DevOps has become an essential method of software development and operations. It helps streamline the development lifecycle, foster collaboration between teams, and accelerate software delivery. At its heart are DevOps automation tools, which significantly speed processes while decreasing errors.

In this blog, we will explore the top 15 DevOps automation tools you should learn in 2024.

What Is Automation in DevOps?

Automation in DevOps refers to the use of technology to perform tasks with minimal human intervention. It involves automating processes such as code deployment, testing, and infrastructure provisioning to improve efficiency and consistency in software development and delivery. 

The Objectives of Automation in DevOps

Below are the main objectives of automation in DevOps:

• Minimize human intervention in tasks
• Save time by automating processes like code deployment, testing, and infrastructure provisioning
• Improve efficiency and consistency in software development and delivery
• Reduce errors that are common with manual configuration
• Accelerate the release cycle

15 DevOps Automation Tools You Should Learn

Below are 15 popular DevOps automation tools.

#1. Git

Git is a free and open-source distributed version control system (VCS). It automates the tracking of code changes and branch merging. This automation simplifies collaboration and makes it easier to manage and revert to previous versions if needed.

To learn how Git works, check out this blog: DevOps: Git for Beginners!

Git’s Key Features

• Version Tracking: Git keeps a complete history of all changes made to your codebase.
• Branching and Merging: Git allows you to work on separate workspaces (branches) independently and then seamlessly merge them back into the main codebase when ready.
• Distributed Version Control: Git makes a complete copy of the codebase on each developer's machine. This enables offline work and fosters easier collaboration.
• Lightweight and Efficient: Git is designed to be fast and efficient, allowing for quick branching and merging, as well as efficient handling of large repositories. This lightweight design makes it easy to work with, even on less powerful hardware.

To get started with Git, enroll in our Git for Beginners course.

#2. Kubernetes

Kubernetes is the most popular container orchestration tool. It allows developers to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized apps. Kubernetes' robust features, such as load-balancing, self-healing, and service discovery, empower organizations to create resilient, portable, and scalable applications.  

Kubernetes’ Key Features

• Automated Deployments: As a user, you define the desired state of the application after deployment. Kubernetes, then, automatically handles the deployment process, making it easier to manage and scale applications across various environments.
• Self-Healing: If a container or a node fails, Kubernetes automatically detects the failure and takes corrective actions to restore the desired state. This reduces manual intervention and ensures the high availability of applications.
• Scaling: Need to handle more traffic? Kubernetes automatically scales your application by adjusting the number of running instances based on resource usage. This enables your application to handle increased demand without degrading the user experience.

Check out our Kubernetes Administrator Learning Path, a comprehensive journey that provides a solid foundation in DevOps practices,  containerization, and Kubernetes administration skills.

#3. Ansible

Ansible is an open-source automation tool that streamlines IT infrastructure configuration management and deployment through its agentless architecture using SSH and YAML. Most DevOps practitioners choose Ansible for its ease of use, scalability, and extensive library of modules designed to manage cloud resources, networking devices, and more.  

Ansible’s Key Features

• Playbooks: Define workflows for automating tasks across multiple servers.
• Agentless Architecture: Manages servers without needing software installed, reducing complexity.
• Multi-Platform Support: Works on operating systems like Linux, Windows, and macOS.
• Module Library: Offers a vast library of pre-built modules for everyday tasks, saving the users’ time.
• Community Driven: Benefits from a large and active community for support and module creation.

Make Ansible your ally by enrolling in KodeKloud’s Ansible Course.

#4. Terraform

Terraform is an open-source tool created by HashiCorp that allows users to define infrastructure as code (IaC). With Terraform, you can manage and automate the deployment and configuration of infrastructure resources such as virtual machines, networks, storage, and more across cloud providers or on-premises. 

To learn more about Terraform, check out this blog: Introduction to Terraform: A Beginner's Guide

Terraform’s Key Features

• Multi-Cloud Support: It can provision infrastructure consistently across different cloud platforms with a single tool.
• Declarative Syntax: Terraform uses a human-readable language to define the desired infrastructure state, making it easy to understand and maintain.
• State Management: Terraform tracks the infrastructure you've created, ensuring consistency and repeatability in deployments.
• Customization: Terraform modules allow you to break down complex infrastructure configurations into reusable components.

Start your Terraform journey today with our Terraform course for beginners.

#5. Jenkins

Jenkins is a continuous integration and continuous delivery/continuous deployment (CI/CD) tool that facilitates the automation of software builds, testing, and deployment. Its extensibility through plugins and robust integration capabilities with various tools and technologies make it a preferred choice for orchestrating CI/CD workflows. 

