a transporter, what seems simple on the surface is far easier said than done. When moving an application, like when moving a human, you have to make sure that you get all the pieces and that they arrive on the other side in the right configuration. Forget to move anything or reassemble the components in the wrong orientation and the application won’t function as designed.

DevOps is maturing over time and becoming more reliable, thanks in part to cloud computing. The pairing of the two technologies allows us to better capture the total essence of an application and thus transport it into production with greater reliability. Here’s why.