May 20, 2019

The Future of DevOps: 4 Trends Testers Need to Know

Digital Experience

There’s plenty of change on the horizon in DevOps — and some is already under way. Take a look into the crystal ball of DevOps trends to hear what’s around the corner. And see how it affects testers like yourself.

The Future of DevOps: What to Expect

When looking at the future of DevOps, we have to remember that it has come a long way. It was not too long ago that waterfall methodology was the way of the world. Now, with emerging trends like AI and machine learning, the future of DevOps will become smarter. With DevSecOps, a resurgence of security will also define the future of DevOps.

We don’t know exactly what the future of DevOps holds. But we can get an idea from emerging DevOps trends. Keep reading to learn more.

4 DevOps Trends Testers Need to Know in 2020

Keep reading to learn about DevOps trends that testers like you should be ready for in 2020.

1. Renewed Focus on Security

A new element is infiltrating DevOps: security. In the future, it will be baked into DevOps so much so that the three core elements of DevOps — development, operations, and application delivery — will expand to add one more: security.

You may be familiar with the term, DevSecOps. This philosophy is about infusing security throughout the software development lifecycle, often with static application security testing (SAST), through the use of SAST tools.

Security will no longer serve as an afterthought. Instead, security will be built into the entire DevOps process moving forward, which reduces vulnerabilities. Together with business and IT, security will finally have a seat at the DevOps table.

What this means for testers is an increase in security testing, which leads to our next point.

2. Emphasis on Non-Functional Testing

5G. AI and ML. AR and VR. IoT. Accessibility and security requirements.

With so many advancements and requirements on the horizon, testing will need to step up to meet the demands of innovation.

Reliability, UX, and performance testing will grow in importance. And with increased accessibility and security requirements, testers will need to ensure these needs are met through accessibility testing and security testing.

Take for example the accessibility requirements going into effect in 2019. With websites needing to comply with these strict requirements, testers will be at the forefront supporting the effort and ensuring their software is accessible.

And with the growing emphasis on enhanced security, more testing will need to be done to ensure that mobile and web apps are secure. With cyberattacks haunting the headlines, no organization wants to have their reputation ruined over a breach. Hence, security testing is a DevOps trend that will grow in the coming years.

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3. Microservices

Microservices are systems that are highly concentrated to focus on single functions. And because they are so lightweight, they offer the speed and agility that hulking DevOps systems lack.

Microservices are independent. When something goes wrong, they don’t break other elements. Because of this feature, microservices are desirable for teams adding new features. Because defects can be isolated and fixed before they affect anything else, microservices can help speed up delivery.

Due to their singular functions, the rise of microservices will go hand in hand with unit testing. Following unit testing, teams can also expect to conduct more integration testing to ensure these functions comply with the rest of an application.

4. Evolution of the Tester Role

It’s a brave new world for software testers and QA professionals. Two specific roles will experience the most change in the coming years:

Business testers, who focus on user stories from a manual standpoint.
Software developers, who focus on unit testing and build acceptance testing.

The DevOps trend that will affect these roles is the push towards automation. Why? Test automation significantly reduces time-consuming manual tasks. But automation often requires advanced skill sets — namely, coding.

Does this mean that ALL testers should learn to code? Not necessarily. Testers who code and automate test scripts are seen as a resource to the team, but that isn’t the only way to add value as a tester.

Take for example codeless testing tools.

Codeless testing tools meet both the business needs and testers’ needs, bridging the skill gap. They allow testers to write test scripts without knowing code. But you don’t have to lack coding skills to use these tools. Even developers can benefit from codeless testing, as it frees up time writing tests to focus on other pressing tasks.

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Remember: automation is here to stay, and it’s changing the way that software is tested.

Prepare For Future DevOps Trends With Perfecto

As DevOps continues to evolve, teams will face one more overarching trend: the scaling of continuous testing. This will present both opportunities and DevOps challenges. With more test results data, bigger source and code bases, and more functionalities to address, the future of testing relies on its ability to scale up.

Through it all, the future of DevOps is bright. Change is exciting. And there’s no shortage of it on the horizon for mobile and web app testing.

No matter what DevOps trends come your way, be ready for whatever the future holds. Prepare yourself now for scalable continuous testing. Perfecto can help you get there. With Perfecto, you can:

Accelerate by automating more tests.
Boost test coverage for fewer escaped defects.
Execute faster with scalable parallel testing.

Try the world's only end-to-end continuous testing platform for yourself. Get your free trial today.

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