Practical Debugging at Scale: Cloud Native Debugging in Kubernetes and Production

Practical Debugging at Scale teaches debugging skills that universities often avoid, but that typically consume as much as 60% of our time as developers. It covers the use of debugger features such as tracepoints, object marking, watch renderers, and more, and provides a scientific approach to debugging that is grounded in theory while being practical enough to help you chase stubborn bugs through the maze of a Kubernetes deployment. It specifically covers debugging in production, an often-neglected discipline but an all too painful reality.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 03 January 2023
Publisher: APress

Debugging is a critical skill for developers, but it is often overlooked or under-emphasized in university curricula. Practical Debugging at Scale by Shai Almog aims to change that by providing a comprehensive and practical guide to debugging cloud applications in production environments. The book covers a wide range of debugging techniques, including tracepoints, object marking, watch renderers, and more, and emphasizes the importance of a scientific approach to debugging.

One of the key features of Practical Debugging at Scale is its focus on the JVM environment. Most of the tooling and techniques described are applicable to Python, Node, and other platforms, as well as to Java and other JVM languages. This makes the book particularly useful for developers working on cloud-based applications that use the JVM.

The book begins by introducing the scientific method underlying the process of debugging. It explains how to identify the root cause of a problem and how to develop a plan to fix it. The author then covers the debugger capabilities of various tools, including tracepoints, marker objects, and exception breakpoints. These features can be used to trace issues in production Kubernetes environments and to identify the root cause of performance and memory problems.

The book also covers observability and monitoring, which are essential for resolving production problems. Observability involves collecting data about the application and its environment, while monitoring involves analyzing that data to identify potential issues. The author provides practical examples of how to use observability and monitoring to troubleshoot common ailments in production environments.

In addition to the technical aspects of debugging, Practical Debugging at Scale also covers industry best practices for common tooling such as logging. Profiling is also discussed, which can be used to understand performance and memory problems.

Who This Book Is For

Practical Debugging at Scale is for developers in Java and JVM-related languages who want to improve their debugging skills and production reliability. It is also for developers of cloud-based applications that use the JVM. The book assumes a polyglot environment, but focuses on the JVM environment.

In conclusion, Practical Debugging at Scale is a valuable resource for developers who want to improve their debugging skills and production reliability. The book covers a wide range of debugging techniques, including tracepoints, object marking, watch renderers, and more, and emphasizes the importance of a scientific approach to debugging. Whether you are a developer in Java or JVM-related languages or a developer of cloud-based applications, this book is worth reading.

Weight: 559g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781484290415
Edition number: 1st ed.