Observability in IT operations is widely discussed, thanks to digital transformation. How can you implement better practices in observability? Read more.
Observability in IT operations and cloud computing is a widely discussed topic now, thanks to rising digital transformation and cloud adoption. The crucial difference between observability and traditional IT monitoring lies in the fact that the former has its focus on application development and rich instrumentation allowing operators to ask questions on the functionality of the software. In simpler terms, rather than just focusing on functional metrics (like in monitoring), observability gives an ability to ask questions from a different perspective (highly user-centric) so that enterprises can achieve better results in production.
To better the infrastructure's business value, observability can solve problems such as application malfunctions, network instabilities, and browser-related issues. IT ops team should know about these troubles before user complaints arise. Otherwise, they might run the risk of losing customers altogether and increase retention costs. So how can you implement and improve better observability practices? Here are five ways that will help.
#1 - Include Observability in Development Cycles
Indeed, operations personnel typically take care of observability and application health. But, since developers know what they built, they know how the codes will translate in production. Partially implementing certain observability objectives in the CI/CD pipeline will benefit the overall output.
#2 - Data Expansion
A vital step to improve observability is to diversify monitoring metrics beyond CPU usage and network latency. Including new metrics such as logs, alerts, traces from multiple infrastructural components will help in getting more insights into the application. Additionally, steps should be taken to address incidents more efficiently.
#3 - Get Specialized Tools
Traditional monitoring tools are not sufficient enough in providing the right observability results. Teams need to procure specialized tools created to provide the right skills and resources required for your organization.
#4 - Improve User Experience
Remember, observability doesn't just concern developers, operators, and management. The results directly affect the end-user, and steps must be taken to include inputs from other teams such as sales, marketing, etc., to have quality products delivered.
#5 - Streamline Tooling in Observability
Try not to fall into the trap of duplicative tooling. You don't need overlapping tools for the same project, adding nothing and essentially wasting resources. Integrating and streamlining observability tools can save a lot of time and resources for ITops teams.
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