Python for DevOps: Build, Automate, and Master From Scratch

Why Use Python for DevOps?

Python is popular in DevOps for automation, integrates with tools like Jenkins, Docker, AWS, and Terraform, offers libraries for scripting, and streamlines cloud and serverless workflows to save time and costs.

• Adoption and Usage: Python is widely used by DevOps engineers. The JetBrains Python Developers Survey shows that 26% of developers use Python for DevOps automation or system administration, with 7% using it as their main focus.
• Versatility and Integration: Python works with popular DevOps tools and platforms. You can integrate it with Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Terraform, and other technologies in modern pipelines.
• Libraries and Automation: Python has many useful libraries. Tools like boto3 for AWS and requests for APIs make tasks easier to script and maintain. Teams often build Flask or Django applications to automate workflows, like creating Jira tickets when GitHub workflows detect changes.

• Serverless and Cloud Efficiency: You can use Python in serverless functions to monitor and manage cloud resources. Automating tasks like removing unused storage or scheduling snapshots can save costs and improve efficiency.

How to Use Python in DevOps Environment?

To use Python in a DevOps environment, install Python, set up a virtual environment, and add DevOps libraries. Then, run your Python scripts in containers. You can also use an IDE and track your code with Git to automate tasks.

• Install Python: Download and install the latest stable release from the official Python website.

New to Python? You can check out this step-by-step guide on Python basics.

• Create an Isolated Environment: Use a virtual environment so your work does not interfere with system packages.

python3 -m venv devops_env
source devops_env/bin/activate

• Manage and Lock Dependencies: Install the packages you need and create a file that records the exact versions.

pip install boto3 paramiko requests docker pyyaml
pip freeze > requirements.txt

Add the requirements.txt file to version control so you and your CI/CD jobs install the same versions.

pip install -r requirements.txt

You can also use tools like pip-tools or Poetry for better dependency tracking.

• Install Common DevOps Libraries: These packages help with cloud tasks, remote access, APIs, containers, and configuration files:
• boto3 for AWS
• paramiko for SSH
• requests for API calls
• docker for container work
• pyyaml for reading and writing YAML
• Use Containerized Execution: Running your Python scripts in containers helps you get the same results on every machine.

Here is the simple Docker example:

FROM python:3.12-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY requirements.txt .
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
COPY . .
CMD ["python", "script.py"]

• Set Up Your IDE: You can use various best IDEs, such as VS Code or PyCharm, to help with debugging, linting, formatting, and extensions that support DevOps tasks.
• Add Version Control: Use Git to track your changes, work with your team, and integrate your Python scripts into CI/CD pipelines.

How to Automate DevOps Tasks Using Python?

In DevOps, Python is used to automate operational tasks that would normally require manual checks. Python automation helps ensure these tasks run consistently, reduces human error, and allows you to focus on higher-level work.

Here are a few tasks you can automate with Python:

• Automatically restart stopped services
• Log parsing
• File and backup management
• Monitoring and alerting
• Triggering Jenkins builds or deployments

For example, you can automatically restart a service if it stops running:

import subprocess
import logging

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
service = "nginx"

try:
    result = subprocess.run(
        ["systemctl", "is-active", "--quiet", service],
        check=False
    )
    if result.returncode != 0:
        restart = subprocess.run(
            ["sudo", "systemctl", "restart", service],
            check=True
        )
        logging.info(f"{service} restarted successfully")
    else:
        logging.info(f"{service} is running normally")
except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
    logging.error(f"Failed to manage {service}: {e}")

Code Walkthrough:

• Check Service Status: The script uses systemctl is-active to determine whether the specified service is running.
• Restart If Stopped: If the service is not active, it runs systemctl restart to start it automatically.
• Log Actions: It records both the service status and any restart actions using Python’s logging module.
• Handle Errors: Any failure during the restart process is caught by the try-except block, and an error message is logged.
• Run Safely: The check parameter in the subprocess.run ensures commands are executed without crashing the script if the service is already running.