Jenkin’s Key Features

• CI/CD Pipelines: Jenkins lets you define and run automated pipelines for building, testing, and deploying your applications.
• Plugin Powerhouse: With a vast plugin library, you can customize Jenkins to integrate with nearly any development tool or cloud platform.
• Open Source and Flexible: Being open-source, Jenkins is free to use and highly customizable to fit your specific needs.
• Scalable and Extensible: It can handle small projects or large deployments, with plugins adding new functionalities as needed.

Get started with Jenkins, the most popular CI/CD tool.

#6. Docker

Docker revolutionized software development by simplifying containerization, the process of packaging applications and their dependencies into lightweight, portable containers. Using containers is a practice widely employed by DevOps teams to ensure applications remain consistent across different environments. 

Docker’s Key Features

• Containerization: Packages applications in lightweight, portable containers, isolating them from each other and the underlying system.
• Fast Deployment: Containers start quickly, enabling faster application deployments and scaling.
• Portability: Containers run consistently across different environments (development, testing, production) if they have a Docker engine.
• Docker Hub: Provides a public registry for sharing and discovering pre-built container images.

Enroll in our free Docker for Absolute Beginners Course to learn more about creating and running containers. 

#7. Prometheus

Prometheus is an open-source monitoring and alerting toolkit tailored for containerized and cloud-native environments. Boasting a powerful data model, flexible query language (PromQL), and built-in alert mechanisms, Prometheus helps you gain visibility into the performance, health, and availability of their applications and infrastructure. Mastery of Prometheus enables you to implement effective monitoring practices, facilitating proactive issue identification and resolution.

Prometheus’s Key Features

• Metrics Collection: It scrapes data (metrics) at regular intervals, allowing you to track key performance indicators (KPIs).
• PromQL: This powerful query language lets you analyze and filter collected metrics, helping you pinpoint specific areas of interest.
• Alerting: Prometheus can trigger alerts based on predefined thresholds, notifying you of potential issues before they impact users.
• Open Source: Being free and open-source makes it accessible and allows you to build a customized monitoring solution.

Check out KodeKloud’s Prometheus Certified Associate Course. 

#8. Grafana

Grafana is a visualization platform for building dashboards and graphs to visualize and analyze metrics collected by Prometheus or other data sources. Its user-friendly interface, versatile data visualization options, and extensibility via plugins make it a popular choice when building custom monitoring dashboards.  

Grafana’s Key Features

• Data Visualization Tool: Grafana connects to data sources like Prometheus (monitoring tool) and transforms raw data into informative charts and graphs.
• Customizable Dashboards: Users can design dashboards with custom layouts by combining various charts and metrics for a holistic view.
• Real-time Monitoring: Grafana updates dashboards in real-time, allowing teams to proactively identify issues and track performance trends.
• Alerts and Annotations: It can trigger alerts based on data thresholds and allows adding annotations to highlight specific events on the dashboard.

Practice using Grafana and Prometheus with KodeKloud’s playground. 

#9. Selenium

Selenium is an open-source web browser automation tool widely used for testing web applications across browsers and platforms. Its robust testing capabilities, support for multiple programming languages, integration with CI/CD pipelines, and automation pipelines make it an invaluable asset for DevOps teams looking to automate testing processes.  

Selenium’s Key Features

• Cross-Browser Compatibility: Selenium supports multiple web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer. This allows testers to validate application functionality across different browser environments.
• Language Support: Selenium provides bindings for programming languages such as Java, Python, JavaScript, C#, Ruby, and more.
• Browser Interactions: Selenium allows users to simulate interactions with web browsers through a set of commands known as Selenium WebDriver APIs.
• Test Automation Framework Integration: Selenium can be integrated with popular test automation frameworks, such as TestNG, JUnit, and Nunit.
• Parallel Test Execution: Selenium Grid enables parallel execution of tests across multiple browsers and platforms, reducing test execution time and improving overall efficiency.

#10. SonarQube

SonarQube acts as your code quality watchdog, continuously analyzing your codebase to identify potential issues. Imagine it as a code gym, highlighting areas for improvement and keeping your software in top shape.

