DevOps Tutorial: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners in 2025

The Grand View Research study forecasts that the DevOps market will reach US$12.85 billion by 2025. According to the rankings of Glassdoor 50 Best Jobs in America for 2021, DevOps engineer stands in the 5th position. “The role of DevOps Engineer has seen a 225% jump in postings on Indeed,” according to an SD Times report. According to Indeed and AngelList, 80% of the companies pay more than $90,000 starting salary to a DevOps Engineer. Also, 35% pay at least $115,000, and 17% pay more than $125,000. So this blog on DevOps Tutorial will be helpful in covering all the major concepts of DevOps.  

What is DevOps?

The word DevOps is a combination of two words Development and Operations. Before getting into what DevOps is, let us get an idea about the two teams involved in software development. The development team is responsible for developing, designing, and building the application. The operation team deals with the deployment and testing of the application. If there are problems with the application, the operation team also provides feedback to the development team. Now let us get to the history of DevOps.

Principal Advantages:

• Quicker updates and releases of software
• Enhanced cooperation among groups
• Early problem identification through ongoing observation
• Improved security using DevSecOps techniques

Increased stability and scalability in production settings

DevOps is used by companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Google to ship code hundreds of times a day, guaranteeing uptime and quick innovation

History of DevOps

Let us see some important events of DevOps :

2007-2008: The DevOps idea was started

2009: In the initial stage the first conference was ” Deploys a day: Dev and Ops cooperation of flicker.”  Another conference called “DevOps Days in Ghent, Belgium” also happened.

2010:DevOps days conference happened in the United States at mount view, calif.

2012: Allana browns at puppet creates a state of DevOps report

2014: Publishing the annual “State of DevOps report”

2017: Forrester Research calls 2017 “The Year of DevOps”

2018: 30 DevOps day conferences were scheduled across the united states.

DevOps Lifecycle: An Overview of the Phases

The various stages of the DevOps lifecycle are all intended to produce software consistently and dependably:

1. Activities for Continuous Development: Coding, Planning

Tools: Visual Studio Code, Jira, Confluence, and Git

Objective: Facilitate regular code updates and teamwork

2. Activities related to Continuous Integration (CI): Combining code from various developers into a single repository

Tools: GitLab CI, Jenkins, and GitHub Actions

Objective: Automate builds and identify integration problems early.

3. Continuous Testing Practices: Automated UI, integration, and unit testing

Tools: TestNG, JUnit, and Selenium

Objective: Reduce manual QA effort and identify bugs early.

4. Continuous Deployment Tasks: Automatically send code to staging or production

Tools: AWS CodeDeploy, Ansible, Docker, and Kubernetes

Objective: Continually and quickly release new features

5. Ongoing Monitoring Tasks: Keep an eye on infrastructure health and app performance.

Tools: ELK Stack, Grafana, Nagios, and Prometheus

Objective: Guarantee system performance and dependability after deployment

6. Ongoing Feedback Activities: Compile logs and user feedback

Tools: ServiceNow, Splunk, and Jira

Objective: Enhance software using system and end-user insights 

Why did we need DevOps?

As we know about the problems faced in traditional models like in the waterfall model, there is a problem of a one-way stream of work, due to which if there is any mistake, the whole process repeats, and there is no interaction with customers. Now, this is solved in agile by splitting the whole development plan into several iterations for better production efficiency.  The agile model also includes customer interaction with the company to rectify mistakes. But there is another problem faced in Agile too.

Here, the problem arises when the development team continuously changes the code for better performance and sends the code to the operations team for testing. But there may be a delay in the operations team feedback in situations like if the developers sent code for review at night but due to the unavailability of the operations team, there will be a delay in the project feedback.

So, DevOps is the solution to this problem. DevOps is a practice or a methodology in which the development and operations teams work together by including automation at the initial stages. So they can work on rapidly changing systems, fix bugs, and help to deliver a good quality of software in time.

As DevOps practices continue to evolve, many organizations are transitioning from SVN (Subversion) to Git to enable faster development cycles, better branching strategies, and improved CI/CD integration. However, migrating a large SVN repository (1.4TB or more) into Git can be a challenging process that requires careful planning.

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Waterfall Model 

Let’s consider traditionally developing software using a Waterfall Model in this Devops Tutorial.

In the above diagram in this Devops Tutorial, you will see the phases it will involve:

• ­In phase 1 – Complete Requirement is gathered and SRS is developed
• In phase 2 – This System is Planned and Designed using the SRS
• In phase 3 – Implementation of the System takes place
• In phase 4 – System is tested and its quality is assured
• In phase 5 – System is deployed to the end users
• In phase 6 – Regular Maintenance of the system is done

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Essential DevOps Tools and Hands-On Labs

Here’s a breakdown of critical tools used in each DevOps phase with example labs:

Downloadable project samples and code snippets can help reinforce learning.

Waterfall Model Challenges

The Water-fall model worked fine and served well for many years however it had some challenges. In the following diagram the challenges of Waterfall Model are highlighted.

