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What are the best practices for configuration management in container operations?

Created on 2025-07-15 15:29:53
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Best practices for configuration management in container operations include:

  1. Immutable Infrastructure: Treat containers as immutable, meaning once built, they should not be modified. Instead, redeploy new versions with updated configurations. This ensures consistency and reduces runtime errors. Example: Use Docker images with embedded configurations and deploy new containers instead of modifying running ones.

  2. Configuration Separation: Store configurations separately from the application code. Use environment variables, config files, or secrets management tools to inject configurations at runtime. Example: Use Kubernetes ConfigMaps for non-sensitive configs and Secrets for sensitive data.

  3. Version Control for Configs: Track configuration changes in version control systems (e.g., Git) to maintain auditability and rollback capabilities. Example: Store Kubernetes manifests and Docker Compose files in Git and use CI/CD pipelines to apply changes.

  4. Automated Configuration Deployment: Automate the deployment of configurations using CI/CD pipelines to reduce manual errors. Example: Integrate Tencent Cloud’s Tencent Kubernetes Engine (TKE) with CI/CD tools like Jenkins or Tencent Cloud’s CodePipeline to automate config updates.

  5. Secrets Management: Securely store and manage sensitive data like API keys or database credentials. Example: Use Tencent Cloud’s Secrets Manager to securely store and inject secrets into containers.

  6. Configuration Validation: Validate configurations before deployment to catch errors early. Example: Use tools like Conftest or Kubeval to validate Kubernetes manifests against policies.

  7. Minimal Configuration Footprint: Keep configurations lightweight and avoid hardcoding values. Example: Use environment variables in Dockerfiles and inject dynamic values at runtime.

  8. Monitoring and Auditing: Monitor configuration changes and audit logs to detect anomalies. Example: Use Tencent Cloud’s Cloud Monitor to track container and config changes in real-time.

For container orchestration, Tencent Cloud’s Tencent Kubernetes Engine (TKE) provides built-in support for ConfigMaps, Secrets, and CI/CD integration, simplifying configuration management.