Managing configuration in cloud-native applications can be overwhelming due to its complexity and abundance. This episode focuses on five essential best practices to help simplify configuration management. We discuss the importance of maintaining a single source of truth, using automation to handle variations, and implementing revision control for tracking changes. Centralizing configurations and deploying them through automated systems are also highlighted as key strategies. By treating configurations with the same discipline as source code, we can significantly reduce complexity and enhance the reliability of our applications.

Navigating the complexities of software configuration in cloud-native applications is a significant challenge for architects and developers alike. Throughout this discussion, I explore the various types of configurations that exist within modern applications, from network interconnections to database permissions and application secrets. As cloud-native architectures often employ microservices, the sheer volume of configurations can lead to confusion and potential errors. I emphasize the importance of managing this complexity by implementing five best practices that can greatly aid in organizing and controlling configurations more effectively.

The first practice I highlight is establishing a single source of truth for all configuration data. By avoiding redundant copies of configurations scattered across multiple servers, we can minimize the risks of configuration drift and ensure that changes are uniformly applied. Next, I discuss the use of automation to handle variations within configurations, which allows for a single configuration file to be adapted for multiple use cases without the need for numerous duplicates. This not only simplifies management but also reduces potential errors.

Additionally, I advocate for the use of revision control systems to track changes to configuration files, ensuring that we have a clear history of modifications that can be referenced in case of issues. Centralizing configurations in a well-known location and employing automated distribution systems further solidify our ability to manage configurations with confidence. By treating configurations with the same discipline as we do our code, we can enhance the reliability and security of our applications, ultimately leading to better software architecture outcomes.

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Hello and welcome to Software Architecture Insights.

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Managing configuration is Information in a complex Cloud native application can be daunting.

There is seemingly configuration everywhere.

There's configuration describing the network interconnection in your system, including routing rules and port blocking.

There's configuration for your load balancers, determining where to send traffic destined for your service.

There's configuration for security permissions needed for databases, caches, servers, third party applications and systems.

There's configuration for your application itself, describing database connections, service connections, and various secrets and other configuration values.

In a cloud native application using a microservice based architecture, the configuration problem is multiplied Configurations are everywhere.

Some configurations are well known and managed, sometimes in a revision control system.

However, some of these configurations are stored within the system or component that requires this information, and some of it may be simply unknown and completely unmanaged.

Face it, there's configuration everywhere and it makes your application and its infrastructure more complex than is necessary.

How do you take control and reduce the complexity associated with this large quantity of configuration information in a cloud native environment?

Here are five best practices to help you get a hand on your configuration mess.

1.

Keep a single source of truth for all configuration Sometimes configurations are copied all over the place.

A configuration used in one server is copied to another server, then another server.

Eventually there might be hundreds of copies of the same or nearly the same configuration all over the place.

The risk is that a change to one copy won't make it to other copies.

As time goes on, the configurations will drift from each other, leading to configuration errors, application failures, and even security vulnerabilities.

Instead, for each type of configuration information, such as a specific type of configuration file, keep a single master copy of the configuration.

The single master copies where all changes to the configuration should be made.

Then, if the configuration is needed in many or potentially hundreds of different locations, automate a process to push the configuration out to those other locations.

This best practice keeps all of the same or similar configurations properly aligned and makes sure that required changes that are made to one are made to all copies.

Number two Use automation to make variations in the previous best practice.

For some configuration files, their configuration is almost the same across all devices.

Sometimes small changes are required in each copy of the configuration.

But rather than keeping a separate, unique copy of the configuration for each component, use a single copy and automate the changes for each component using macros and variables.

For instance, consider a specific cloud security policy that requires a copy of a server IP address within the rule.

The configuration is virtually the same for that policy across multiple use cases, but the rule contains an IP address that changes from use case to use case.

Instead of creating many copies of this policy for each of the use cases, create one configuration and have a variable containing the IP address.

During the process of deploying the security policy, replace the variable with the proper IP address in each use case.

It's simple, it's easy, but it's a hugely effective tool in reducing complexity in configuration.

This automation alone will ensure that similar configuration files are maintained identically and that change drift doesn't occur within each of the configurations.

3 Use revision control Almost all configurations ultimately can be managed as simple text files.

Put those text files in your revision control system, such as Git.

Then when you need to deploy the configuration change, get the appropriate version out of the revision control system.

This practice will keep a running history of all changes to the configuration, and when a change is made, it will keep track of who made that change and the reason for the change, such as from a support ticket or a project plan.

This can be helpful when a problem occurs.

If a system suddenly starts acting strangely, a simple check of the revision control system can see what changes have occurred in the configuration, most recently these changes if an error can be simply rolled back.

Additionally, the changes can be analyzed to see why they caused a problem in order to help avoid future issues.

4.

Centralize your configurations As a corollary to the previous best practices, centralize all of your configurations in a single, well known location.

Using a revision control system to manage your configurations makes this job much easier to do.

By centralizing your configurations, you'll never have to guess where the primary source configuration for a given component exists.

They will be easy to review during problem situations, and if the location is well known, it will be more natural to use and expand if a need for a new configuration file crops up.

It will be easier to follow these best practices if the other configurations are all in the same location.

This reduces the likelihood of untracked configurations being used out of convenience, and it ensures that everyone follows the best practices and maintains accountability.

And finally, number five Use automated systems to distribute configuration information.

Your configurations should be deployed using automated systems just like your software is deployed.

Using a CICD pipeline is standard policy for modern cloud native applications, and that deployment pipeline should deploy all configurations along with all code, and that deployment pipeline should deploy all configurations along with all code.

This enables the consistent application of variable and macros that we've previously talked about, and it ensures that all changes are deployed across all components that require the configuration.

Automation ensures consistency and accountability in managing large quantities of configurations.

Configurations are assets, configurations are as valuable as code, and incorrect changes can be just as dangerous to your application.

You should treat your configurations with the same level of discipline that you apply to your source code.

By using shared, centralized, templatized configurations that are tracked by version control and automatically deployed, you will go far in reducing the configuration complexity inherent in modern cloud native applications.

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