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Practical DevOps
Key FeaturesGet to know the background of DevOps so you understand the collaboration between different aspects of an IT organization and a software developerImprove your organization's performance to ensure smooth production of software and servicesDeploy top-quality software and ensure software maintenance and release management with this practical guideBook DescriptionDevOps is a practical field that focuses on delivering business value as efficiently as possible. DevOps encompasses all the flows from code through testing environments to production environments. It stresses the cooperation between different roles, and how they can work together more closely, as the roots of the word imply—Development and Operations.
After a quick refresher to DevOps and continuous delivery, we quickly move on to looking at how DevOps affects architecture. You'll create a sample enterprise Java application that you'll continue to work with through the remaining chapters. Following this, we explore various code storage and build server options. You will then learn how to perform code testing with a few tools and deploy your test successfully. Next, you will learn how to monitor code for any anomalies and make sure it's running properly. Finally, you will discover how to handle logs and keep track of the issues that affect processes
What you will learnAppreciate the merits of DevOps and continuous delivery and see how DevOps supports the agile processUnderstand how all the systems fit together to form a larger wholeSet up and familiarize yourself with all the tools you need to be efficient with DevOpsDesign an application that is suitable for continuous deployment systems with Devops in mindStore and manage your code effectively using different options such as Git, Gerrit, and GitlabConfigure a job to build a sample CRUD applicationTest the code using automated regression testing with Jenkins SeleniumDeploy your code using tools such as Puppet, Ansible, Palletops, Chef, and VagrantMonitor the health of your code with Nagios, Munin, and GraphiteExplore the workings of Trac—a tool used for issue trackingAbout the AuthorJoakim Verona is a consultant with a specialty in Continuous Delivery and DevOps. He has worked with all aspects of systems development since 1994. He has actively contributed as the lead implementer of complex multilayered systems such as web systems, multimedia systems, and mixed software/hardware systems. His wide-ranging technical interests led him to the emerging field of DevOps in 2004, where he has stayed ever since.
Joakim completed his masters in computer science at Linkoping Institute of Technology. He has also worked as a consultant in a wide range of assignments in various industries, such as banking and finance, telecom, industrial engineering, press and publishing, and game development. He is also interested in the Agile field and is a certified Scrum master, Scrum product owner, and Java professional.
Table of ContentsIntroduction to DevOps and Continuous DeliveryA View from OrbitHow DevOps Affects ArchitectureEverything is CodeBuilding the CodeTesting the CodeDeploying the CodeMonitoring the CodeIssue TrackingThe Internet of Things and DevOps
After a quick refresher to DevOps and continuous delivery, we quickly move on to looking at how DevOps affects architecture. You'll create a sample enterprise Java application that you'll continue to work with through the remaining chapters. Following this, we explore various code storage and build server options. You will then learn how to perform code testing with a few tools and deploy your test successfully. Next, you will learn how to monitor code for any anomalies and make sure it's running properly. Finally, you will discover how to handle logs and keep track of the issues that affect processes
What you will learnAppreciate the merits of DevOps and continuous delivery and see how DevOps supports the agile processUnderstand how all the systems fit together to form a larger wholeSet up and familiarize yourself with all the tools you need to be efficient with DevOpsDesign an application that is suitable for continuous deployment systems with Devops in mindStore and manage your code effectively using different options such as Git, Gerrit, and GitlabConfigure a job to build a sample CRUD applicationTest the code using automated regression testing with Jenkins SeleniumDeploy your code using tools such as Puppet, Ansible, Palletops, Chef, and VagrantMonitor the health of your code with Nagios, Munin, and GraphiteExplore the workings of Trac—a tool used for issue trackingAbout the AuthorJoakim Verona is a consultant with a specialty in Continuous Delivery and DevOps. He has worked with all aspects of systems development since 1994. He has actively contributed as the lead implementer of complex multilayered systems such as web systems, multimedia systems, and mixed software/hardware systems. His wide-ranging technical interests led him to the emerging field of DevOps in 2004, where he has stayed ever since.
Joakim completed his masters in computer science at Linkoping Institute of Technology. He has also worked as a consultant in a wide range of assignments in various industries, such as banking and finance, telecom, industrial engineering, press and publishing, and game development. He is also interested in the Agile field and is a certified Scrum master, Scrum product owner, and Java professional.
