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Some presenters use analogies to clarify a certain technology, e.g. Pizza as a Service 2.0 that explains the differences between different as-a-Service (aaS) stacks.

enter image description here

Advantages of this Pizza analogy is that it consists of multiple analogies, i.e. runtime aka pizza and homemade aka legacy.

When one Googles "DevOps analogy", various images are shown, but not of them is very catchy.

Definition of "fetching"

  1. Show the image in a presentation
  2. Talk 30 seconds about it
  3. During the elevator pitch more and more people understand DevOps and it is completely clear by them.
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  • DevOps has many target groups; I think it's easier to focus on that to find an image. Who is your audience and what would happen in case the elevator pitch is successful?
    – Ta Mu
    Apr 27, 2018 at 10:57
  • Most of them are junior developers that are silo minded, i.e. only want to develop without thanking the responsibility of running the apps in production. @PeterMuryshkin How many target groups exist in this context according to you?
    – 030
    Apr 27, 2018 at 10:59
  • So for target groups I'd say, one for each silo / roles around each segment of the DevOps Toolchain? Management, business users, devs, testers, ops..
    – Ta Mu
    Apr 27, 2018 at 11:13

7 Answers 7

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DevOps is the Industrialization of IT

enter image description here

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  • The left picture represents a car that was handmade?
    – 030
    Apr 27, 2018 at 12:03
  • exactly, it will also have some issues moving around :)
    – oryades
    Apr 27, 2018 at 12:36
  • Great. Now I see it. Perhaps you could add some additional description in the answer?
    – 030
    Apr 27, 2018 at 12:57
  • 2
    On the other hand the picture on the right represents a car that will have no problems moving around, as long as it stays on the assembly line. Otherwise some wheels might be needed...
    – Jiri Klouda
    Apr 27, 2018 at 14:26
  • 1
    regarding the right part of the picture, I think DevOps toolchain is the engineering approach to undestand and build delivery pipelines to automate, test and delivery software solutions. Aka Industrial Revolution 2.0... sigspl.org/2015/10/14/…
    – Ta Mu
    Apr 28, 2018 at 9:20
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The most prominent DevOps analogy I can think of is the Pet vs. Cattle analogy on disposable infrastructure. Although, I would argue that is less about the fetching that is associated with the image, and more about how easy it is to understand and relate to.

enter image description here

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    Cattle vs Pets is mainly an ops things, it doesn't require a devops organization or mindset. The hint being it only talks about infrastructure and never about the apps running on it.
    – Tensibai
    Apr 28, 2018 at 12:22
  • @Tensibai What is your favourite analogy?
    – 030
    Apr 29, 2018 at 15:36
  • It's a cute idea but falls flat on its face as soon as you introduce persistence. You better hope that your company didn't drink the DevOps kool-aid and that the payroll system is a pet!
    – Gaius
    Apr 29, 2018 at 16:49
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Mostly for devs but knowledgeable to others with the "disaster girl" meme: "Works on my machine.. Ops problem now!" This illustrates that lack of responsibility can endanger the whole company, and the value of software working only in a specific environment is not absolute.

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Also, the matrix of hell. Adding Docker might seem as one column more, but containers will become to-go technology and the standard architecture on long term. So, you can run Docker containers also with Kubernetes or Apache Mesos.

enter image description here

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  • Could you add images?
    – 030
    Apr 27, 2018 at 11:36
  • I will asap, from mobile seems not to work properly.
    – Ta Mu
    Apr 27, 2018 at 12:38
  • Excellent +1. Could you add a small explanation to each of the images, i.e. why are these DevOps analogies?
    – 030
    Apr 28, 2018 at 7:26
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    To be honest these images rather illustrate motivation for DevOps than DevOps itself; so now I am bot sure how well this addresses your actual question to "depicture" DevOps
    – Ta Mu
    Apr 28, 2018 at 8:25
  • Apart from that, the first picture is definitely helpful to describe "Why DevOps" in my presentation.
    – 030
    Apr 29, 2018 at 15:55
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Another one that I like is this one from this website https://devrant.com/search?term=devops

enter image description here

as I have heard it multiple times and it frustrates me because it is silo behavior and anti devops. I basically want to enforce it, when you change it you have to release or when you break it you fix it. In practice it is not that simple as a mindset has to be changed.

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Another analogy was found here https://devrant.com/search?term=devops

I think that this on is also applicable as there are still developers that continue throwing things over the wall.

enter image description here

I have to admit that I feel like this and that this encourages me to learn programming. I am now learning Java and want to get certificates. I am now studying for Java Oracle associate.

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Based on a suggestion in one of the comments to one of the answers by @PeterMuryshkin I read more about Industry4.0 and I think it could be an DevOps analogy.

Another DevOps analogy could be industry 4.0:

Industry 4.0 is a name for the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of things, cloud computing and cognitive computing. Industry 4.0 is commonly referred to as the fourth industrial revolution.

enter image description here

In order to introduce industry 1.0 the functional process, i.e. how to produce coton manually has to be clear in order to automate this, 2.0 automated more and 3.0 as well. Nowadays DevOps is also about automating more and more, but in order to do that the process should be clear as well. As 4.0 is about moving to the cloud, e.g. AWS, GCP, AWS, CI/CD and self-healing systems this could be an analogy too.

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  • Also, I think the real 4.0 industry ain't work without DevOps.
    – Ta Mu
    Apr 30, 2018 at 4:40
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DevOps could also be compared with a commando squad, that consists of a small number of specialists. I always have to think about the first level of Commandos 1 behind enemy lines. There were three characters:

  • marine
  • driver
  • green beret

Each of them possesses unique qualities, i.e. diving, swimming, rowing (marine), diver (machine gun, driving), green beret (climbing, carrying barrels).

All of them were able to take out enemies aka automation in DevOps. Whether Operations could be compared with the marine, driver of green beret does not matter. Operation, Development and Quality Assurance all have their specialties. Combining these elements is essential to release software more often.

If for example one of the commandos died in the game, the game was over. All of them had to work together in order to accomplish a mission. I can remember that each of the commandos were isolated in the beginning of level 1 and had to take out enemies themselves, but they were dependent on each other as well.

The marine was required to bring both the driver and the green beret to the other island as he was the only one that could row the boot. Once on the island the Green beret was needed as he was the only one that could move explosive barrels that were required to blow up the radio station.

When they were working together there was a higher chance that they could survive as three shots were needed to take out an enemy. If they shoot together the enemy was taken out immediately.

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