devopsy.kinsta.cloud

Author: Andrew Manby

  • How Low-Code Makes DevOps Stronger

    How Low-Code Makes DevOps Stronger

    While its roots can be traced back to rapid-application development (RAD), low-code application development started to gain serious momentum about three years ago. Initially, some in the DevOps community dismissed the trend, even as myriad approaches—from no-code to low-code for professional developers—started to enter the market.

    At the time, enterprises of all sizes had embraced agile software development processes, moving to cloud infrastructure for some critical workloads and using test automation tools widely. DevOps emerged as an essential discipline, and it was assumed that its dominance would overshadow low-code.

    Fast forward to 2021, Gartner predicts that the low-code development market will increase by 22.6%, to a total of $13.8 billion in one year, so it’s clear that the obituary for low-code was premature. The growth of the low-code market hasn’t restricted growth of DevOps, either. Thousands of medium to large enterprises either are already adopting or planning to adopt low-code for professional development, and DevOps’s growth continues. Low-code platforms for professional development haven’t replaced the DevOps model; instead it places an emphasis on a robust software development life cycle working with the business and IT to increase the velocity of transformational digital experiences.

    The Need for Speed

    During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations were compelled to accelerate their digital innovation to adapt their business activities to the new normal, or find new ways to compete against more nimble competitors to stay afloat. To enable delivery of their services to suddenly distributed customers and employees, they began to switch to low-code development platforms to deliver solutions faster.

    Low-code software is easy customizable, can fit any organizational needs, doesn’t require in-depth coding skills and speeds up development. Low-code platforms feature a host of pre-made tools to develop an app in a matter of hours instead of weeks or months.

    Some low-code development platforms feature integrated DevOps services and automated testing capabilities. Cutting edge platforms use AI to generate test cases to be executed on the cloud as part of the continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline). While these platforms It don’t replace developers, they can help to automate their work so they can focus their time on new features and big ideas, rather than on coding repetitive but essential tests, or on figuring out the back end complexities.

    A Confidence Booster

    With a low-code platform, DevOps teams get automated tools for testing, deployment, security, data management — all of the back end development necessities — plus front end and design capabilities. This is a very different set of skills and expertise, but using low-code platforms to simplify development processes allows almost any developer to work on any app through its full life cycle.

    Even if an aspiring coder from the organization’s marketing team builds an internal app, DevOps team won’t have to worry about build validation or version control, because low-code enables a continuous process.

    One small DevOps team can efficiently and confidently manage building and deploying an app from any developer. It can also deploy these apps across multiple devices — with very little upskilling of different programming languages required. Low-code platforms include pre-wired components, templates and sample apps for smart speakers, wearables, AR, PWA, native mobile and other real-world use cases.

    Strategic Focus

    Once low-code frees the organization’s DevOps teams from repetitive tasks and eases workload burdens, teams can concentrate on more complex problems, like upgrading and maintaining existing enterprise-class apps — enterprise resource planning comes to mind — or work on other high-value digital and operational strategic initiatives.

    Long Live DevOps and Low-Code!

    Low-code for professional developers is best suited for developing consumer-grade mobile and multi-experience apps. Whether an organization is trying to digitize an old process or create new ways to engage with consumers, business partners, customers or employees, low-code development helps organizations be more responsive and agile — just like a good DevOps culture. With the ever-rising demand of a digital economy and the subsequent shortage of development talent, by adopting the velocity of low-code development approaches, we can enhance the power of the developer (and the DevOps) models to meet the next business challenge.

  • Why a Low-Code Platform Should Have Pro-Code Capabilities

    Why a Low-Code Platform Should Have Pro-Code Capabilities

    If you want to build a house, you could get a lot done yourself. You could sketch out a simple design, start assembling materials, maybe even nail down some floorboards and install drywall. But to make it truly functional, and to respond to all the unknown fixes — big and small — that would surely arise, you want professional support to enhance and reinforce the job you’re doing. Plus, not everyone is an expert in plumbing and electric.

    The same is true of app development.

    Low-code platforms are available for both professional and less-experienced developers to build apps more quickly than ever. The speed and practicality of low-code has injected a newfound approachability to the coding process, yet can’t account for the full range of user experiences at work within the modern enterprise company of today.

