Best Practices for Using DevOps in the Cloud

The Challenges of Multi-Cloud Environments

Companies at the frontier of technological evolution recognize how important it is to streamline development processes so that the ever changing requirements of the market can be quickly and efficiently addressed. While the cloud offers automatic scaling to make room for application changes, it is DevOps that makes optimal use of cloud resources. However, even the best practices for DevOps get compromised when the pressure of accelerating the business is heightened.

The fusion of cloud services and DevOps is relatively new; it has posed relevant obstructions in understanding core mechanics and improvising of these mechanics into practical scenarios. What is to follow is a collection of ideas that should be kept in mind while working with DevOps for its best possible implementation in a cloud-based environment.

Training is Essential

The challenges posed by operating evolving technology should be seen as opportunities to formulate generalizations on how to make the best use of the technology. Proper training before implementation works as an investment that will reward your business. Training sessions help employees tackle common obstacles and be prepared for significant events that might occur during execution. If properly mentored, the unit can become independent of future assistance, which will result in minimized errors and maximized precision.

Taking Security Measures

It’s intuitive to acknowledge that the security model in the cloud is not the same as in old data practices; this requires special attention because security is the backbone of your implementation system. When DevOps is introduced into the environment, it should be made sure that each implementation level is complying with the required security measures — automated testing should be deployed and integrated into these levels of the environment.

Choosing DevOps Tools

While choosing DevOps tools, keep in mind that you are selecting a set of tools that are not dedicated to one particular cloud (on demand, on-premise or public). When you restrict your business to a specific cloud, you forfeit the luxury of moving from one cloud to the other depending on your need — this directly interrupts the smooth and optimal deployment of DevOps.

Service and Resource Governance

Ongoing operations in the environment, if not properly governed, might result in clogging of processes. It so happens that lack of governance only comes in notice when you see a multitude of operations becoming impossible to manage. To avoid this scenario, you must build a management system that ensures a smooth and systematic workflow; this is easily achieved through the formulation of a governance infrastructure well in advance. It comprises of features and functions that help in tracking, securing, and managing in-house services.

Automated Testing

In cloud-based environments, application performance issues are often rendered after the application has gone into production. They are not caught before that period because automated performance testing is not implemented within the levels of production. Performance testing helps in preventing poor performing applications from going into production through partial checking at every level of production — this is an essential measure to be taken to ensure better performance and efficient use of resources.

Importance of Containers

Containers give you added flexibility to move the components of an application on an independent basis; you can efficiently manage and orchestrate your applications using these independent containers at intermediate levels. Integrating containers into the DevOps process will make the development processes more manageable. However, containers cannot be implemented into any application, as some applications require a unified application core in development. Know the needs of your application and the standard of this approach.

Cloud computing sees soaring development as soon as DevOps is introduced in the business; however, these soaring developments can be hindered by many unprecedented obstacles. Applying strategies such as maintaining containers, automated testing, and governance, you can cut short those obstacles; this requires expertise; therefore, it is advised that you consider taking the help of field experts whenever necessary. Once you understand the nature of commitment and knowledge needed to implement smooth functioning of DevOps, this component will become an indispensable part of your strategic model.

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