What exactly are the practices involved in DevOps?

1. Continuous Integration (CI)

2. Continuous Deployment (CD)

3. Infrastructure as Code (IAC)

4. Configuration Management

5. Monitoring and Logging

6. Automated Testing

7. Collaboration and Communication

8. Microservices Architecture

9. Containerization and Orchestration

10. Feedback loops

11. Security Integration

Reference

DevOps is a set of practices that aims to unify software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to facilitate better collaboration, faster delivery, and increased efficiency. Here are some key DevOps practices:

1. Continuous Integration (CI)

Developers regularly merge their code changes into a central repository, where automated builds and tests are triggered. This helps in detecting integration problems early and reducing the overall integration effort.

2. Continuous Deployment (CD)

Automated deployment of tested and verified code to production environments, ensuring that software is always in a releasable state.

3. Infrastructure as Code (IAC)

Managing infrastructure (networks, virtual machines, load balancers, etc.) in a version-controlled and automated manner, similar to how software is managed.

4. Configuration Management

Centralized, automated management of system and application configurations, streamlining the process of deploying and maintaining systems across various environments.

5. Monitoring and Logging

Implementing effective monitoring and logging tools to gain insight into application performance, detect anomalies, and troubleshoot issues in real-time.

6. Automated Testing

Creating and executing automated tests at various levels (unit, integration, system, performance, etc.) to ensure the reliability and quality of the software being developed.

7. Collaboration and Communication

Promoting a culture of open communication, collaboration, and shared responsibility between development and operations teams, as well as other stakeholders.

8. Microservices Architecture

Designing and developing software as a collection of small, independently deployable services to enable faster development, deployment, and scaling.

9. Containerization and Orchestration

Using containerization technologies (e.g., Docker) and orchestration platforms (e.g., Kubernetes) to package, manage and deploy applications more efficiently.

10. Feedback loops

Establishing feedback loops between different stages of the software lifecycle (e.g., from deployment to monitoring), allowing for quick identification and resolution of issues.

11. Security Integration

Integrating security best practices and tools into the DevOps pipeline, ensuring that applications are secure by design and continuously monitored for vulnerabilities (also known as DevSecOps).

By implementing these practices, DevOps aims to bridge the gap between development and operations, resulting in higher software quality, improved deployment frequency, faster time to market, and reduced risk.