Total NoOps, the notion of achieving completely automated IT processes that do not require human involvement – could not be realized however is it desirable? This article will explain the way NoOps operates in addition to its advantages and disadvantages.
NoOps, a short form for no operations can be described as an IT environment in which many of the processes required to control, optimize and secure IT applications and services can be automated or abstracted or carried out by a different person than a traditional central operations unit. NoOps is a vague concept that has different vendors, analysts and clients using it to define varying levels of automation as well as it is a broad term that covers the IT components it is applied to, and what organizations are given the IT operations tasks.
According to Paul Nashawaty, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, NoOps is “full automation, and abstracting the infrastructure layer, rendering it unnoticeable and eliminates the requirement for an operations as well as an infrastructure department to oversee it. This means that you don’t require any human capital to run the infrastructure itself since it’s fully automated, and tedious tasks completely removed.” According to Nashawaty, only 10% of companies are at this stage of complete automation.
NoOps could refer to that the shift responsibility for IT operation responsibility over to an internal department or DevOps team, as well an external service provider, like a public cloud provider, according to Roy Illsley, chief analyst of IT operations and ecosystems at market research firm Omdia.
This model does not mean that “you do have an operations department” states Nashawaty. “It’s simply transferred to a cloud service.” Nashawaty prefers to consider NoOps being “a self-service model in which the citizens developers, or the business unit, are able to offer the resources they need without the need to contact the operations division.” These uncertainties make NoOps a controversial concept that could cause some rage or even resistance from those in the operations field who fear that it could jeopardize their job.
NoOps could be viewed as the outcome of the automation based on policies that is achieved through projects that focus on other aspects of IT infrastructure, like DataOps, AIOps and DevSecOps. Although some vendors or customers claim to have succeeded, others claim that NoOps which is an entirely computerized IT environment that doesn’t require human intervention – is not possible or unattainable.
Others say NoOps could mean lessening the central IT department, and transferring more of the responsibilities locally-based business groups or teams that manage IT operations, as well as the development and protection of the services and applications they consider most important.
What’s the process behind NoOps?
NoOps is built on automated, automated processes driven by IT or business-related situations to ensure that apps and services function efficiently, effectively and safely at the lowest cost.
The creation of highly automated IT infrastructure “encompasses microservices, APIs for various types of infrastructure and also automation that is built into the whole,” says Forrester. The implementation in the form of code infrastructure (through tools like scripts to automate system administration and configuration) blurs the distinction between infrastructure and application. This could also mean automatic self-healing of the application’s environment.
NoOps should be based on DevOps principles , such as changing changes in small and frequent increments, rather than collecting changes to deploy within a set timeframe and restricting accessibility to commands which allow human beings to alter the configuration of systems, suggests Forrester. Also, it recommends testing, monitoring and analyzing the performance of IT infrastructure components regularly and avoiding custom configurations for systems that are challenging to automate.
Furthermore, Forrester recommends pairing sense-and-adapt automation with advanced analytics in order to find out if something is not working quickly, as well as tracking the effects of automated processes and changing the actions as required. “The final thing you’d like to do is to fire off an untested automation tool and forget about it” According to Forrester. Be aware of its actions and the results and “[u]se this information to enhance the technology.”
What are the advantages of NoOps?
In the event that it’s implemented NoOps will not only cut IT management costs, but also allows businesses to react more quickly and efficiently to evolving needs by delivering new products and services to market faster and more effectively. The process of automating and outsourcing IT operations can make it easier for personnel to focus on more valuable tasks such as the creation of new services and applications.
This greater flexibility for IT personnel is among the main advantages of NoOps. It can be seen in the hiring habits of companies according to Nashawaty. An earlier ESG survey revealed that over the coming year more than two-thirds respondents intend to recruit IT generalists, who are utilized to fulfill various requirements of business rather than experts in particular domains of IT.
What are the drawbacks of NoOps?
