Understanding DevOps and the Basics of Deployment
Introduction
In the past, deploying a developer’s code to production involved significant manual work, such as setting up environments, installing necessary tools, retrieving the latest code, and deploying it to production servers. This process was time-consuming, often requiring hours of manpower and slowing down the release cycle.
Today, modern software teams deliver new features at high velocity, with tech giants like Google or Amazon releasing updates into production multiple times daily. This rapid delivery is made possible by DevOps.
Traditionally, software teams were divided into two separate groups: the development team, which wrote the code, and the operations team, which handled deployments. Once development was complete, the operations team manually prepared production servers by installing compatible software and deploying the latest code. This is a process fraught with delays.
DevOps bridges the gap between these teams by fostering collaboration and automating processes, enabling faster, more reliable software delivery. The name “DevOps” reflects this integration of development and operations.
What is DevOps?
DevOps combines practices, tools, and a cultural shift that fosters collaboration between development and operations teams. Automating manual and slow processes enables software organizations to deliver software into production at high velocity.
High velocity means delivering features faster, promptly responding to customer feedback, and ensuring the stability of the production environment. DevOps achieves this by leveraging practices like continuous integration (CI), continuous delivery (CD), and robust monitoring. These practices are supported by tools that streamline workflows, minimize human errors, and promote reliable, consistent deployments.
Deployment Basics
Suppose a software team develops a web application. How does the code written by developers on their local machines make its way to production? To understand this, let’s first explore the basics of deployment.
Application Server (or Web Server)
An application server is software specifically designed to host and run applications. It handles HTTP requests and sends responses over the HTTP protocol. For example, Apache Tomcat is a popular application server that can be downloaded online.
Hosted Server
A hosted server is a physical machine where application servers are hosted. One hosted server can run multiple application servers on different ports. For example, an AWS EC2 instance can act as a hosted server.
Domain
The application server can be accessed using the hosted server’s IP address and the port it runs on, e.g., http:// < Hosted_Server_IP >:8080/. We can map this combination to a custom domain name for easier access, such as https://husnyjeffrey.com.
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Deployment Process
To make the developed web application accessible over the Internet, the development code must first be built into deployable files (e.g., a web app file for a web application). These files are placed on the application server.
Suppose a software team has two servers: staging and production. The deployment process traditionally involved these steps:
- The operation team pulls the latest code from the repository.
- The code is built, generating the deployable web app file.
- The operation team installs the required software on the staging server (hosted server) and places the web app file in the application server running on it. QA teams then test the application in the staging environment.
- Once testing is complete, the web app file is moved to the production server, and the required software is installed before deployment. This is what we call “deploying to production.”
Before DevOps, this entire process was manual, time-consuming, and error-prone.
The Role of DevOps
With DevOps, these steps are automated. As soon as a developer commits code, tools like Jenkins automatically build the code, run tests, and deploy it to production without any human intervention. The entire process is seamless, reducing deployment time from hours to minutes while minimizing errors.
Conclusion
In conclusion, DevOps has revolutionized the way software is delivered, bridging the gap between development and operations teams. By automating time-consuming processes and enabling faster, more reliable deployments, DevOps helps organizations to innovate and deliver value at an unprecedented pace. Understanding the basics of deployment and how DevOps simplifies these processes is the first step toward building efficient, high-velocity software teams.
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