What is DevOps?

An introduction to DevOps in the FileMaker world

At its core, DevOps is about making the process of building, testing, and releasing software safer, faster, and more reliable. It connects the development (Dev) and operations (Ops) phases into a single, automated workflow.

Think of it like cooking a complex dish. DevOps is your master recipe and a well-organized kitchen workflow.

Before you add a new ingredient or try a new technique (making a change to your app), you first jot it down on your recipe card (version control). Then, you taste that small change separately to make sure it complements the dish without ruining it (testing). Once you're sure it works, you stir it into the main pot (deployment).

This process ensures you know exactly what's in your dish at all times. If an ingredient tastes off, you can easily trace it back and remove it, reverting to the last delicious version (rollbacks). This structured, quality-focused approach is what DevOps brings to software development, making the process more reliable and less risky.

For most FileMaker developers, this way of working has been out of reach.

The Challenge in the FileMaker World

The FileMaker platform is incredibly powerful for rapid application development. Its all-in-one environment lets you build and deploy solutions quickly. However, this strength becomes a weakness when it comes to modern DevOps. The core reason for this incompatibility is the fmp12 file format, which cannot be read by standard DevOps tools like Git for version control or automated deployment pipelines. Because these tools can't interpret the file's content, they can't be used to manage changes effectively.

This gap has often led to workflows that carry unnecessary risk:

• Live Development: Making changes directly on a live, production system because deploying updates is too complex or time-consuming. This puts critical business operations at risk.

• Manual Deployments: Moving files by hand and relying on checklists and memory to make sure you didn't miss a step.

• Unclear History: Having no definitive record of who changed what, when, or why. This makes troubleshooting difficult and collaboration confusing.

If you're interested in learning more about this, this Developing a DevOps Tool for FileMaker, using FileMaker thesis provides in-depth research into almost every aspect of DevOps challenges in FileMaker.