Posts Tagged ‘SmaïneMilianni’
[PHPForumParis2023] You Build It, You Run It: Observability for Developers – Smaïne Milianni
Smaïne Milianni, a former taxi driver turned PHP developer, delivered an engaging talk at Forum PHP 2023, exploring the “You Build It, You Run It” philosophy and the critical role of observability in modern development. Now an Engineering Manager at Yousign, Smaïne shared insights from his decade-long journey in PHP, emphasizing how observability tools like logs, metrics, traces, and alerts empower developers to maintain robust applications. His practical approach and humorous delivery offered actionable strategies for PHP developers to enhance system reliability and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
The Essence of Observability
Smaïne introduced observability as the cornerstone of the “You Build It, You Run It” model, where developers are responsible for both building and maintaining their applications. He explained how observability encompasses logs, metrics, traces, and custom alerts to monitor system health. Using real-world examples, Smaïne illustrated how these tools help identify issues, such as application errors or system outages, before they escalate. His emphasis on proactive monitoring resonated with developers seeking to ensure their PHP applications remain stable and performant.
Implementing Observability in PHP
Diving into practical applications, Smaïne outlined how to integrate observability into PHP projects. He highlighted tools like Datadog for collecting metrics and traces, and demonstrated how to set up alerts for critical incidents, such as P1 outages that trigger SMS and email notifications. Smaïne stressed the importance of prioritizing alerts based on severity to avoid notification fatigue. His examples, drawn from his experience at Yousign, provided a clear roadmap for developers to implement observability, ensuring rapid issue detection and resolution.
The Power of Post-Mortems
Smaïne concluded by emphasizing the role of post-mortems in fostering a virtuous cycle of improvement. Responding to an audience question, he explained how his team conducts weekly manager reviews to track post-mortem actions, ensuring they are prioritized and addressed. By treating errors as learning opportunities rather than failures, Smaïne’s approach encourages developers to refine their code and systems iteratively. His talk inspired attendees to adopt observability practices that enhance both technical reliability and team collaboration.