The biggest obstacle to complete automation of the IT administration that is required for NoOps as per the 2021 Forrester Research report, are organizations that have cultures that limit the risks that come with the introduction of new technology for managing IT and the failure of previous attempts to change the IT process.
Companies can also fail due to automating inefficient processes as well as “mass producing” mistakes by constructing inadequate scripts to control the configuration of thousands or hundreds of servers and various infrastructure elements, according to In the Forrester report.
“If you don’t have the right rules to use AI it is possible to create errors in the automation process,” says Nashawaty. “If you’re using machine-learning or AI to run processes without human intervention,” the business lacks information about how these rules are being implemented or if they require to be changed.
Certain fears about job loss that are caused by NoOps might be legitimate. Forrester forecasts that one third of infrastructure and operation (I&O) job opportunities will be gone and one-third of the current employees are “passionate advocates of change, who are willing to create and automate themselves to create new and better jobs” another group who will sit and watch what the other group does as well as a third group that won’t be able acquire the new skills needed in the NoOps environment, or will not change and who will eventually be forced to leave the company.
“The major drawback is that when you stop using these capabilities, you’re likely to not be able to get them back,” says Illsley, who believes that instead of trying to eliminate the IT operations aspect, think of it as an inevitable cost of business even in the event that it doesn’t distinguish the company from its rivals.
What are examples for NoOps tools?
Any IT monitoring, management or automation technology could be considered as an example of NoOps. Some of the tools that are required to support NoOps as Nashawaty explains, are those that offer versions control for code managing and orchestration of containers microservices, cloud platforms and cloud platforms as well as monitoring the performance of applications and automated configuration of infrastructure and testing.
Some of the most popular products mentioned by analysts include:
The software from Progress Software is Chef Automate, which the company claims offers an analytics and dashboards for the enterprise, “enabling cross-team collaboration with useful insights into compliance and configuration as well as the ability to audit history any changes made to the environment.” Chef Automate presents information from Chef to allow for observability of the configuration, security, and compliance.
Digital workflow tools, such as the ones from ServiceNow which help you find potential problems and then resolve them automatically or send them (with the data needed to fix the issue) to the right personnel. ServiceNow’s drag and drop interface allows companies to automatize everything from solving password issues as well as running configuration programs.
Puppet Enterprise is a system administrator’s tool that allows them automation of repetitive work, regularly provide new systems, rapidly deploy crucial applications, and to proactively and iteratively manage their infrastructure. It can be used with various operating systems and cloud environments. It also allows automatic restoration of components in applications to the desired state.
It is Red Hat’s Ansible automation platform includes open-source software provisioning tools for deployment, configuration and configuration which work in conjunction together with monitoring, observability and workflow platforms to streamline IT processes. Red Hat claims Ansible can manage software-defined, physical networks, as and cloud-based networks. manage and automate Kubernetes-based clusters; run containerized applications at a large scale; manage security systems; and also provide cloud-based cloud-based instances, networks, and infrastructure.
VMware’s SaltStack Config vRealize Automation is a tool that automates and orchestrates optimization of infrastructure and security. It is able to “create an easy human-readable infrastructure in code,” configure and control operating systems, and automately implement desired state as per VMware.
It is the Dynatrace Software Intelligence Platform, which offers capabilities ranging from monitoring of infrastructure to cloud automation , to vulnerability detection during run-time. It promises to offer not just metrics, logs, and tracks as well as a complete topological model, code-level details as well as user experience and behavioral information.
Conclusion
If the goal for “total NoOps” is achievable or even desirable, the implementation of NoOps techniques and principles can allow you to concentrate more on your company and your customers, rather than your IT infrastructure. It will also allow you to speed up the development and availability of new applications and services that meet the latest demands of your business.
“While the majority of I&O professionals are wringing their hands over the notion that operations will one day be so automated that they no longer require these services,” states Forrester In fully-automated settings “someone has to manage models, resources, and optimize” infrastructure in code.
