Salesforce DevOps: Know It All From The Beginner’s Guide

In the field of software development in the IT industry, several changes have been made over the last few decades. If you are in this sector, you may know that multiple innovations helped to reduce manual efforts and the chances of getting risks or bugs during the deployment process. Salesforce is one of the most effective CRM software that makes it possible for companies to find better projects, close more deals, and connect with their customers by customising and streamlining their processes.

Also, DevOps is a modern philosophy that consists of a set of tools and practices that integrate and automate the process between IT teams and software development. But what if we combine both these terms? Salesforce DevOps is the trending approach in the Salesforce ecosystem that provides several benefits, such as reduced manual errors, faster time-to-market, increased customer satisfaction, and much more. 

In this blog, we will provide you with complete information about this methodology. We will discuss its tools and benefits. So, let’s get started with its definition first. 

What is Salesforce DevOps?

The definition of Salesforce DevOps is not much different from the traditional definition of the DevOps philosophy, but it is centered within the Salesforce ecosystem. This approach ensures developers and admins can deploy the changes and operate the software development life cycle most effectively while minimizing errors and disruption to clients.

This is the definition of this approach, but if you are still confused, we will clarify its meaning by giving an example.

Imagine that you have the task of rolling out a new feature on the Salesforce platform, but this process got stuck due to manual errors, miscommunication among the teams, and delays. You will feel helpless at that time, right? That’s where Salesforce DevOps training will save your day! If you are well-trained to use this approach, you can use its practices and tools to eliminate the bottlenecks and ensure a smooth process in the ecosystem.

After getting a brief knowledge of this topic, it is also necessary to know about some free tools that the Salesforce Platform offers to its users.

Salesforce DevOps Center

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of buzz about the Salesforce DevOps Center, which is a free deployment tool that is built into the Salesforce platform. This is one of the best tools because the other comprehensive tools came with a cost, but on the contrary, this tool is free for Salesforce users. 

It is an effective tool that helps the teams in the organisation to release technology quickly. It also allows for changes in the Salesforce development environments by using some outstanding features like source control (using GitHub), automatic change tracking and visual development pipelines. It provides an alternative way to move changes within Salesforce, similar to Salesforce Change Sets. Still, it does not allow the teams to follow advanced DevOps tools or practices like CI/CD in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Now that you are familiar with the DevOps centre, we are also listing its functionality:

• Automated Change Tracking
• Work Items
• Source Control
• Pipelines
• Deploy Changes

After learning some basic stuff about this DevOps centre, let’s also take a look at another free tool on this platform.

Salesforce DX

Salesforce DX (Developer Experience) is the set of practices and tools which is designed to enhance the experience of using the Salesforce platform. It provides a streamlined approach to managing or building Salesforce applications and caters to the requirements of developers, stakeholders, and administrators.

There are some key features of this tool which include:

• Source Driven Development
• Scratch Orgs
• Salesforce DX CLI (Command Line Interface)
• Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
• Packaging and Dependencies

Several other tools are also essential in the Salesforce methodology, in addition to these top Salesforce platform tools.

Salesforce DevOps Tools

There are some other Salesforce DevOps tools that you can use as a professional in this approach to get the best outcome. These tools come from different categories that can support the entire software development life cycle.

1. Deployment Tools

These are the valuable tools that come under the deployment category in this approach. As a professional, if you are using this methodology in the Salesforce ecosystem, these tools can revolutionise the ways to run deployments by making them faster. Instead of using Ant Migration tool or change sets, most deployment apps have the complete package and a specialised user interface.

These features include- CI/CD, Version Control, Testing, Rollback and Reporting. You can use several deployment tools like Gearset, Copado, Flosum, Prodly, Blue Canvas, and Autorabit.

2. Backup Tools

Backing up the data and metadata is an integral part of the Salesforce DevOps process. Saving this data is mandatory after the announcement that Salesforce made last year that they will not provide the data recovery service. You can use tools like OwnBackup and Spanning Backup to keep the backup for your data and metadata.

3. Test Automation Tools

Tools that are helpful for operating in the test automation space assist in running scheduled tests. These test automation tools ensure that whatever process you are going to build in the Salesforce, like qualifying leads, progressing opportunities, closing a case or whatever changes you make in the system. Provar or Copado Robotic Testing are one of the best test automation tools.

4. Code Scanning Tools

Code scanning tools basically help the developing teams to automate the manual process configuration and review the Salesforce code. These tools are helpful to ensure that all team members are following the exact code of standards and best practices. Quality Clouds, CodeScan, and Clayton are the top examples of these tools.

So, these are the top tools that you can use to optimise the development life cycle in this approach. There are significant benefits of using these tools, which are listed in our next section.

Benefits of Using Salesforce DevOps Tools

There are several benefits of using Salesforce DevOps tools, but some of them are mentioned in the pointers listed below.

• Streamlined Development Processes
• Faster Time to Market.
• Cost Saving
• Standardisation and Compliance
• Enhanced Quality Assurance
• Scalability and Flexibility
• Increased Deployment Confidence

After knowing the benefits of this approach, let’s explore a fantastic career option in this field. You can get multiple jobs in this profession, but becoming a Salesforce DevOps engineer is the most fruitful option.

What is a Salesforce DevOps Engineer?

A Salesforce DevOps engineer helps make the Salesforce ecosystem smoother and better. These professionals play a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency of the Salesforce software development and deployment process. They use DevOps practices and tools to streamline the Salesforce applications.

By implementing the DevOps methodology in automation, collaboration and continuous improvement, they ensure the delivery of high-quality Salesforce solutions quickly. They contribute to optimising the business operations and maximising the Salesforce platform’s value.

In Light of These Facts

It is concluded that Salesforce DevOps is a tailored approach to the software development in the Salesforce ecosystem. It blends the DevOps principles with methodologies and tools to automate the processes, foster collaboration and promote continuous improvement. Thus, it also empowers the organisation to streamline its Salesforce development lifecycle.

As businesses adopt Salesforce solutions, the implementation of this methodology becomes essential to beating competitive market standards. We hope that you liked our insights on this topic; if you have any feedback or queries, we are here to help you.