Excerpt: DevOps is an approach to software development that revolves around the developing team collaborating through the entire process of creating something new – from conception through coding to launch.
Introduction
The DevOps culture involves combining certain philosophies with the appropriate tools to produce excellent results at high speed. This approach results in faster results, better products, and fewer bugs and failures in the final creation.
Elements like cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning have been integrated into modern DevOps culture. As a result, a variety of excellent tools have been developed that make use of these features to improve every aspect of DevOps.
In this article, we’ll be discussing some of the best DevOps tools and solutions currently around.
Best DevOps tools and solutions
1. Maven
Maven is an open-source build tool developed by the Apache group. While it is written in Java, it can also be used for projects written in languages like Ruby, C# and Scala. In addition, it seeks to automate many of the repetitive tasks involved in development.
Features:
- A straightforward project setup allows you to launch a new project or module in seconds.
- Excellent dependency management features, such as automatic updating and dependency closures.
- An extensive repository of libraries and metadata which you can use.
- You can work on more than one project at once.
- Instant access to the latest features with little or no additional configuration required.
- Can build any number of projects into predefined output types such as a JAR, WAR, or distribution based on metadata about the project, without the need to do any scripting in most cases.
- As an open-source project, it can be used for free.
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2. Jenkins:
Jenkins is an open-source, Java-based automation and continuous integration tool. It was launched in 2011 as the successor to an earlier project named Hudson. It allows smooth and ongoing development, testing, and deployment of newly created code.
Features:
- It is supported by a variety of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and other Unix OSs. It is also compatible with cloud-based platforms.
- Extensible with over a thousand plugins.
- It can be easily set up and configured via its web interface, which includes on-the-fly error checks and built-in help.
- Ensures that no broken code is shipped to production by merging the final code only when all tests have been successful.
- Easily distributes work across multiple machines for faster builds, tests, and deployments across multiple platforms.
- Fully open-source and free to use. Extensive community support is available.
3. Chef:
Chef is an open-source configuration management DevOps tool developed by Opscode. Written in Ruby and Erlang, it seeks to define infrastructure as a code capable of being deployed onto multiple servers.
Features:
- Provides automatic configuration and maintenance.
- Its automation and continuous deployment features allow for speedy rollout of products.
- Detects potential bugs and errors and eliminates them before launch.
- You can build, manage and deploy legacy apps in the same environment and using the same tools and processes as your latest creations.
- Automated edge computing reduces the chances of failure during deployment and accelerates deployment frequency.
- It has a simplified cloud migration process that uses a common approach to package, secure and deliver applications.
- While the basic package comes for free, Chef also comes in premium packages like Hosted and Private, with the price depending on the customizations you choose.
4. Ansible:
Similar to Chef, Ansible is an open-source configuration management solution. Developed by Red Hat and written in Python, it has been adopted by organizations ranging from Evernote and Intel to NASA and Apple. It is considered easier for a user than Chef.
Features
- Pre-composed modules and roles around specific topic areas save you time and work.
- Automation Hub allows you to find, use and extend content supported by Red Hat or its partners.
- Easily deploy multi tier tasks without needing to write custom code.
- Automated workflows and provisioning make orchestrating multiple tasks easy.
- Sitewide security policies can be deployed easily through automated processes.
- Plans come in Standard and Premium forms; the price will depend on your preferred customizations.
5. Kubernetes:
A portable, extensible, open-source automated orchestration platform, Kubernetes allows developers to automate processes like container configuration, scaling, security and networking. Open-sourced since 2014, it offers the most effective way to host and manage large, complex applications.
Features:
- It eliminates the need for your application to be dependent on one infrastructure by allowing you to deploy cloud-native applications in containerized form.
- Automates the distribution and scheduling of containerized applications.
- Improves the developer environment by allowing you to run software in any setting.
- Refines operations by providing a comprehensive tool for building, shipping and scaling software.
- Executes health-check on your apps and self-heals through auto-placement, auto-restart, auto-replication, and auto-scaling.