Table of ContentsIntroduction to DevOps and Continuous DeliveryA View from OrbitHow DevOps Affects ArchitectureEverything is CodeBuilding the CodeTesting the CodeDeploying the CodeMonitoring the CodeIssue TrackingThe Internet of Things and DevOps
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
16 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 22, 2022
Disclaimer: I’m a Machine Learning Engineer. This is my firs book on DevOps
Pros: As a beginner in DevOps you can get the holistic idea of every stage of the CI/CD pipeline. The writing is easy to follow so you can read the whole book in 3-4 evenings and enjoy it.
Cons: For every chapter of the book, so many frameworks and technologies are mentioned that it is impossible to feel confident that you can deploy anything, even when you are finished with the book.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Note: I’ll read more books on DevOps, if at any point I come to the conclusion that my rating was unfair, I’ll come back and update it.
Pros: As a beginner in DevOps you can get the holistic idea of every stage of the CI/CD pipeline. The writing is easy to follow so you can read the whole book in 3-4 evenings and enjoy it.
Cons: For every chapter of the book, so many frameworks and technologies are mentioned that it is impossible to feel confident that you can deploy anything, even when you are finished with the book.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Note: I’ll read more books on DevOps, if at any point I come to the conclusion that my rating was unfair, I’ll come back and update it.
July 13, 2018
The book provides and introduction and short description of DevOps including initial practical steps with some samples and list of tools snd techniques.
If you know nothing about DevOps and would like to get an idea how to start with it - decent first book to read.
If you already know smth and looking for detailed and advanced guide - that’s not the right book. It’s too short to cover the details.
I would suggest to name it “Introduction to Practical DevOps”.
January 18, 2018
Good survey/overview of what's involved, but a little bit dated at this point (Jan 2018). For example, Grafana and Prometheus aren't included in the monitoring section.
April 21, 2025
I read Practical DevOps by Joakim Verona over two sittings, and that says a lot about how engaging and well-written it is. It's clear, human, sometimes funny, and incredibly well-formatted. The structure alone deserves praise—you can tell a technical writer was involved. This book made me feel like I was being guided, not lectured.
The first four chapters were my favorite. They set the tone with clarity and scope, covering the DevOps mindset, history, and a general overview of the ecosystem. Verona strikes a perfect balance between conceptual explanation and real-world grounding. These chapters made me feel like I belonged in the conversation, even as someone still relatively new to DevOps.
Chapters 5 and 6 were where I began to feel out of my depth. They dive into continuous integration and delivery infrastructure, source control, and automated testing frameworks. While I understood the bigger picture and appreciated how the ideas linked together, I struggled with some of the tooling details and assumed knowledge. That said, the book never left me behind entirely—it gave me just enough handholds to stay engaged.
Chapter 7 was the strongest for me. It brought clarity to the entire DevOps pipeline by showing how the concepts and tools previously discussed interconnect in practical environments. This chapter solidified my understanding and made everything feel real and achievable.
The final chapters 8 through 10 pulled things together nicely. They covered ongoing operations, monitoring, feedback loops, and cultural integration. While these chapters weren’t quite as exciting as the earlier ones, they still played an important role in rounding out the book and providing a complete view of the DevOps lifecycle.
One area that might divide readers is the level of technical depth. There are only a few pages of actual code in the book. Those looking for a hands-on or cookbook-style guide with step-by-step tutorials may find this aspect lacking. Personally, I would have loved a bonus section at the end with walkthroughs or example pipelines to reinforce the “practical” promise of the title.
Still, Practical DevOps delivered in its own way—it gave me a much clearer understanding of what DevOps professionals actually do and how the various tools and practices fit together. It’s an ideal book for those entering the field or working adjacent to it, and I’d highly recPommend it to anyone who wants a lucid, well-structured introduction to the DevOps world.
The first four chapters were my favorite. They set the tone with clarity and scope, covering the DevOps mindset, history, and a general overview of the ecosystem. Verona strikes a perfect balance between conceptual explanation and real-world grounding. These chapters made me feel like I belonged in the conversation, even as someone still relatively new to DevOps.