SonarQube’s Key Features

• Static Code Analysis: It scans your code without running it, searching for bugs, vulnerabilities, code smells (indicators of potential problems), and duplication.
• Code Quality Metrics: SonarQube assigns quality ratings based on various factors. This allows you to track code health over time and identify areas needing the most attention.
• Multilingual Support: It analyzes code written in over 30 programming languages, making it a versatile tool for diverse projects.
• Integration with Development Tools: SonarQube integrates with IDEs like Visual Studio Code or Eclipse, providing real-time feedback on your code as you write.
• Security Focus: SonarQube helps identify your code's potential vulnerabilities, mitigating risks of exploits or data breaches.
• Customizable Rules: You can configure rules specific to your project's coding standards and best practices, ensuring everyone follows the same guidelines.

#11. GitLab CI/CD

GitLab CI/CD is an integrated, continuous integration and continuous delivery platform. It allows you to automate the process of building, testing, and deploying applications.

GitLab CI/CD’s Key Features

• Drag-and-Drop Design: Visually craft your CI/CD pipeline easily, just like arranging building blocks.
• Pre-built Tools: No need to reinvent the wheel! Use ready-made jobs for common tasks like testing and building.
• Multi-Environment Deploy: Seamlessly deploy across different environments (testing, staging, production) without manual intervention.
• Integrations Galore: Connect with a vast array of external tools for building, testing, and deployment.
• Monitoring & Rollbacks: Monitor your pipeline and easily roll back to previous versions if needed.

Embark on a comprehensive journey into the heart of GitLab CI/CD with our course - GitLab CI/CD: Architecting, Deploying, and Optimizing Pipelines

#12. CircleCI

CircleCI is a cloud-based CI/CD platform that allows you to automate the software delivery process. With CircleCI, you can set up pipelines to automatically trigger builds, run tests, and deploy code changes to different environments.

CircleCI’s Key Features

• Cloud-based: Set up and manage CI/CD pipelines easily without managing infrastructure.
• Flexible Configuration: Define workflows using YAML files for customization and control.
• Parallel Execution: Run tests and builds concurrently for faster feedback and delivery.
• Extensive Integrations: Integrate with various third-party tools to optimize application building, testing, and deployment.
• Visibility and Monitoring: Monitor pipeline progress, identify bottlenecks, and track build history for better control.

#13. DataDog

Datadog is a comprehensive monitoring and analytics platform designed for applications hosted in the cloud. With real-time insights into application performance, infrastructure utilization, and network utilization, it allows organizations to optimize their digital operations and improve efficiency.

DataDog’s Key Features

• Unified Monitoring: Monitor servers, applications, databases, and cloud services from a single platform.
• Alerting and Notifications: Set up custom alerts to be notified about critical events and performance anomalies.
• Log Management: Centralize and analyze application logs for troubleshooting and debugging purposes.
• Application Performance Monitoring (APM): Gain real-time insights into your applications’ performance and identify bottlenecks quickly.

#14. Puppet

Puppet is a configuration management tool that automates infrastructure configuration and management. It streamlines IT operations by reducing manual intervention, which leads to consistent and improved infrastructure performance.

Puppet’s Key Features

• Declarative Language: Define the desired state of your systems (what software to install, configurations) using a simple, human-readable language.
• Centralized Management: Manage configurations for multiple systems from one platform.
• Modularity: Break down configurations into reusable modules for easier management and sharing.
• Version Control Integration: Integrate with version control systems (like Git) to track changes and roll back if needed.
• Agent-based Architecture: Lightweight agents on each system communicate with the central server to enforce desired configurations.

Practice using Puppet with Kodekloud’s Puppet playground.

#15. Chef

Chef is a powerful configuration management tool that automates the deployment and management of infrastructure. Using a domain-specific language (DSL) called "Recipes" and "Cookbooks," Chef enables users to define the desired state of their systems and enforce configurations across multiple nodes.

Chef’s Key Features

• Write Once, Run Anywhere Philosophy: Define configurations (recipes) once and deploy them consistently across different systems (physical, virtual, cloud).
• Community Cookbooks: Leverage a vast library of pre-built cookbooks for common tasks and software installations, saving time.
• Client-Server Architecture: A central Chef Server stores cookbooks and configurations, while lightweight Chef Clients on managed systems apply them.
• Convergence: Chef clients ensure systems reach the desired state defined in recipes, guaranteeing consistency and stability.

Check out Kodekloud’s Chef playground!

Conclusion

In the dynamic landscape of DevOps, automation tools play a pivotal role in streamlining workflows, enhancing collaboration, and accelerating software delivery. The  DevOps automation tools discussed in this blog represent critical technologies for DevOps professionals in 2024. By learning these tools, practitioners can empower organizations to achieve greater agility, efficiency, and innovation in their software development and operations initiatives.