- Effectively minimizes security risks while controlling cost.
- Since it is open-source, the price depends on the customizations you order.
6. Docker:
Launched in 2013 by Docker Inc., it is an open-source containerized application management platform similar to Kubernetes. Unlike Kubernetes, it focuses on managing applications on single nodes.
Features:
- Compatible with cloud solutions like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud Platform.
- The functionality of Core APIs can be easily extended with Docker CLI plugins that simplify the management of images, apps and registries, enhance collaboration, and allow you to deliver finished code to your operations team.
- Build lets you create and share portable Docker container images using open standards.
- It is compatible with any app and any language.
- Four pricing plans, a $0, $5, $7 or $21 per month,
7. Amazon Web Services:
As Amazon’s cloud computing focused subsidiary, AWS provides premier cloud computing and storage solutions for DevOps teams. Used by corporate giants like Adobe, Canon and Airbnb, it allows developers to reduce the costs associated with data centres, hardware and operating systems by hosting systems and operations on the cloud.
Features:
- It offers great flexibility, with developers being able to choose whichever OS language and database they want.
- Applications can be easily scaled upwards or downwards, depending on your requirements.
- Amazon Glacier offers a cheap and secure option for archived data and long-term backups.
- AWS Identity and Access Management lets you manage user and group access to AWS services for free.
- Stored data is encrypted end-to-end, resulting in great security and durability.
- The “Pay as you go” service model means that your costs will depend on your requirements; zero upfront or capital costs.
8. Microsoft Azure:
Azure offers an alternative cloud computing solution to AWS. It is favoured by those organizations who are already using Microsoft products like Outlook, Office and Windows since it makes for a simpler transition. Azure DevOps is a package of tools specialized for DevOps teams.
Features:
- Boards allow you to collaborate and track work across teams. It is integrated with GitHub, Slack and MS Teams.
- Pipelines automate builds and deployments. It can run any language and on any platform. Support for YAML, test integration, release gates etc., is provided.
- It offers fully integrated package management to continuous integration / continuous delivery pipelines. Build and share Maven, NuGet, and Python package feeds from public or private sources.
- Access unlimited, cloud-hosted private Git repos.
- Some services are free, the remainder on a “pay as you go” basis.
9. SignalFX:
SignalFx is a monitoring, alert and incident response tool. Founded in 2013, it is a Software as a Service-based monitoring and analytics platform. It detects complex application performance issues to help you in sustaining a high level of service.
Features:
- Access to over two hundred and fifty cloud service integrations and pre-built dashboards for rapid, full-stack visualization.
- Real-time actionable alerts that act on dynamic thresholds and can follow complex rules.
- Centralized business controls that monitor service-level objectives and indicators instantaneously.
- Discover and visualize Kubernetes objects, their health and their performance with customizable dashboards and charts.
- Cost you $15 per host per month.
10. Selenium:
Developed by ThoughtWorks Chicago and launched in 2004, Selenium is an open-source testing framework for web applications. It automates testing to execute test cases, compares outcomes, and reports defects. This saves you time and the money required to hire a tester and is an error-free method.
Features:
- Supports all major browsers and platforms like Windows, Linux and MacOS.
- Integrates with a wide variety of programming languages such as JavaScript, C#, Ruby and Python.
- Includes an Integrated Development Environment for creating and running test cases.
- Client API allows developers to write test scripts directly in the language of their choice rather than in the Selenese programming language.
- WebDriver offers language-specific bindings for writing test scripts.
- Grid is a smart proxy server that allows tests to be executed on multiple browsers and operating systems in parallel.
- Because it’s open-source, it’s completely free of cost.
Conclusion
Thanks to the increased efficiency and productivity it offers, DevOps can rightly be termed the development philosophy of the future. To facilitate this approach, a wide variety of open source tools with powerful functionalities have been developed that enhance the development process from start to finish, be it with respect to automation, storage, testing or deployment.
We hope this article was able to answer your questions about the best DevOps solutions and tools!