Chapters 5 and 6 were where I began to feel out of my depth. They dive into continuous integration and delivery infrastructure, source control, and automated testing frameworks. While I understood the bigger picture and appreciated how the ideas linked together, I struggled with some of the tooling details and assumed knowledge. That said, the book never left me behind entirely—it gave me just enough handholds to stay engaged.
Chapter 7 was the strongest for me. It brought clarity to the entire DevOps pipeline by showing how the concepts and tools previously discussed interconnect in practical environments. This chapter solidified my understanding and made everything feel real and achievable.
The final chapters 8 through 10 pulled things together nicely. They covered ongoing operations, monitoring, feedback loops, and cultural integration. While these chapters weren’t quite as exciting as the earlier ones, they still played an important role in rounding out the book and providing a complete view of the DevOps lifecycle.
One area that might divide readers is the level of technical depth. There are only a few pages of actual code in the book. Those looking for a hands-on or cookbook-style guide with step-by-step tutorials may find this aspect lacking. Personally, I would have loved a bonus section at the end with walkthroughs or example pipelines to reinforce the “practical” promise of the title.
Still, Practical DevOps delivered in its own way—it gave me a much clearer understanding of what DevOps professionals actually do and how the various tools and practices fit together. It’s an ideal book for those entering the field or working adjacent to it, and I’d highly recPommend it to anyone who wants a lucid, well-structured introduction to the DevOps world.
February 1, 2017
What is DevOps? The word "DevOps" is a marriage between the "development" and "operation" side of a business. In simple terms it is the continuous collaboration between developers and the wider IT professional communities, aiming to build, test, and release more reliable software rapidly.
The author starts with providing the readers an introduction to DevOps in chapters 1 and 2. Everyone is familiar with ITIL and Joakim makes a conscious effort in providing a brief on how ITIL and DevOps fit together.
The practical approach of using various examples and useful links to other resources engages the reader. We are taken through the steps in a DevOps life cycle i.e. building - testing - deploying - monitoring from chapters 5 - 8.
In the final chapter we are introduced to the emerging field of the Internet of Things and how it affects DevOps.
The book scores 9 / 10 in terms of content and value for money. It is an easy and informative read. From my perspective I would conclude that this is a recommended read for readers who are new to DevOps.
Review by Uma Kanagaratnam, Managed Application Services consultant
Originally posted: http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/...
The author starts with providing the readers an introduction to DevOps in chapters 1 and 2. Everyone is familiar with ITIL and Joakim makes a conscious effort in providing a brief on how ITIL and DevOps fit together.
The practical approach of using various examples and useful links to other resources engages the reader. We are taken through the steps in a DevOps life cycle i.e. building - testing - deploying - monitoring from chapters 5 - 8.
In the final chapter we are introduced to the emerging field of the Internet of Things and how it affects DevOps.
The book scores 9 / 10 in terms of content and value for money. It is an easy and informative read. From my perspective I would conclude that this is a recommended read for readers who are new to DevOps.
Review by Uma Kanagaratnam, Managed Application Services consultant
Originally posted: http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/...
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February 11, 2021A comprehensive book for starters in DevOps. From technical point of view it gives a nice holistic picture of the technical essense, nomeculature, toolchains, main concepts of CI/CD and helps grow a good idea about developming software from DevOps point of view. You'll learn in good enough details about different software & tools for a specific domain with brief comparisions between them.
From soft skills prespectives, it can give you ideas about the game rules and responsibilities of this role within the organization, and, consequently, you'd get the idea of where you need to hold accountable.
From soft skills prespectives, it can give you ideas about the game rules and responsibilities of this role within the organization, and, consequently, you'd get the idea of where you need to hold accountable.
July 26, 2017
A great introduction to a bunch of tools and practices around the DevOps movement. It suffers only from the problem of trying to fit what is a fast changing and already large field into a small book. Worthwhile the read though!
October 15, 2019
The author makes the specific components of DevOps understandable and easily accessible both for developers and operations. The book is littered with examples and practical solutions to real world problems.
The book nicely summarised all the aspects of the field of DevOps. It was an easy read and I highly recommended for anyone whose interested in DevOps.
This book is an excellent primer in the field!
The book nicely summarised all the aspects of the field of DevOps. It was an easy read and I highly recommended for anyone whose interested in DevOps.
This book is an excellent primer in the field!
April 18, 2016
Nice book to get an initial overview on DevOps
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews