Beyond Cloud – Embracing the Playbook

Deploying an instance in AWS, Azure or Google is typically a straightforward process. However, architecting, managing and optimizing your end-to-end platforms that consist of application tiers, data tiers, integration points and inherent relationships is less so.  

The reality is many, if not most, of the complexities that were present before you migrated to the cloud are still present afterwards and the likelihood of operational mistakes and ultimately disruption that affects your end-users (customers, projects etc) is very high. One of the key best practices to reduce these mistakes is the use of playbooks (aka Runbooks). Operational standards that guide and provide consistency, and ultimately act as a baseline for optimization i.e. replacement of manual tasks with automated tasks (where possible). A displacement of reactive activities and heroics with reliable methods that are easy to access, share and can be measured with the intent of supporting continuous improvement. A key philosophy embedded within the Enov8 framework is every object, whether it be a

• Environment
• Group of Systems
• System / Platform
• Instance
• Component
• Process

Can have

• Knowledge,
• Playbooks &
• Automation attached.

A construct that allows the team to easily navigate across your complex environments, both production & test, find relevant support documentation, centralise operational best-practices, launch & track operations and streamline specific “atomic” tasks invoking your favourite DevOps tools e.g. Stop & Start, Refresh, Deploy, Secure, Configure, Shakedown etc. Out of the box, Enov8 Playbooks (aka Runbooks) comes in three flavours:

• Traditional Checklist Style
• Agile Kanban Style
• Self Service (Push Button)

All of which can seamlessly integrate with your favourite technology or tools to get the job done effectively, whether it’s a AWS, Google or Azure, Puppet or Chef, Jenkins or Team City, UFT or Selenium. Enov8 removes the need for a plethora of non-Integratable word & excel documents and confusion caused by using different-tools that don’t talk together. By using Enov8 you can better understand capability across systems, across teams (e.g. dev, test, ops, security) & across technology stacks (e.g. applications, data, infrastructure), and ultimately go through the maturity journey that takes your different operations from:

1. Chaos (Best Effort & Un-Auditable)
2. Static Playbook – Documented Procedures
3. Live Playbook – Documented and Fully Traceable (Auditable)
4. Hybrid Playbook – Documented, Partially Automated and Fully Traceable
5. Automated Playbook – Fully Automated and Fully Traceable
6. Self-Service Playbook – Fully Automated, Customer Exposed and Fully Traceable

Use Enov8 to better manage, streamline and measure your operations within teams and at scale. The Benefits are Clear

• Operational Awareness
• Repeatable & Reliable
• Continually Optimizing
• Streamlined Delivery Cycles (at operational level & at project level)
• Happy Consumers e.g. Projects & Customers

Learn More If you want to learn more about implementing effective Environment Management & Operations, then speak to enov8 about our Ecosystem Solution. Enov8 EcoSystem is a complete platform that takes information from across the IT Spectrum and helps you better understand and manage your IT Fabric (Applications, Data, & Infrastructure), IT Operations & and Orchestrate them effectively.  

Niall Crawford Niall is the Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer of Enov8. He has over 25 years of experience working across the IT industry from Software Engineering, Architecture, IT & Test Environment Management and Executive Leadership. Niall has worked with, and advised, many global organisations covering verticals like Banking, Defense, Telecom and Information Technology Services.

Relevant Articles