Scrum and DevOps Integration

Correct Answer: A cross-functional team training to increase the Scrum team's skillset in cloud operations

The best approach when a Scrum Team depends too much on another team for specific tasks, in this case, cloud configuration from the DevOps team, is to provide cross-functional training to improve the Scrum Team's skill set. This concept is inherent in Scrum Methodology, where team members continuously learn and adapt to acquire necessary skills. It doesn't just solve the current issue, but it also contributes to the team's long-term efficiency and independence. It aligns with the agile principle of self-organizing teams. The other options are wrong because: Replacing team members who don't have the cloud skillset could affect team morale and trust and is not a sustainable solution. Outsourcing cloud operations could incur more costs and dependency. Continually depending on DevOps for cloud-related tasks doesn't solve the problem or improve the Scrum team's situation.

Correct Answer: Introduce a definition of 'done' that includes readiness for deployment.

The best course of action when the code produced by your Scrum team is not ready for deployment by the DevOps team at the end of the sprint is to 'introduce a definition of 'done' that includes readiness for deployment.' This guideline guarantees that everyone involved understands when a task is 'done,' bringing clarity and reducing the chance of unfinished code. The other options aren't as effective. 'Reducing the amount of code the Scrum team is responsible for' could be problematic because it might affect the level of functionality delivered. 'Increasing the sprint time to allow for more development time' can thwart the concept of time-boxing, an essential component of Scrum. It's not feasible to 'ask the DevOps team to deal with unfinished code at the end of the sprint' since their role is to focus on deployment, not finishing coding tasks.

Correct Answer: Adopt a continuous delivery approach where small updates are deployed more frequently.

Firstly, adopting a continuous delivery approach where small updates are deployed more frequently ensures both teams can work simultaneously and reduce waiting time. In a continuous delivery model, the smallest viable features are deployed to customers rapidly and feedback is quickly gathered. It facilitates the collaboration between Scrum team (development) and DevOps team (operations), therefore reducing blockers. Now let's look at why the other answers are less effective. Asking the Scrum team to stop their work and assist the DevOps team disrupts the workflow and doesn't address the root cause. Similarly, asking the DevOps team to slow their pace to match the Scrum team is not constructive, since it doesn't enhance the efficiency of the overall operations. Setting up a separate team to handle deployments might add complexity and increase the communication gap rather than bridging it, hence not the most efficient solution.