With the release of the Sitecore 10 upgrade, deployment to Azure Kubernetes Service is now supported by Sitecore. Implementing DevOps best practices is, however, crucial when hosting Sitecore XP in AKS which can subsequently ensure personalized digital customer experiences. Following DevOps best practices encourage better collaboration and communication between development teams and their IT counterparts, leading eventually to the seamless delivery of value to the end customer, either in the form of improved delivery, scalability, enhanced product features, automation, and more.

Keeping in mind the immense relevance of DevOps in today’s dynamic digital spectrum, the following enlisted Sitecore Azure DevOps practices can ensure a smooth and efficient deployment of Sitecore XP in AKS.

Best DevOps Practices for Deploying Sitecore XP in AKS

• Automate Infrastructure Provisioning: One of the most effective practices for hosting Sitecore XP in AKS is to automate your infrastructure provisioning using ‘Infrastructure as Code’ (IaC) tools like Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates or terraform. This enables consistent and repeatable deployments, reducing manual errors.


• Container-based Approach: Embrace a container-based approach by packaging Sitecore components into Docker containers. This simplifies the deployment process greatly, enables portability and loose coupling, and promotes scalability.


• Continuous Integration and Delivery: Utilize a continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipeline to automate build, test, and deployment processes. Tools like Azure DevOps or Jenkins can help streamline this workflow, thereby essentially doing away with long-drawn-out installations.


• Monitor AKS Cluster: Regularly monitor your AKS cluster and Sitecore environment using Azure Monitor or other monitoring tools. This ensures proactive identification of prevalent issues and swift movement to resolve them.

Conclusion

If you wish to build digital experiences for your business using Sitecore XP, its deployment in the Azure Kubernetes Service can present certain challenges. These DevOps best practices can maximize the benefits of hosting Sitecore XP in AKS and deliver a reliable and scalable web experience.

Reach out to us at Altudo for expert guidance and consultation to help leverage the best out of Sitecore XP. Our team of certified Sitecore developers and experts will guide you in better understanding Sitecore Azure DevOps and its best practices that are most likely to result in tangible business returns for your organization.