Implementation of an Azure-based DevOps environment for an energy supplier
A leading German energy supplier has set itself the goal of modernizing and optimizing its IT infrastructure to enable more efficient and flexible business processes. To achieve this goal, we set up an agile development project and formed a DevOps development team of IT and business experts. Our team works according to the SCRUM framework in two-week sprints, with regular meetings such as refinements, reviews and daily stand-ups.
As a contractor, we independently took on a variety of tasks as part of this project. One of the first and most important tasks was to advise and implement best practices for setting up the Azure environment, taking into account the customer’s specific standards. This consulting included analyzing the existing infrastructure, planning the new environment, and documenting recommended practices.
Another key task was the configuration and ongoing support and maintenance of subscriptions, resource groups, and resources in the Azure environment. This included creating and managing resources such as virtual machines, networks, and storage accounts to ensure a stable and secure operating environment.
To automate infrastructure provisioning, we created Terraform scripts. These scripts enabled consistent and repeatable provisioning of resources and made infrastructure management much easier.
Another key area was building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines in Gitlab. These pipelines integrated build, test, and deployment processes to enable continuous delivery of new features and updates. The pipelines were configured to be triggered automatically and ensured that all changes were thoroughly tested before being transferred to the production environment.
We also advised and supported the deployment of services developed in Java and Python. This included selecting suitable deployment strategies, configuring the runtime environments and implementing scaling mechanisms to ensure high availability and performance of the applications.
Our tasks also included operating and troubleshooting the deployed productive services. This included monitoring system performance, analyzing errors, and implementing solutions to resolve issues to ensure smooth operations.
Another important aspect was the design and implementation of a comprehensive monitoring system. This system enabled continuous monitoring of the infrastructure and applications. This included setting up monitoring tools, configuring alarms, and implementing dashboards to visualize system performance and availability.
By implementing this project, we were able to realize several significant benefits. Automating infrastructure deployment and implementing CI/CD pipelines led to a significant increase in efficiency in the delivery of new features and updates. Continuous monitoring and implementation of best practices in the Azure environment improved the reliability and stability of the IT infrastructure. The new infrastructure enabled flexible and scalable provision of resources that could be quickly adapted to changing business requirements. The monitoring and fault monitoring systems implemented enabled problems to be identified and resolved more quickly, increasing system availability.
The close collaboration between our DevOps team and the customer resulted in an efficient and flexible IT infrastructure that meets the company’s current and future needs. The implementation of best practices and the automation of processes have significantly improved the efficiency, reliability and scalability of the IT landscape and provided the company with a solid foundation for further growth and innovation.