Configuration
Keep configuration out of code, manage servers with Ansible, and handle secrets safely.
About Configuration
Configuration management is keeping settings and secrets out of the code and keeping many servers in the same, known state. It covers environment variables and config files, tools like Ansible that set up servers automatically, and secret managers for passwords and keys.
Why it matters for placements
Misconfiguration and leaked secrets cause many real outages and breaches. DevOps interviews ask how you would configure many servers consistently and where secrets should live.
What you'll learn
3 topics · 10 lessons, each with practice
- Separate configuration from code following the twelve-factor approach
- Write Ansible playbooks with inventories, tasks and roles
- Make configuration changes idempotent and repeatable
- Store and rotate secrets safely
Foundation Foundation
Take Foundation testRequired. Enough to clear online assessments and service-company interviews.
Configuration Basics
Not startedThe same build has to run on a laptop, in staging and in production, and only a few values differ between them. This topic shows how to pass those values in from outside the code, and how to treat passwords and keys differently from ordinary settings.
Interview Ready Interview Ready
Take Interview Ready testRecommended. Enough for technical rounds at good product companies.
Ansible
Not startedConfiguring ten servers by hand over SSH is slow, and they drift apart the moment one step is missed. Ansible describes the desired setup in YAML and applies it to many machines over SSH, with no agent to install. It is the most common configuration management tool asked about in DevOps fresher interviews.
Advanced Advanced
Take Advanced testOptional. For top product companies. Never counted against your readiness.
Secrets Management
Not startedPasswords and API keys pasted into files or env vars end up in git history, logs and screenshots. This topic covers the tools that store, encrypt and hand out secrets with access control and audit, and how to replace a secret without downtime. It is a common senior-leaning interview area and a real source of production incidents.