Technical debt can become a coding liability that hinders software performance and slows innovation
For software developers and engineers, the lead-up to launch is a hectic time. In some cases, developer teams might make some coding shortcuts that work as short-term solutions. However, these same shortcuts, as well as other coding issues, can become long-term headaches if not addressed in a timely manner. The resulting technical debt will continue to accrue — with interest — if left unaddressed, resulting in poor software performance.
To some degree, technical debt is a normal part of the software development cycle. However, developers should take every opportunity to prevent or reduce technical debt as it occurs. If technical debt isn’t addressed, troubleshooting the consequences of that faulty code is going to take over a large portion of your dev team’s day-to-day, leaving little room for growth and innovation. If you’ve found yourself wondering how to reduce technical debt, there’s a solution in DevOps automation.
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How to Reduce Technical Debt with DevOps Automation
Use Infrastructure as Code to Codify Configurations
Establish a Strong DevOps Culture
Reduce Technical Debt with DuploCloud
Causes of Technical Debt
While taking on some technical debt can be a savvy way to work through an immediate issue, not all of it is created by choice. By understanding its root causes, you’ll be able to better understand how to reduce technical debt using DevOps automation. Among the most common sources are:
- Rushed development processes: Cramped development timelines can lead to “good enough” choices. If you’re not making plans to address potential coding issues at some point in the near future, that technical debt is going to escalate into a full-blown disaster.
- Lack of collaboration: In some cases, technical debt is the result of a lack of communication between different teams. For example, if DevOps and developers aren’t operating collaboratively or documenting their processes, the software will suffer.
- Ignorance: This most commonly happens with junior members of the team who aren’t aware of the causes and consequences of technical debt. They may not realize their workarounds only work temporarily, leaving questionable code unaddressed until it causes a visible problem.
- Feature creep: Every software developer and engineer wants their project to be the most innovative on the market. However, the resulting feature creep can make the software bloated and the code overly complex, increasing the odds of technical debt.
Get exclusive insights in our detailed guide on What is Technical Debt?
How to Reduce Technical Debt with DevOps Automation
Streamline CI/CD Pipelines
One of the key functions of DevOps automation is to provide a continuous integration/continuous deployment framework that allows dev teams to build, test, and deploy more intuitively. Because technical debt is often accrued during the implementation of new code, streamlining this process reduces the chances for human error. CI/CD works by continuously automating processes throughout the software lifecycle and, critically, testing every step of the way.
Deployment frequency is one of the most important metrics in DevOps, as a high frequency implies that your team is agile, communicative, and effective. An automated CI/CD pipeline increases deployment frequency while reducing technical debt, making it one of the most effective ways to ensure a speedy but smooth path to market. To learn more about how DevOps automation can accelerate deployment ten times over while also lowering costs throughout the standard app lifecycle, click below.
Use Infrastructure as Code to Codify Configurations
Let’s say one of your senior developers created a brilliant workaround for a software development problem. That’s great news! Next question: Can that process be repeated easily? The answer depends largely on the project’s infrastructure and whether it allows for the intuitive codifying of development patterns.
Enter Infrastructure as Code, a defining feature of DevOps automation. IaC replaces manual and error-prone processes by using programming to manage cloud-based infrastructure. Instead of having to codify code changes from scratch every time, IaC makes the process repeatable and reduces discrepancies between different environments. When implemented properly, Infrastructure as Code increases efficiency and consistency among dev teams, which decreases the risk of technical debt building up during the process.
But…IaC comes with a number of pitfalls that prevent it from being the ideal solution, especially as projects grow. Writing the initial IaC base is relatively straightforward, but maintaining it is a whole other beast. Infrastructure management is a continuous —and laborious — process, where even small changes can ripple out through thousands of lines of code. This makes multi-user self-service extremely difficult, and it doesn’t help matters that IaC management is a specialized skill that only a handful of developers actually have. Even in the best situations, IaC management can quickly become difficult to scale.
Establish a Strong DevOps Culture
The rise of cloud platforms has led to conflict between DevOps and DevSecOps teams. In some cases, these conflicts arise because one team feels that the other team is slowing down the development process or not taking security precautions seriously enough. A lack of communication between the teams can lead to errors that eventually become technical debt, and that debt eventually has to be paid off. Doing so slows down progress and creates even more friction between teams.
In addition to its other time-saving and security benefits, DevOps automation democratizes the development process and makes it easier for software teams to work together as a holistic unit. For example, DuploCloud’s no-code/low-code platform encourages developer self-service while allowing DevSecOps to focus on guardrails; this way, both teams can work in parallel without endangering each other’s progress.
Reduce Technical Debt with DuploCloud
Most developers accrue some amount of technical debt in the course of their work; the best make an effort to deal with it as it arises, rather than waiting for it to become a crisis demanding attention. If you’re wondering how to reduce technical debt on your own project without delaying launch or going over budget, DuploCloud can help. Our automated cloud infrastructure reduces reliance on tedious manual processes, streamlines CI/CD pipelines, and fosters collaboration and communication between teams. As a result, you can reach the deployment stage ten times faster, all while lowering costs by 75% during the software lifecycle. And your DevSecOps team will be happy to learn that out-of-the-box compliance controls put security at the forefront of development without slowing it down.To learn more about how DuploCloud can get you to market faster and with less technical debt, reach out and schedule a personalized demo.