In the above diagram in this Devops Tutorial you can see that both Development and Operations had challenges in the Waterfall Model.  From Developers point of view there were majorly two challenges:

• After Development, the code deployment time was huge.
• Pressure of work on old, pending and new code was high because development and deployment time was high. On the other hand, Operations was also not completely satisfied.

There were four major challenges they faced as per the above diagram in this Devops Tutorial:

1. It was difficult to maintain ~100% uptime of the production environment.
2. Infrastructure Automation tools were not very affective.
3. Number of severs to be monitored keeps on increasing with time and hence the complexity.
4. It was very difficult to provide feedback and diagnose issue in the product.

DevOps Methodology and Pipeline

A DevOps pipeline automates the efficient and secure transition of code from development to production. It guarantees the three main tenets of the DevOps methodology: Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), and Continuous Feedback.

A DevOps Pipeline’s Stages:

Plan: Specify features and collect requirements using Jira and Azure Boards as tools.

Develop: Write and version code using Git, GitHub, and GitLab as tools.

Build: Use Maven and Jenkins to compile the source code and package.

Test: Use Selenium, JUnit, and Postman to run automated tests.

Release: Set up for staging or production – Tools: Ansible, Docker, and Kubernetes

Deploy: Use AWS CloudFormation and Terraform to automate infrastructure provisioning.

Use Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK Stack to monitor the health of the system.

Monitor & Feedback: Use Splunk and Datadog to gather metrics and feedback so you can quickly iterate.

DevOps Architecture

Let us now discuss different phases of DevOps architecture:

• Plan – In DevOps planning plays an important role. In this stage, all the requirements of the project and everything regarding the project like time for each stage, cost. etc are discussed. This will help everyone in teams to get a brief idea about the DevOps project. 
• Code – In this Stage the code is written over here according to the client’s requirements. Here the code is divided into small codes called Units. This is done to get a clear picture of the code. For example, if the team is doing a project on an online -Ekart application then the login part is divided as one unit, after login the page which shows all the categories is divided as another unit, user profile as another unit, etc. 

Some of the examples of the tools used are Git, JIRA

• Build – In this stage Building of the units is done. Some of the examples of the tools used are maven, Gradle.
• Test – Testing of all units is done in this stage. So we will get to know where exactly the code is having bugs and if there are mistakes found it is returned. Some of the examples of the tools used are Selenium, PYtest
• Integrate – In this stage, all the units of the codes are integrated. That means in this step we will be creating a connection between the development team and the operation team to implement Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment. An example of the tool used is Jenkins. 
• Deploy – In this stage, the code is deployed on the client’s environment. Some of the examples of the tools used are AWS, Docker.
• Operate – Operations are performed on the code if required. Some of the examples of the tools used are Kubernetes, open shift.
• Monitor – In this stage monitoring of the application is done over here in the client’s environment. Some of the examples of the tools used are Nagios, elastic stack.

How is DevOps different from traditional IT ?

Let us take a look at the workflow of traditional IT methods and DevOps to get a better understanding of the differences between them.

In traditional IT methods [specifically waterfall method] the developer writes the code in their coding environment. Once the development is complete they will inform the operations team to test the code. 

Now the operations team will be taking the code from the coding repository and will be passing through some test cases. If there are any bugs detected then it’s sent back again to the development team. This is continued till the bugs are resolved. So as we can see the main problem is, there is a lot of time is wasted because the testing is done only when the coding is completed. So if there is a small mistake by developers. For finding that small mistake the whole testing process is done again. So the solution for this problem is implementing testing at the early stages [development stage].

Now if we check about the workflow of DevOps. The main feature includes Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment pipeline. By which the previous problem can be resolved. So now the development team need not wait for the results of their code. By including the automation feature at the initial stages [development stage] we can get the knowledge about bugs at initial stages and they can be solved quickly. So there will be a faster deployment and quick delivery of the software.

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How is DevOps different from Agile?

Applications of DevOps

 Let us see some of the top applications of DevOps in this Devops Basic Tutorial:

United Airlines: 

United Airlines, Inc. is a major American airline. This company changed its traditional method of testing to continuous testing using DevOps which helped the company to save $500,000.It also increased its coverage of code by 85%.

KeyBank:

KeyBank, the primary subsidiary of KeyCorp, is a regional bank headquartered in Cleveland. This bank used DevOps for the integration of security. DevOps almost decreased the time of the process from three months to one week.

HP:

This company faced a problem regarding testing their software. Here bugs are detected using manual testing after six weeks of writing code and if there are any bugs found it would take one week to fix them. So to overcome this issue they integrated the Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment pipeline.

Rabobank:

Rabobank is a Dutch multinational banking and financial services company. By the integration of DevOps, this company has reduced its bugs by up to 35%. Which helped the company to deliver applications faster to the clients. It also decreased the time of regression testing as it had already been tested several times while developing.

Amazon and Netflix:

These companies faced the same problem. At the initial stages, they were adapted to monolithic architecture. But as they grew to handle the huge amount of traffic they adopted AWS cloud-based microservice architecture.

Adobe:

This company faced the issue regarding the monolithic architecture and there are communication issues between the teams so they integrated microservice architecture and CI/CD pipelines for point-to-point communication.

Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a DevOps Engineer:

Operating System: Linux/Unix

Basics of networking

Git version control

Master CI/CD:

Discover GitHub/Jenkins Actions

Recognize builds, pipelines, and automated testing.

Orchestration & Containerization:

Basics of Docker → Advanced Docker

Pods, Deployments, and Services in Kubernetes

Recognize Cloud Services:

Start with the free AWS tier.

Study EC2, S3, IAM, ECS, and EKS.

Automation and IaC:

Ansible and Terraform for provisioning

Make scripts and templates that are reusable.

Observation and Record-Keeping:

Combine Grafana and Prometheus

Create dashboards and alerts.

Certifications (helpful but optional):

Engineer for AWS DevOps

Kubernetes Administrator Certification (CKA)

Certified Associate at Docker

Construct Projects:

Use Kubernetes to deploy a Node.js application with CI/CD.

Create a pipeline on AWS using Terraform and GitHub Actions.

Apply and Get Ready for Interviews:

Practice situations from the real world.

Examine the DevOps interview questions (discussed below). 

Skills and Salary for a DevOps Engineer

Key Competencies: Scripting in Python, Bash, and Linux and System Operation

• Git is used for version control.
• CI/CD Tools: CircleCI, Jenkins, and GitLab CI
• Orchestration & Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes
• Platforms for Cloud Computing: AWS, Azure, and GCP
• Terraform and Ansible are examples of Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
• Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, and Datadog for monitoring and logging
• Security: SAST/DAST tools, DevSecOps, and secrets management
• Soft Skills: Problem-solving, cooperation, and communication 

In the United States, entry-level salaries for a DevOps Professional will range from $85K to $110,000, mid-level salaries range from $110,000 to $140,000, and senior-level salaries, likewise in India, from entry-level is at ₹6 LPA to ₹10 LPA, Mid-Level it is ₹10–₹18 LPA and for Senior Level its 18 LPA to 30 LPA+

Best Practices for DevOps and Practical Use Cases: Top Techniques:

• Move to the left: Include testing at the beginning of the SDLC.

Automate everything, including deployments, testing, and builds.

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Make use of programs such as Ansible or Terraform
• Fail Fast: Identify and address problems as soon as possible.
• Constant Feedback: Make improvements based on actual usage data

Real-World Examples:

• AWS Deployment: Microservices CI/CD with ECS and Fargate
• Integrate security checks into the CI/CD pipeline, DevSecOps.
• Grafana can be used for both on-premises and cloud systems in hybrid cloud monitoring. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of DevOps

Advantages:

• Faster development of software and quick deliveries.
• DevOps is flexible and adaptable to changes easily.
• Compared to the previous software development models confusion about the project is decreased due to which the product quality and efficiency are increased.
• The gap between the development team and operation team was bridged. i.e, the communication between the teams has been increased.
• Efficiency is increased by the addition of automation which includes continuous integration and continuous deployment.
• Customer satisfaction is enhanced.

Disadvantages:

• DevOps is expensive.
• Certain levels of skills are required for maintaining the DevOps architecture.
• Adopting DevOps technology into the traditional style of industries is quite a challenge.

Conclusion

DevOps is more than just a job; it’s a methodology and a culture that transforms how businesses create, implement, and maintain software. DevOps facilitates quicker innovation, better teamwork, and a shorter time-to-market through automation, continuous delivery, and a shift-left mentality.

Making the switch to DevOps can lead to exciting, lucrative careers with future-proof skills, regardless of your background as a developer, sysadmin, or tester. To stay ahead, become proficient with the tools, work on actual projects, and keep up with new developments in technology.

FAQs

1. Why should I study DevOps?

By bridging the gap between development and operations, DevOps makes it possible to deliver software more quickly and reliably. Across all industries, it is highly sought after and pays well.

2. Is it simple to learn DevOps?

Beginners can easily learn DevOps, especially if they have experience with Linux, coding, or the cloud. The process can be made simpler with a detailed learning plan.

3. Who ought to study DevOps?

• Developers seeking to enhance release cycles
• System administrators are hoping to transition into infrastructure or cloud positions.
• QA engineers who wish to switch to testing and automation
• Anyone with an interest in automation, CI/CD, or the cloud

4. What is covered in this DevOps tutorial?

It covers real-world use cases, career paths, CI/CD pipelines, tools, the DevOps lifecycle, interview preparation, and practical exercises. 

5. What is the job of a DevOps specialist?

They guarantee system dependability, manage infrastructure as code, automate builds, tests, and deployments, and facilitate cooperation between Dev and Ops.

6. Does demand exist for DevOps?

Indeed. Because of cloud adoption and digital transformation, DevOps skills are among the top three most sought-after IT skills worldwide.

7. Is a career in DevOps a good fit?

Of course. DevOps is a wise and long-lasting career choice because it offers high compensation, ongoing education, and the chance to work with cutting-edge tools. 

According to the blog, the DevOps pipeline automates the software delivery process by using tools like Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes to build, test, and deploy code through stages like CI/CD, resulting in quicker, error-free releases.

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