The term shift left in DevOps refers to the practice of bringing tasks and responsibilities forward in the software development lifecycle (SDLC). The objective is to identify and fix problems, like bugs or security vulnerabilities, as soon as possible to lessen their effects and the time and money needed for cleanup.
Testing and other quality assurance tasks are often carried out at the conclusion of the development cycle, after the code has been finished, in a sequential SDLC. If problems are found too late in the process, this strategy might cause delays and higher expenses. By including these actions early in the development cycle, the shift left practice seeks to solve this issue.
In the illustration above, the left movement after the plan and release intersection is actually called the shift left process.
There are several key aspects to consider when implementing the shift left approach:
Shift left testing entails carrying out testing procedures earlier on in the SDLC. These can include unit testing, integration testing, and even automated testing. Early defect detection allows engineers to address problems before they become more complicated and expensive. To guarantee the early identification of issues, this method emphasizes the use of continuous integration and continuous testing techniques.
Shift left promotes cooperation between developers, testers, and other project stakeholders right from the start. Teams may detect possible challenges, define requirements, and ensure everyone is on the same page by incorporating all pertinent stakeholders early on. This cooperative effort aids in the earlier identification and resolution of problems, minimizing rework and enhancing overall efficiency.
In the shift left strategy, automation is essential. Teams may shorten the feedback loop and find problems faster by automating repetitive operations like testing and deployment. Automated testing frameworks, infrastructure as code (IaC) tools, and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines are frequently used to automate different stages of the SDLC.
Shift left also entails the implementation of quality gates or checkpoints at various SDLC phases. These gates serve as checkpoints to ensure the code satisfies particular quality requirements before moving on to the following step. Code reviews, static code analysis, security scanning, and performance tests are a few examples of quality gates. By putting these gates in place earlier on in the process, possible problems may be quickly identified and dealt with.
Security is a crucial component of the shift left strategy. Early integration of security practices into the SDLC can help find and address possible vulnerabilities more quickly. Early-stage development might combine methods like threat modeling, safe coding practices, and security testing to lower the chance of security breaches.
Overall, the shift left concept emphasizes the importance of early detection and prevention of issues in the software development process. By shifting activities leftward in the SDLC, teams can improve collaboration, automate processes, and ensure higher-quality software with reduced time to market.