Improving understanding of the DevOps framework using Essence a visual representation

Abstract

DevOps aims to achieve effective integration between software development (Dev) and system operations (Ops) through the implementation of agile practices. These practices allow for a quick response to frequent changes that arise in the development cycle for a software product. In the advancements of agile practices in DevOps, it is common to find a lack of conceptual and visual integration in the DevOps development cycle, which complicates the understanding of these practices in the various DevOps phases. In this paper, we propose a visual representation of the practices in the DevOps using Essence, a standard framework for creating, adopting, and improving best practices in software engineering.  Such a visual representation is an addition to the DevOps framework, which integrates processes, practices, principles, values, metrics and main concepts of DevOps. The proposed solution aims to enhance the understanding and impact of      practices in DevOps, providing a comprehensible vision for industry professionals. Essence serves as a structured method to encapsulate and visualize the various elements of practices, ensuring that they are accessible and easily understandable. This visual representation helps bridge the gap between theoretical      concepts and their practical application in a DevOps environment. By doing so, it facilitates better communication and collaboration among team members, leading to more efficient and streamlined operations. The results indicated the understandability and clarity of the representation of practices in the DevOps lifecycle, making it a useful tool for industry professionals seeking to optimize their DevOps workflows.