    If this sounds like a takedown of low-code, it’s far from it. As an approach, low-code is transformative. And here to stay. By empowering non-coders (citizen developers), you enable development of responsive web apps using visual tools and pre-built components and save precious development and IT resources.

    Low-code can free IT departments from a constant onslaught of demands and requests for support and create new ways to digitally advance products and services. Plus, IT leadership can be freed up to focus on the strategic needs of the business and maintaining momentum within major digital transformation initiatives. Therefore, it’s worth understanding why not all low-code platforms are the same, and how they’re viewed through the lens of the professional developer and enterprise architect.

    Using Only Low-Code Means You Can Fall Short

    The simple, unvarnished truth is that, when it comes to coding, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Things are never that simple, or easy.

    There are many crucial components to the app development process that require time, attention and expertise to succeed. The best low-code platforms support the specification of automated workflows and — this is very important — can integrate with various enterprise systems, applications and sources of data. Enterprise systems can be incredibly complex and manage multiple data sets and processes, and some can be outdated. To build enterprise apps with a low-code platform, you need to be able to connect to these systems and customize with the same nuance and security that a pro-code platform provides.

    Take, for example, the Facebook app. While it’s simple and easy to use even on a mobile phone, just imagine all the complexity that makes up the backend: data, algorithms, ad networks, moderation, reporting, etc. — all updating in real-time for billions of users. The same goes for other apps with complex backends but simple front ends, such as those used to manage health insurance companies, retailers, government agency portals, wayfinding apps for big box stores … These are just a few examples that customers of ours offer solutions for built using HCL Volt MX. HCL Volt MX allows organizations to build applications for any audience — consumers, partners and employees, across any device — native mobile, web and wearables. It also provides improved efficiency and higher developer productivity. The platform has robust services for identity, integration, orchestration, business-process automation and rules management. Paired with its low-code design environment, you can create consumer-grade apps across multiple touchpoints — fast.

    Learn more about HCL Volt MX

    Giving developers — and thus, the full enterprise app dev operation — a connected arsenal of front- and back-end tools to design and maintain a dynamic framework includes combining low-code accessibility with power tools that pro-coders expect. Hence, companies can ensure they’re not sacrificing customization, scalability and sustainability, even with the need for design velocity and speed-to-market.

    Bridge Front-End and Back-End Capabilities

    When you are deciding on your approach for delivering your next digital experience, you should have the best of low-code with a pro-code foundation that manages the complete software development life cycle on the terms that a full-stack developer expects. Meaning, you expect the platform to increase your velocity, offer rock-solid security and give you integrated DevOps and automated testing, simplified backend integration and the ability to use advanced technologies such as blockchain, augmented reality (AR) and conversational apps and more, with ease.

    Also, what happens when the application needs features or functionality not included in the pre-built building blocks? How do teams fill in the gaps that inevitably occur when connecting to existing enterprise systems? How will low-code provide the highest level of security over a full range of unique workflows and handle enterprise systems of dizzying complexity?

    In our experience, there is always a time when a full-stack developer experience can get the very most out of the low-code platform, especially when the app demands complexity in the integration and orchestration, needs to scale to millions of users and have a sticky, “pixel perfect” user experience.

    As Simple As You Want, As Expert As You Need

    Professional developers are looking for software that can boost productivity without sacrificing features that allow them to poke around and see what adjustments a given app needs to deliver a full-native mobile, web or wearable app experience. A low-code platform with pro-code support, such as HCL Volt MX, bridges gaps in the entire software development life cycle and brings the business stakeholders, digital innovators, designers and professional developers together to achieve their digital vision.

    You Get the Best of Both Development Options

    • Lightning-fast capabilities for implementing front-end experience, workflows and functions that enable the business to see how their vision comes alive.
    • A professional-grade infrastructure that can respond to the needs of the front-end features and handle the more complex integration and coding demanded by any enterprise business requirements.

    If you’re solely investing in a low-code platform to build web apps, your operation can quickly run out of steam. Being pro-developer grade means you can respond immediately to the intention of the app’s development concept, no matter the complexity and scale required — native mobile, web and wearables. After all, creating apps is never a “one-and-done” pastime; we all know it’s an iterative approach that wins the day. Make sure your low-code platform choice is pro-developer grade.

    Learn how HCL’s Volt MX provides a low-code approach that includes back-end support.