DevOps And Cloud – The Perfect Companions Ever

DevOps and Cloud Computing, these are the two trending terms that have bagged so much of hype in the recent times. Almost every professional working in the IT sector is having a sound knowledge on how they are evolving as the key business strategies. Though, if you are the one among those who are completely unfamiliar of these two jargons, then let us quickly have a glimpse of both the functions.

DevOps is a fusion of words- ‘Development’ and ‘Operations’. It is the concept introduced to describe the software development process, a practice of integrating and collaborating both the development and operational personnel under one roof. Cloud on the other hand is a performance platform that drives the agility of the software execution. It offers infrastructure resources on the pay-per-use approach.

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Before the advent of the DevOps concepts, the typical software development process comprises of a development team, who used to develop the applications and later passes it to the operations team. The operations team then evaluates those applications and determines the configuration details like how much server space is required for the smooth running of the applications. This is the most inefficient approach followed to scale and deploy the applications that has already been developed, because the application can remain stable during the trial and error run, but when it goes live, there exists a chance of getting it freezes or hanged due to the insufficient space to handle the requests or data.

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This dearth has been expelled out with the entry of the DevOps, which bought the IT operations personnel in direct contact to the development personnel, for making sure that the applications are built to be “deployment-aware”. In other words, rather than developing the application on one machine and the deployment on other machine, DevOps using the virtualization concept enables the machine to become a part of the application. This approach enables the organizations to respond in a fast and cost-effective way.

As we have been talking only about the DevOps, you might get the doubt that- ‘then what to do with the Cloud?’ Let us get into the core agenda of this article.

NATO UPSC Preparation: Master the Syllabus & Acing the Exam

NATO UPSC Preparation: Master the Syllabus & Acing the Exam
The UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) is a highly competitive exam that aspirants dream of cracking. To emerge victorious, a deep understanding of International Relations (IR) is crucial. Within IR, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) holds significant weightage. This blog delves into effective strategies for mastering NATO for UPSC, ensuring your success in the coveted exam.

Understanding NATO’s Importance in UPSC
NATO UPSC is a recurring theme across various sections of the UPSC syllabus, including:

General Studies Paper I: Here, questions related to India’s foreign policy and its role in global security issues can necessitate a thorough understanding of NATO’s influence.

General Studies Paper II (Governance, Polity and Social Justice): This section might test your knowledge on the impact of international organizations like NATO on global security architecture.

General Studies Paper III (Indian Economy): Understanding the economic implications of military alliances like NATO can be vital for answering questions related to India’s defense expenditure and strategic partnerships.

Essay Paper: Essays on topics like global security challenges or the future of international alliances might require you to discuss NATO’s role and its potential impact.

Mastering NATO for UPSC: A Strategic Approach
Acing NATO UPSC requires a well-structured study plan. Here’s a breakdown of key areas to focus on:

Origins and Evolution of NATO: Grasp the historical context surrounding NATO’s formation in 1 after World War II. Understand its core objectives, including collective defense against Soviet aggression.

Structure and Functioning: Familiarize yourself with NATO’s decision-making structure, its key member states, and their roles within the alliance. Explore the concept of collective defense enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

NATO’s Role in Global Security: Analyze NATO’s involvement in major post-Cold War conflicts like the Kosovo War and the War in Afghanistan. Evaluate its role in promoting regional stability and its impact on global power dynamics.

Challenges and Criticisms: Critically examine the criticisms leveled against NATO, such as its eastward expansion and its interventionist policies. Analyze how these challenges influence India’s perspective on the alliance.

India’s Position on NATO: India has a complex relationship with NATO. Understand India’s strategic autonomy and its participation in initiatives like the NATO-led Partnership for Peace program.

Effective Learning Resources for NATO UPSC
Standard Textbooks on International Relations: Renowned authors like Kenneth Waltz and John Mearsheimer provide valuable insights into NATO’s role in the global order.

Government of India Publications: The Ministry of External Affairs website and reports offer official stances on India’s relationship with NATO.

UPSC Previous Year Papers: Analyzing past UPSC questions related to NATO can help you identify recurring themes and question formats.

Reputed Online Resources: Websites of think tanks like the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offer in-depth analysis on NATO’s activities.

Tips to Enhance Your NATO for UPSC Preparation
Develop a Critical Perspective: Don’t just memorize facts about NATO. Analyze its impact on global security and form your own well-reasoned arguments.
Practice Answer Writing: Regularly practice writing answers on NATO-related topics, focusing on clarity, structure, and incorporating relevant examples.
Join Discussion Forums: Engage in discussions about NATO with other UPSC aspirants to gain diverse perspectives and strengthen your understanding.
Focus on Current Affairs: Stay updated on recent developments surrounding NATO, including its role in the ongoing Ukraine war.

How Can You Improve Your Communication Skills at Workplace

While it is required for an individual to have necessary skills to achieve proficiency in a job, he/she must also excel at expressing ideas clearly. Hence, it is important to master the ways that help in enhancing communication skills at a workplace. Whether you are a supervisor or a junior employee in an organization, good communication skills can help in avoiding confusion. Here are ways which will help in refining the same at the workplace -

Participate in communication skills sessions
Some individuals are expert at striking conversation with unknown people and can get along well with them easily. While these people have inherent skills that help them socialize with others, there are few who face difficulties in starting a conversation or conveying the issue. If you are one of them, become an active member of development programs that are usually organized as a part of training. These discussions are aimed at teaching fundamentals of communication to the employees.

Become a listener
If you want to be an effective communicator, then you must learn to listen first. You must try to understand what other person wants to convey. Hence, instead of giving your perspective on the topic, concentrate on his/her words and get what the person wants to say. Keep your complete focus on the speaker and avoid losing track of the conversation midway. Do not interrupt the speaker in between to give an immediate response. You can note down your answer in points on a paper and tell it once the speaker has finished his/her part.

Encourage questions
It may happen that a colleague is not clear about the work to be done or has some serious concerns in achieving a target. When you are leading a team and directing them towards a goal, always leave the door open for workers. This encourages them to ask queries rather than having misinterpretations and wrong perspectives of the assigned task. It can lead to open discussions in a team, thus solving many issues.

Understand your audience
Knowing how to communicate is also equally important. You should understand and adapt to various communication styles as it helps in passing correct information to different employees, right from a co-worker to the boss. Try to understand what type of report the other person prefers whether detailed description or just the numbers and results.

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Share views on feedback platform
It might happen that employees find it difficult to discuss openly their issues or are hesitant to express their feedback to senior team members or managers. For better outcomes, be verbal about complaints or feedback on a software that company uses to record response from its employees. You can place your perspective on a certain topic and even highlight a major problem the team is facing to accomplish a target. This ensures information reaches the right person, and proper steps are taken to sort the issue.

Maintain a proper body language
While communicating effectively with colleagues is an essential and integral part of work, you should also pay attention to the nonverbal skills and maintain a correct posture. The body language can have a deep impact on the people around you and also convey if you are friendly and approachable. Never keep your arms crossed and maintain eye contact with the speaker. Nodding in between the conversations gives the person an idea that you are listening to what is being said and agreeing on the same. One must always face the speaker when a conversation is taking place and keep mobile away. This helps to build better work relationships.

It is important to communicate effectively at the workplace as it ensures a correct flow of information. Becoming a good communicator is not an overnight process. Try to concentrate on ways to improve yourself and be a part of various team building activities.