DevOps has changed the way software is developed and deployed, keeping organizations more agile and nimble throughout the process. By following a DevOps structure, organizations gain greater transparency and control of their data management, which enables smarter and faster decision-making.
Linking the development and operations structures is the software-defined database. Today’s most versatile database management system (DBMS) is Postgres: running on all platforms, speaking every language and scalable in all directions.
One of the most popular ways dev and ops are coming together is through the EnterpriseDB (EDB) Postgres Platform. (EDB is a major contributor to the open source development of Postgres and has made several development contributions from versions 8.3 to 11.) Among its many use cases, the EDB Postgres Platform is enabling organizations to rapidly build new applications with multiple programming languages and without the need for schema. This can modernize existing applications by moving legacy code to new databases and integrating with popular data sources, to replace legacy DBMS by offering compatibility with Oracle, and to make cloud replatforming possible with flexible deployment options that enable business to move into the cloud.
Even though Postgres isn’t inherently a software-defined database, it can easily turn into one because it truly sits at the center of development and operations, spanning all platforms from containers to the virtual machine. Software-defined databases increase operational efficiency with less complexity to manage and resolve problems, improve velocity and quality through continuous software delivery, and maximize organizational effectiveness through better collaboration and communication. Each of these improvements helps increase customer value and business performance through the creation of a stable operating environment where software can be deployed with speed and accuracy.
The benefit of the software-defined approach is increased transparency throughout all stages of programming. By ensuring all teams are working with the same piece of code, organizations can reduce costs by avoiding potential rework. Following a policy and service-driven approach that scans scripts and runs code in a container environment can also ensure compliance. The software-defined approach also leaves room for the introduction of automated development tools.
Databases that can become software-defined like Postgres help connect the dots between dev and ops by breaking down the development and operations silos of the past. Each silo of the organization would claim different areas of database responsibility: developers would focus on adjusting and fine-tuning database migration scripts and implementing schemas; operations would focus on configurations, database monitoring and OS configurations; and security and the DBA would want general oversight.

Now, with version control and git, all users have a view of the database. Anyone can see who changed what, when something changed, and how something got to where it is. If a new release is performing poorly, users can immediately tell who changed a parameter or configuration and ensure the entire team is on the same page. This means no more submitting tickets to get tasks done; instead, it’s real-time collaboration that enables users to see an end git and determine what they need to get the job done.

For database teams, this also means no longer simply acting as the database’s middleman. This paradigm shift puts more databases in containers, requiring DBAs to embed themselves into cross-functional teams to help databases truly take off in container environments.

All of this comes together as the industry moves toward solutions like EDB Postgres containers. Container environments are portable: They run on premises, public clouds, private clouds or bare metal, and they are efficient, eliminating the OS-level overhead produced by a VM. With an EDB Postgres container, organizations also have access to Postgres on major cloud providers like AWS and Azure.

DevOps teams can become more collaborative, productive and efficient than ever before thanks to the software-defined database. By removing the middleman and making the database more accessible across the board, organizations have greater insight into how the development process is unfolding, preventing potential bottlenecks and solving problems as they happen instead of down the line. With the EDB Postgres Platform, one of the best and most-popular software-defined database platforms available, teams will gain unprecedented control over their data to increase their development capabilities.