Reducing Complexity in your Configuration Management Strategy
On this episode of Modern Digital Business, we dive into the complexities of managing configurations in modern cloud-native applications. Hosted by Lee Atchison, we explore the best practices for managing configuration files, maintaining consistency across the system, and reducing complexity. We discuss the importance of using a revision control system, centralizing configurations, and using automation to distribute configuration.
Modern Digital Business offers actionable insights and recommendations to make managing your digital business easier.
Questions & Answers
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1. What is a CI/CD system, and why is it important for modern application deployment?
Answer: A CI/CD system is a standard for modern application deployment. It stands for Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment. It ensures that the code is regularly integrated and tested, and any issues that arise are quickly fixed, which leads to faster and more reliable software delivery.
2. Why should configurations be included in the deployment pipeline along with code?
Answer: Configurations are as important as source code when it comes to application deployment. Including configurations in the deployment pipeline ensures that they are consistent with the code, and any changes made to the code are reflected in the configurations. This helps to avoid errors and maintain proper functionality.
3. What is the importance of consistency of variables and macros across the system?
Answer: Consistency of variables and macros across the system is crucial as it helps in maintaining the desired behavior of the application. Inconsistencies can cause unpredictable results, which can lead to errors and security vulnerabilities.
4. How does automation ensure consistency and accountability in managing configurations?
Answer: Automation ensures that the process of managing configurations is consistent and accountable by making sure that changes are made through predefined processes that are easy to track and audit. This helps to avoid errors and improves the overall quality of configuration management.
5. Why should configurations be treated with the same level of discipline as source code?
Answer: Configurations are valuable assets of an application, and any errors can lead to detrimental effects on the application. Treating configurations with the same level of discipline as source code can help to avoid these errors, improve the application's reliability, and reduce the likelihood of security vulnerabilities.
6. What is the best way to store configurations in a cloud-native environment?
Answer: Configurations can be stored with the system or component that requires the information, or it may be unknown and unmanaged. However, it is best to keep a single source of truth for all configurations to reduce complexity associated with multiple copies of the same or nearly the same configuration.
7. How can we reduce the complexity of configurations in modern cloud-native applications?
Answer: Shared, centralized templatized configurations can reduce complexity in modern cloud-native applications. This ensures that all configurations are consistent, and any updates can be made to all components in a system simultaneously.
8. What is the risk of not having a single master copy for configuration management?
Answer: If there is not a single master copy for configuration management, it can lead to errors and security vulnerabilities. This is because there is no accountability, and untracked configurations can be used.
9. Why should configuration be deployed using automated systems in a manner equivalent to how software is deployed?
Answer: Automating the deployment process for configuration files can help ensure that similar configuration files are maintained in the same way, and change drift is avoided. This makes the deployment process more efficient and reduces the likelihood of errors.
10. What is the importance of configuration management in modern applications?
Answer: Configuration management is crucial for managing a modern application because configurations describe network interconnections, load balancing, security permissions, and application details like database connections and secrets. Failure to manage configurations can lead to increased complexity, errors, and security vulnerabilities.
Episode Summary
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- CI CD system is standard for modern application deployment
- Deployment pipeline should include configurations along with code
- Consistency of variables and macros is important across the system
- Automation ensures consistency and accountability in managing configurations
- Configurations are valuable assets and need to be treated with the same level of discipline as source code to avoid detrimental effects on the application.
- There is a large quantity of configuration information in a cloud-native environment.
- Configurations can be stored with the system or component that requires the information, or it may be unknown and unmanaged.
- Keeping a single source of truth for all configuration is important to reduce complexity associated with multiple copies of the same or nearly the same configuration.
- Complexity can be reduced by following five best practices.
- Shared, centralized templatized configurations can reduce complexity in modern cloud-native applications.
- Put configuration files in revision control system
- Use appropriate version from revision control system for deploying changes
- Revision control system is a master storage system for configuration and changes; keeps running history of changes, who made them, and reason for them
- Useful for problem diagnosis; can quickly see changes made and roll back errors or analyze them to fix problems
- Configuration is ubiquitous and describes network interconnections, load balancing, security permissions, and application details like database connections and secrets.
- With cloud-native/microservice-based architecture, there are even more configurations to manage.
- Using automation can help manage variations in configurations across multiple devices that require small changes.
- Best Practice Number Four is to centralize configurations in a single well-known location.
- Using a revision control system can make it easier to manage configurations.
- Centralizing configurations makes it easy to locate them during problem situations and expand them.
- Keeping all configurations in the same location reduces the likelihood of untracked configurations being used and maintains accountability.
- Best Practice Number Five is to use automated systems to distribute configuration information.
- Configuration should be deployed using automated systems in a manner equivalent to how software is deployed.
- Using a single copy of the configuration for all components in a system is better than keeping a separate copy for each component.
- Automating changes for each component using macros and variables is efficient.
- Creating multiple copies of a configuration with just one different variable for each use case is tempting but not advisable.
- Instead, create one configuration and use a variable for the changing component, such as an IP address.
- Automating the deployment process will replace the variable with the appropriate IP address for each use case.
- This automation and the use of a single configuration file will ensure that similar configuration files are maintained in the same way, and change drift is avoided.
- Failure to manage configuration can lead to increased complexity
- Many people may not even know where their configuration files are located
- Configuration management can be a daunting task, especially in a complex cloud-native application
- The Modern Digital Business Podcast aims to provide actionable insights and recommendations to make managing digital business easier
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Useful Links
- Overcoming IT Complexity - Lee Atchison & Ken Gavranovic
- 5 Cloud-Native App Config Management Best Practices - Cloud Native Now
- Architecting for Scale, 2nd Edition, O’Reilly Media
About Lee
Lee Atchison is a software architect, author, public speaker, and recognized thought leader on cloud computing and application modernization. His most recent book, Architecting for Scale (O’Reilly Media), is an essential resource for technical teams looking to maintain high availability and manage risk in their cloud environments. Lee has been widely quoted in multiple technology publications, including InfoWorld, Diginomica, IT Brief, Programmable Web, CIO Review, and DZone, and has been a featured speaker at events across the globe.
Take a look at Lee's many books, courses, and articles by going to leeatchison.com.
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