Scale DevOps Testing With LambdaTest HyperExecute

If you want to scale your Python test automation in DevOps, you can leverage AI-native end-to-end test orchestration platforms such as LambdaTest HyperExecute.

HyperExecute accelerates test execution and improves feedback loops by automatically grouping and distributing tests across environments based on past run performance and priority logic. That can make large Python test suites run faster and more reliably than just splitting jobs manually or adding more infrastructure.

Features:

• Smart Test Splitting and Multiplexing: Efficiently distribute tests using Auto Split, Matrix, or Hybrid strategies for maximum resource utilization.
• Fail-Fast and Job Prioritization: Stop test runs on critical failures and ensure high-priority jobs execute first.
• Detailed Logs and Reporting: Access real-time logs, comprehensive reports, metrics, and artifact management for easy debugging.
• Automatic Healing and Root Cause Analysis: Leverage AI to recover from failures and classify errors to speed up troubleshooting.
• Projects and Workflow Scheduling: Organize tests into projects, schedule runs, and integrate seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines.
• CLI Integration and Secure Tunnels: Execute tests from the command line and securely test private applications.
• Broad Framework and Language Support: Compatible with Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, and multiple programming languages.
• MCP Server Automation: Automate setup, YAML configuration, and test commands with AI-powered MCP Server.

To get started, refer to this HyperExecute documentation.

Common Mistakes When Using Python for DevOps

Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid when using Python for DevOps:

• Relying Heavily on Shell Scripts: Relying only on shell scripts limits automation because Python libraries manage cloud tasks, containers and APIs better, reducing complexity and improving scalability.
• Weak Error Handling and Logging: Weak error handling creates silent failures, so structured logging and clear exceptions keep automation dependable, consistent across environments, and reliable during operations.
• Hardcoding Credentials: Hardcoded credentials expose sensitive data, so using environment variables or secret managers protects access, reduces risk, and keeps automation secure in environments.
• Skipping Version Control: Skipping version control removes history, review, rollback options and CI visibility, making automation harder to track, maintain, improve, and share across teams.
• Writing Large and Unstructured Scripts: Writing large unstructured scripts impacts clarity, so using modular functions, configuration files and separation improves maintainability, encourages reuse, and simplifies future updates.

Best Practices for Using Python in DevOps

To get the most out of Python, it’s important to follow DevOps best practices that ensure reliable, maintainable, and efficient automation across your pipelines and infrastructure.

• Break Logic Into Small Functions: Split the script into simple functions so you can test each function alone, reuse code where needed, and update sections without touching everything.
• Check State Before Making Changes: Look at the current state of files or resources before making changes, so repeated runs avoid duplicates and prevent accidental overwrites.
• Use Logging for Every Action: Log each step with timestamps and details so you can review what happened during debugging or when the script runs in CI.
• Retry Unstable API or Network Calls: Retry failed API or network calls with longer delays and stop after a fixed number of attempts, so temporary issues do not break the workflow.
• Catch Errors and Exit Safely: Catch expected errors, log a clear message, and stop the script cleanly so partial steps do not continue without your knowledge.
• Keep Settings and Secrets External: Load configuration from files or environment variables and pull credentials from a vault so nothing sensitive sits in the script.
• Document How to Use the Script: Add short docstrings and a README with inputs, example commands, and run instructions so others can understand and adapt the script.
• Pin and Lock Dependency Versions: Lock package versions in a requirements file or lock file so every environment installs the same versions and avoids surprises.
• Review Scripts and Monitor Behavior: Ask teammates to review the script and set up metrics or alerts so you can catch failures early and track how the script behaves during runs.

Conclusion

Python continues to play a crucial role in shaping the future of DevOps. Its simplicity and versatility enable DevOps engineers to automate complex tasks, reduce human errors, and optimize infrastructure management. Even as AI automation transforms operations, Python remains the reliable bridge between advanced technologies and stable DevOps practices.

Citations

• Quality Assurance and Testing Strategies of Quality Engineers in Software Product Development: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396573375