This document discusses patterns of organizational structure and adoption for enterprise DevOps teams. It describes common organizational structure patterns such as separate development and operations teams, renaming operations to DevOps, and forming combined DevOps teams. It also outlines adoption patterns like starting with small automation efforts, using the strangler pattern to transition applications to the cloud, conducting a DevOps maturity model gap analysis, and ultimately enabling DevOps self-service. The document provides examples and considerations for various DevOps organizational structures and adoption approaches in enterprises.

1. ENTERPRISE
DEVOPS PATTERNS
Enterprise DevOps: Patterns of Organizational Structure & Adoption
April 2016
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2. We are a group of passionate individuals and a software solutions leader with technology at our core.
Over time we’ve grown to incorporate an experience design practice and organizational
development capability to help our clients to build solutions loved by their customers, as well as
helping to grow and exercise the organizational muscles that embed successful innovation.
Our mission is to better humanity through software and help drive the creation of a
socially and economically just world. We bring together the most capable, driven
and passionate people. We call ourselves ‘ThoughtWorkers.’
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INTRODUCTION TO THOUGHTWORKS
Over 20
years
33
offices
14
countries
3000
people
#1 in Agile
CD

3. WHO AM I?
Lead Consultant, ThoughtWorks (Software Dev / DevOps)
Currently, member of Platform Engineering Team
(aka DevOps) for global financial institution
Experience with small, medium, large enterprises
Engineer, PO, PM, Sales Manager, CTO, COO, VP, President
Docker, Spring Cloud, MEAN Stack, CI/CD, 12-factor apps
Firsthand DevOps experiences
X

4. CLOUDAUTOMATIONCI
AZUREDOCKERPAAS
CHEFGOCDJENKINS
PUPPETANSIBLECD
DEVOPSAWSCULTURE
S
3
DEVOPS
What is DevOps?

5. WHAT IS DEVOPS?
Continuous Integration
Continuous Delivery
Test Automation
Configuration as Code
Infrastructure as Code
Platform as a Service
Infrastructure as a Service
It’s all about the Culture
It’s all about the tools
The Cloud!
Agile IT
It’s just a marketing strategy
4

6. WHAT IS DEVOPS?
A clipped compound of development and operations.
A culture, movement or practice that emphasizes the collaboration
and communication of both software developers and other
information-technology (IT) professionals, while automating the
process of software delivery and infrastructure changes.
DevOps aims at establishing a culture and environment where
building, testing, and releasing software, can happen rapidly,
frequently, and more reliably. - wikipedia
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7. ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
Enterprise DevOps: Patterns of Organizational Structure
6

8. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE PATTERNS
No DevOps
DevOps, formally known as IT/Ops
Startup Grows Up
Same Journey, Different Paths
The 3rd Wheel
Combined Forces
Drop-In DevOps
The Ivory Tower
Delivery Teams
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DevOps
IT/Ops
QA
Dev

9. We got along this far without it
Monolithic applications, legacy systems
Dev and IT/Operations are separate
Throw stuff over the wall to next team
Often involves other teams:
RM, NOC, Performance,
Security, ARB, Tools Admin
NO DEVOPS
88
IT/Ops
QA
Dev
QA
Dev

10. Rename IT/Ops to DevOps
Rename SysAdmin to DevOps Engineer
Common recruitment trick
Calling yourself a Rocket Scientist
doesn't get you to the moon
Usually an anti-pattern
DEVOPS, FORMALLY KNOWN AS IT/OPS
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DevOps
IT/Ops
9

11. STARTUP GROWS UP
With success comes responsibility
Investors, shareholders, Board of Directors
Increased regulations, security, auditable processes
Bootstrapped DevOps doesn't always scale
Mature the team or rebuild the team
Mix-in experienced resources
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DevOps

12. SAME JOURNEY, DIFFERENT PATHS
Dev and IT/Ops both undertake DevOps journey, separately
Brings both teams closer together if goals are complimentary
Anti-pattern if there is duplication of effort or conflicting goals
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DevOpsQA
Dev
IT/Ops
QA
Dev

13. THE 3RD
WHEEL
DevOps is a separate team from Dev and IT/Ops
3 types: Combined Forces, Drop-In DevOps, The Ivory Tower
Team often serves Dev, but replies on IT/Ops
Reduces the IT/Ops burden from Dev
Ownership of team can be very challenging
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DevOps
IT/Ops
QA
Dev
QA
Dev

14. Formed with resources from Dev and IT/Ops
Breaks down walls between Dev and IT/Ops
Rotate team members to keep fresh and spread knowledge
Culture conflict: agile/proactive vs. support-driven/reactive
THE 3RD
WHEEL: COMBINED FORCES
13
IT/Ops
QA
Dev
QA
Dev

15. You can't buy DevOps (well, yes, you can...)
Build with support of experienced resources (i.e. ThoughtWorks)
Set clear business objectives and transition plan
Blended team of DevOps consultants, Dev, and IT/Ops
Common in major transformations (i.e. moving to Cloud)
THE 3RD
WHEEL: DROP-IN DEVOPS
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DevOps IT/Ops
QA
Dev
QA
Dev

16. Started in isolation
Quick start, focused effort, no competing goals
Best for certain types of organizations
(highly political, strict budgeting, stalled tech)
Anti-pattern if kept in isolation to long
Negative perception by peers
No knowledge transfer
Don't start without an exit strategy
THE 3RD
WHEEL: THE IVORY TOWER
15
DevOps

17. Ideal in mature, Agile organizations
Embed DevOps resources
(often IT/Ops) on Dev teams
Blended teams own their
application into Production
Shared resource, not fully
committed to Dev teams
Don't underestimate IT/Ops
resource requirements
Helps maintain IT/Ops skills
and transfer of knowledge
DELIVERY TEAMS
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IT/Ops
IT/Ops
QA
Dev
IT/Ops
QA
Dev
IT/Ops
QA
Dev

18. ADOPTION
Enterprise DevOps: Patterns of Adoption
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19. Eating the Elephant, One Bite at a Time
Strangler Pattern
To The Cloud!
DevOps Maturity Model
Gap Analysis
DevOps Self-Service
ADOPTION PATTERNS
18
DevOps

20. EATING THE ELEPHANT, ONE BITE AT A TIME
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Identify challenges, frustrations, pain points
Start with small automation efforts
Focus on continuous, incremental improvements
Continually chip away at wall between Dev & IT/Op
Recognize and promote small successes
Quantitatively measure impact on organization

21. STRANGLER PATTERN
Named for Strangler Application pattern (Martin Fowler TW)
universal method of transformation
Choose new application, service, or business acquisition
Continue pattern until the original
organization is totally transformed
Cloud-based transitions are often good
targets for this pattern
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22. From book, Continuous Delivery (Jez Humble TW)
Perform Maturity Model Gap Analysis of organization
Or, choose to improve all
categories for a single app
Choose one category to improve
across all apps (i.e. Testing)
Visualization Tool available on GitHub
DEVOPS MATURITY MODEL GAP ANALYSIS
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23. Sign of very mature organization (‘unicorns’)
Dev can perform all tasks required to get their app
into Production without intervention by IT/OPs
All processes are automated,
documented, and readily
available to Dev
Continuous Improvement
DEVOPS SELF-SERVICE
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24. THANK YOU
Questions or suggestions:
gary.stafford@thoughtworks.com
ProgrammaticPonderings.com
@GaryStafford | LinkedIn
inspired by Pipeline Patterns