Durojaye Olusegun shares a robust method for engineering teams to reduce DevOps toil with practical script automation, using the 15-minute rule and proven patterns that enhance productivity and reduce maintenance overhead.

How to Eliminate DevOps Toil Using Automation Scripts

DevOps teams often spend up to 15 hours per week on repetitive, manual tasks—referred to as “toil”—that detract from more valuable work. In this guide, Durojaye Olusegun explains how to systematically identify, prioritize, and automate these DevOps toils using practical scripting solutions.

Understanding DevOps Toil

Toil includes manual deployments, service restarts, server patching, and other repetitive maintenance that drain productivity. These tasks typically provide no lasting value and scale linearly with organization growth if left unchecked.

A recent survey cited in the article shows developers spend around 40% of their workweek on such tasks, representing a significant opportunity for productivity improvement through automation.

Why Script-Based Automation?

Script automation is accessible for most DevOps teams, given their familiarity with Bash, Python, or PowerShell. Scripts are favored over enterprise automation solutions for their:

  • Flexibility – Adaptable to specific environments and edge cases
  • Incrementality – Can be rolled out in small steps
  • Transparency and Debuggability – Maintained easily across team members

Key Principles for Sustainable Automation

Successful automation scripts share these core traits:

  1. Idempotency: Re-running scripts has no unintended effects (e.g., no duplicate deployments)
  2. Observability: Scripts clearly log actions, errors, and system states
  3. Fail-Safe Design: Graceful handling and clear recovery from errors
  4. Documentation Through Code: Clear structure and embedded comments for maintainability

The 15-Minute Rule for Automation Targets

Prioritize tasks for automation if they take more than 15 minutes and recur at least monthly. Examples:

  • Database backup verification
  • Log rotation and cleanup
  • Service health checks
  • Configuration file deployment
  • SSL certificate renewal

Choosing Your Automation Approach

  • Start Simple: Use scripts for single systems or straightforward problems
  • Orchestration Tools: For complex, cross-infrastructure automation, consider Ansible or Terraform
  • Language Selection: Standardize on one language based on team skills, but allow exceptions where necessary

Implementation Patterns

  • Log all actions and failures
  • Handle interruptions and provide resumption/recovery steps
  • Validate outcomes before completion
  • Include rollback logic for state changes

Testing and Validation

Test automation scripts in isolated environments using dry-run methods. Roll out incrementally, beginning with non-critical systems.

Measuring Impact and Scaling

Track metrics such as time saved, error reduction, and improved uptime. Gather feedback from the team on workload and satisfaction, and create reusable script libraries and internal documentation to spread best practices across teams as automation maturity grows.

Key Takeaway

Automation is most effective when applied to clear pain points using practical, maintainable scripts. Start small and build confidence, then scale successful patterns. Eliminating toil enables teams to focus on high-value, strategic initiatives rather than repetitive maintenance.

Article by Durojaye Olusegun for DevOps.com

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