Checklist · DevOps
DevOps mvp checklist — Step by Step 2026
Launching a new product or service requires a robust DevOps foundation. This checklist guides you through the essential steps to build a solid DevOps MVP, focusing on CI/CD, infrastructure automation, security, and observability. Avoid common pitfalls like configuration drift, poor cost visibility, and slow incident response.
Phase 01
Phase 1: Infrastructure Provisioning
- 1.1critical1 day
Choose a Cloud Provider
Select a cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP) based on your needs and budget. Consider their Kubernetes offerings.
- 1.2critical3 days
Set up Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Use Terraform or CloudFormation to provision and manage your infrastructure. Automate everything.
- 1.3high2 days
Configure Networking
Set up VPCs, subnets, and security groups. Ensure proper network segmentation and security.
- 1.4critical2 days
Implement Basic Security Measures
Configure firewalls, IAM roles, and access controls. Follow the principle of least privilege.
- 1.5medium2 days
Set up a Centralized Logging System
Use tools like Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana (ELK stack) or Splunk for centralized logging.
- 1.6medium2 days
Implement Basic Monitoring
Set up basic monitoring using Prometheus and Grafana or CloudWatch. Monitor CPU, memory, and disk usage.
- 1.7high1 day
Configure a Container Registry
Use Docker Hub, AWS ECR, or Google Container Registry to store your container images.
- 1.8medium1 day
Establish Backup and Recovery Procedures
Implement regular backups of your critical data and infrastructure configurations.
- 1.9medium1 day
Define Alerting Thresholds
Configure alerts for critical metrics to proactively identify and address issues.
- 1.10low1 day
Set up Cost Monitoring
Implement cost monitoring tools to track and manage cloud spending. Use AWS Cost Explorer or similar.
Phase 02
Phase 2: CI/CD Pipeline Implementation
- 2.1critical1 day
Choose a CI/CD Tool
Select a CI/CD tool like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or CircleCI based on your needs.
- 2.2high2 days
Automate Build Process
Create automated build scripts to compile and package your application.
- 2.3critical3 days
Implement Automated Testing
Integrate unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests into your CI/CD pipeline.
- 2.4critical3 days
Automate Deployment Process
Create automated deployment scripts to deploy your application to different environments (staging, production).
- 2.5high1 day
Implement Rollback Strategy
Define a rollback strategy to quickly revert to a previous version in case of deployment failures.
- 2.6medium2 days
Integrate Security Scanning
Add security scanning tools to your pipeline to identify vulnerabilities in your code and dependencies.
- 2.7high2 days
Automate Infrastructure Updates
Use IaC tools to automate infrastructure updates and changes through the CI/CD pipeline.
- 2.8medium1 day
Version Control Configuration
Store all configuration files in version control (Git) to track changes and enable collaboration.
- 2.9medium2 days
Automate Database Migrations
Automate database migrations as part of the deployment process to ensure schema consistency.
- 2.10low2 days
Implement Automated Scaling
Configure auto-scaling policies based on resource utilization to handle traffic spikes.
Phase 03
Phase 3: Containerization and Orchestration
- 3.1critical2 days
Containerize Your Application
Create Docker images for your application components.
- 3.2critical1 day
Choose an Orchestration Platform
Select a container orchestration platform like Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, or AWS ECS.
- 3.3critical3 days
Configure Kubernetes Cluster
Set up a Kubernetes cluster on your chosen cloud provider or on-premises.
- 3.4high2 days
Define Kubernetes Deployments
Create Kubernetes deployments to manage your containerized applications.
- 3.5high2 days
Configure Kubernetes Services
Set up Kubernetes services to expose your applications to the outside world.
- 3.6medium1 day
Implement Health Checks
Configure liveness and readiness probes to ensure your applications are healthy.
- 3.7medium1 day
Configure Resource Limits
Set resource limits (CPU, memory) for your containers to prevent resource exhaustion.
- 3.8high2 days
Implement Secret Management
Use Kubernetes secrets or HashiCorp Vault to manage sensitive information.
- 3.9medium2 days
Configure Persistent Storage
Set up persistent storage for your applications using Kubernetes PersistentVolumes.
- 3.10low1 day
Implement Network Policies
Configure network policies to control traffic flow between pods and services.
Phase 04
Phase 4: Monitoring and Observability
- 4.1critical2 days
Implement Centralized Logging
Collect logs from all your applications and infrastructure components in a central location.
- 4.2critical3 days
Set up Real-time Monitoring
Use tools like Prometheus and Grafana or Datadog for real-time monitoring of your applications and infrastructure.
- 4.3high2 days
Implement Distributed Tracing
Use tools like Jaeger or Zipkin to trace requests across your microservices.
- 4.4critical2 days
Configure Alerting and Notifications
Set up alerts for critical metrics and configure notifications to be sent to the appropriate teams.
- 4.5medium2 days
Implement Log Analysis
Use log analysis tools to identify patterns and anomalies in your logs.
- 4.6medium2 days
Configure Dashboards
Create dashboards to visualize key metrics and identify potential issues.
- 4.7high2 days
Implement Application Performance Monitoring (APM)
Use APM tools to monitor the performance of your applications and identify bottlenecks.
- 4.8medium1 day
Integrate with Incident Management System
Integrate your monitoring and alerting system with an incident management system like PagerDuty.
- 4.9medium1 day
Implement Root Cause Analysis
Establish a process for conducting root cause analysis after incidents.
- 4.10low1 day
Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Define and track KPIs to measure the success of your DevOps initiatives.
Phase 05
Phase 5: Security and Compliance
- 5.1critical2 days
Implement Static Code Analysis
Use static code analysis tools to identify security vulnerabilities in your code.
- 5.2high2 days
Implement Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
Use DAST tools to identify security vulnerabilities in your running applications.
- 5.3high3 days
Implement Penetration Testing
Conduct regular penetration testing to identify security weaknesses in your infrastructure and applications.
- 5.4critical2 days
Implement Vulnerability Management
Establish a process for identifying, prioritizing, and remediating vulnerabilities.
- 5.5medium2 days
Implement Compliance Auditing
Conduct regular compliance audits to ensure you are meeting regulatory requirements.
- 5.6medium2 days
Implement Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
Use a SIEM system to collect and analyze security logs from your applications and infrastructure.
- 5.7critical1 day
Implement Least Privilege Access Control
Ensure that users and applications have only the necessary permissions to perform their tasks.
- 5.8high1 day
Implement Encryption
Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit.
- 5.9high2 days
Implement Incident Response Plan
Develop and test an incident response plan to handle security incidents effectively.
- 5.10low1 day
Implement Security Training
Provide regular security training to your team to raise awareness and prevent security breaches.
Pro tips
- Automate everything you can. Manual processes are error-prone and time-consuming.
- Invest in monitoring and observability from the beginning. It will save you time and money in the long run.
- Security should be a top priority. Integrate security into every stage of your DevOps pipeline.
- Use infrastructure as code (IaC) to manage your infrastructure. It makes it easier to manage and scale.
- Continuously improve your DevOps processes. Regularly review and refine your processes to make them more efficient.