Why Using DevOps to Implement Blockchain Makes a Lot of Sense

When Bitcoin became a household name, developers and businesses alike became curious about the technology fueling the breakthrough currency. While many initially considered blockchain and the new cryptocurrency to be near-synonyms, closer inspection and a lot of coverage from industry leaders and news sources have helped to make the distinction clear. As a result, many companies are increasingly interested in using blockchain within their organizations.

DevOps consultants from Itransition argue that the development/operation approach helps companies implement blockchain less painfully and more efficiently. This strategy will make the most sense once you have a clear understanding of these two technologies and the value that they bring when combined.

The Building Blocks of Blockchain

Blockchain is being applied in new and innovative ways, but the concept itself was created a decade ago. Its core functionality is based on the idea of a distributed ledger, which stands in contrast to the traditionally centralized ledgers that businesses used on a daily basis before.

Each transaction that posts to a distributed ledger must first be authenticated by each participant in the blockchain. So the very term “blockchain” refers to the ever-growing number of records, or “blocks,” within the “chain” of transactions. A cryptographic hash is contained within each record so no record exists without the support of another, making blockchain technology an especially attractive option for any company that handles transactions that require a high degree of authentication.

Behind the scenes, a secondary verification process, involving algorithms and data mining, takes place within a matter of seconds, resulting in the approval or rejection of a transaction. If all peers in the network approve the transaction, it is posted to the shared ledger, where it remains immutable. Any new transactions are reflected in the blockchain for all the members to see, approve or reject..

Blockchain is a powerful resource for businesses that want the ease and security of a common record system to share with business partners, supply chains, and regulated markets. In addition, blockchain can be used to create a wide variety of digital assets including smarts contracts and “proof of stake.” This concept eliminates the computationally intensive mining that the current generation of blockchain algorithms must complete during the “proof of work” for each transaction.

DevOps by Any Other Name

DevOps, a combination of the words “development” and “operations,” is a term whose definition varies depending on who you ask. In the simplest terms, DevOps represents the intersection of two trends, the first of which is Agile and Lean operational processes.

Agile software development emphasizes the collaboration of everyone from customers to product managers and developers (and sometimes even QA) to quickly iterate towards the production of a better product. Agile processes, in the context of DevOps, are applied with the consideration that service delivery and the interaction of systems and apps are equally important to customers and should, therefore, be priorities for product teams.

The second trend influencing the concept of DevOps is the idea that there is value in the collaboration of development and operations teams at each implementation stage (e.g., design, development, and production). This belief has gained traction as businesses and indeed the world in general has become increasingly service-oriented.

The “Ops” in DevOps encompasses a wide variety of operational staff including DBAs, network and systems engineers, and security professionals. Likewise, while “Dev” typically refers to developers, it can also include anyone involved in the development process.

Blockchain and DevOps Together

Blockchain is all about moving away from disparate internal systems towards a coordinated, decentralized data-centric ecosystem. It results in more streamlined and cost-efficient business processes that can also stand as the foundation for a distributed network.

However, the strength of a certain blockchain is in its decentralized structure, which implies that each member of its peer-to-peer ledger can rely on the other. If some companies in the blockchain have processes that are optimally integrated with the environment and can deliver high-quality software, but others cannot, the confidence in the system and those within it begins to breaks down. Implementing blockchain with a DevOps strategy can prevent this problem.

According to Adrian Daniels, Field Solutions Architect at Chef Software, blockchain and DevOps were made for each other. Businesses that adopt DevOps must also become more efficient, more quality-conscious and more consistent in their daily operations and service production processes. These are the same requirements that an organization must adhere to if it wants to fully embrace blockchain technology.

Additionally, DevOps is necessary to successfully bring together and manage numerous stakeholders in a blockchain environment, which by its very nature requires that multiple members cooperate throughout and across organizations. In short, blockchain and DevOps ideally suit one another in a comprehensive business strategy.

The Future of Blockchain and DevOps

While it’s impossible to say precisely how blockchain and DevOps will influence one another ten or twenty years from now, it’s clear that they will continue to have a strong impact on each other for at least the foreseeable future.

Brian Behlendorf, Executive Director of the Hyperledger Project, believes that soon nearly every Fortune 500 company will be using blockchain as well as smart contracts for transaction processing and authentication. Having seen a marked increase in the number of developers attending his company’s events and meetups, he also thinks that it is developers who will play a key role in determining the speed and scale of blockchain adoption.

He notes that developers are in the unique position of determining the value of implementing blockchain (both financially and operationally). This value will depend on how well blockchain fits into existing systems of governance, business relationships and legacy transactional networks in use by their companies.

Likewise, blockchain applications and overall attractiveness will only be increasing as more businesses realize the technology’s potential beyond cryptocurrency and its power to disrupt and improve enterprise structures without necessarily requiring a complete overhaul of current systems.

Conclusion

Individually, blockchain and DevOps offer tangible and quantifiable value for just about any business. Together, they form a highly advanced business solution that can revolutionize services, operations and collaborations.

How can your business benefit from the combined power of blockchain and DevOps?

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