Navigating the DevOps landscape

DevOps, with its increasing prevalence in both industry and academia, has evolved into various DevOps variants (namely XOps) to address emerging technological and operational challenges. However, this proliferation has created confusion and a lack of clarity about the systematic understanding of these XOps and their interrelationship in the DevOps landscape, leading to fragmented knowledge and application. This research seeks to construct a comprehensive picture of the existing DevOps landscape, clarifying the nature and nuances of various XOps, to guide effective future studies and implementations. Utilizing Multivocal Literature Review (MLR), 80 gathered documents are thoroughly examined from throughout the whole community, encompassing both white and grey literature, to map the DevOps landscape. Our review systematically discovered 38 XOps terms and 13 well-studied XOps including AIOps, BizDevOps, CloudOps, DataOps, DevSecOps, FinOps, GitOps, MLOps, ModelOps, NetDevOps, NoOps, SecDevOps and TwinOps. We provided dictionary-like resource that elucidates the core concepts and main ideas associated with each XOps. An in-depth understanding of intricate evolution from DevOps to XOps is delved into, supplemented by the research of relationships between XOps and various technological enablers as well as relationships between XOps and organizational teams, contributing to the ongoing dialogue surrounding their application and evolution. This paper provides a foundational understanding of the DevOps landscape including open issues and challenges, current and future trends, assisting both researchers and practitioners in navigating this complex field. It establishes a platform for further research and practical applications in the evolving field of DevOps and XOps.