ITIL vs DevOps: Which is Better and When?

The IT industry is split into two opinions about which one is better- DevOps and ITIL, and those opinions about the two IT approaches tend to pit one against the other. In an ITIL vs DevOps comparison, for many IT organizations, ITIL is indispensable for governance and regulatory compliance and includes the IT best practices to align with an organization's priorities. DevOps is essentially based on the philosophy of continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD). From the point of view of DevOps, it is at odds with the highly structured methodology of ITIL.

While DevOps offers a perspective on handling a challenge faced by the development and operations team, ITIL presents a more structured system of IT service management (ITSM) that can be aligned to fit the business's priorities.  In this article, we have put together the concepts of DevOps and ITIL and how you can use these two methodologies to complement each other.

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What is DevOps? 

DevOps has tools and methodologies which focus on improving software development by following the principle of continuous integration/continuous development along with continual monitoring providing a real-time image of the total infrastructure. It basically provides a software development environment encompassing Development and Operations teams into all aspects of IT. This approach works well for a goal-oriented business that needs collaboration of internal units as it provides a better work environment than using a traditional methodology. Instead of specialized groups focusing on different aspects of software development, DevOps allows the integration of the teams holistically and lets individuals adjust their working processes according to the needs of the business.

DevOps is more about modifying core practices than being cross-training. To sum it up, DevOps is an entirely novel mindset that requires a cultural shift within the business. Bringing Operations and Development teams together, you will create an environment of collaboration and high-quality product delivery at scale. 

What is ITIL?

ITIL is the most widely acknowledged framework for information technology service management (ITSM) in the world. It provides highly structured ITSM best practices and is designed to improve efficiency and provide statistics for IT operations. Apart from proven best practices, the guidelines of ITIL provide tried-and-true processes, ranging from incident management, problem management to change management.

As ITIL is central to maintaining an organizations’ IT infrastructure, it has spurred the demand for certified professionals in the field. It is a great idea to start your career in ITIL with an ITIL 4 Foundation Certification. It will boost your confidence and salary while validating your knowledge and skills.  

Misconceptions About DevOps vs. ITIL

As with any technology or framework, people often develop their own ideas about what it is and what it is not. This created some myths around the systems as well. Let’s explore some of these myths created by an ITIL vs DevOps comparison and dispel them as we go. 

1. ITIL is replaceable by DevOps

This most common misconception, which is most certainly not true, is that DevOps can replace ITIL. While many IT organizations can try and move away from the ITIL framework, they still have to use some aspects of its service management, such as operations, costing, and governance. DevOps does not give a guideline on these processes as ITIL does, it rather gives an idea that is not enough to transition entirely into DevOps.  

2. DevOps only offers CI/CD, automated delivery

The philosophy of DevOps includes continuous integration, continuous development, and automated delivery, but that is not all that it does. The idea behind DevOps integration is about moving away from old work structure and coming together to share the same goal with mutual respect and collaboration. 

3. ITIL is documentation-oriented at every step, slowing the development process

The ITIL framework is anything but a set of rules to work by. It offers guidelines that are open to interpret. ITIL can provide us with an understanding of complex IT processes that most organizations have to manage and give us a reference for making a decision in case we run into a roadblock and are looking for help. ITIL is supposed to be used as a context, not as a rulebook of sorts.

4. ITIL/ITSM works only in big organization

True that big organizations have implemented and benefited from the methodology of ITIL but that does not mean small scale organizations cannot or will not benefit from the ITIL framework guidelines. Organizations irrespective of their scale need to know and learn how to manage various IT service management processes such as incident management, operations, knowledge management, along with other such process management which ITIL framework helps in. No business can run without organizing its employees, no matter how spontaneously they might work or how their yield may be. Otherwise, a single incident outage can be a huge setback for them.  

Use Cases for DevOps and ITIL

The list of use cases for DevOps and ITIL is pretty much unending. We have gathered a few examples where you can see the best of both worlds and how in some situations, one may require both approaches to reach the best solution.

1. Speed up product delivery using DevOps

DevOps is synonymous with speedy, automated delivery of software products. It also provides risk management benefits. Delivering small, regular products is faster to accomplish, and in case of an incident, can be rolled back in for resolving.

2. Reduce IT help desk load using ITSM

Using the knowledge management of ITSM best practices, the IT team can become efficient in tending to issue as well as documenting them simultaneously. This reduces the workload on the IT help desk by providing clients with self-service options that can potentially deal with their issues. This comes especially handy in instances like password resets, autosaving a ticket until human intervention is possible, bill payments, redirecting users to potentially helpful steps they can action, etc. 

3. Manage and prevent incidents with both DevOps and ITIL

With the proven best practices of ITIL combined with automating review processes of DevOps, the one who will build software will be responsible for providing solutions in case of an incident. This responsibility will result in fewer cases of incidents by identifying real and possible causes for incidents and working around familiar errors.

4. Cultural shift with DevOps

With the DevOps approach, software developers can be transparent if they make a mistake without fear of losing their jobs. One of the biggest changes DevOps brings is the blameless culture at work, taking a "you built it, you fix it" approach which reduces operating time on an incident without having to go through a chain of persons to figure out whose mistake resulted in an incident.

5. Provide clear ideas to customers with ITIL

Service level agreements (SLAs) are an important best practice of ITIL which provides a clear-cut outline of what was promised to be delivered and what wasn't. This helps reduce customer complaints and avoid confusion.  

6. Optimization of processes using ITIL and DevOps

ITIL is the holy grail of IT processes. It has been around for decades in the IT industry and has constantly evolved with the needs of IT businesses. Starting from square one, while ITIL can provide proven tried-and-tested processes, DevOps can help in improvisation and improvements along the way with continuous integration and development, blameless work environment, automation, collaborative work culture, etc.   

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Can ITIL & DevOps be Used Together?

Top-performing IT companies will agree that they need both tools of DevOps and ITIL processes. DevOps promotes automated development, a collaborative and blameless work culture- it provides a safe space for software developers to come together and put their best foot forward to work towards a common goal. ITIL doesn't necessarily slow down development processes, the best practices are proven methods in the IT industry which has been around for a very long time.  

Even though it might seem that DevOps principles clash directly with the more structured principles of ITIL, DevOps does have the ability to develop around the tried-and-true ITIL best practice and strengthen the structure together to provide better business outcomes. Businesses can begin this integration by listing out key ITIL processes they would need right now, and by pinpointing where complications may arise. Any point of gaps or weaknesses can be a starting point for integrating DevOps.

The cultural shift that DevOps brings in terms of better collaboration between development and operations teams can further expand the transparency of vital data. Close cooperation of teams will most definitely benefit the software development lifecycle by reducing misunderstandings and improving workflows.

To look at it from the lens of the ITIL framework, its well-understood processes and principles can help develop and improve the DevOps mindset. ITIL can help provide a spectrum of approaches to follow while DevOps continues to evolve in the IT business space.

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DevOps Has a Long Way to Grow

ITIL processes provide highly structured guidelines focusing on standardization and metrics, while DevOps adds in the human element by promoting collaborative effort. Both methodologies have something to offer. With ITIL being a proven best practice, DevOps still has a lot to evolve.