Observability in DevOps: what is it, observe vs. monitoring, benefits

Observability in DevOps is distinct from monitoring, focusing on diagnosing unforeseen issues by examining a system's external data, whereas monitoring relies on predefined alerts for anticipated problems. Effective observability hinges on the integration of logs, metrics, and traces, allowing engineers to quickly ascertain the root causes of failures in complex distributed systems without needing new code. Challenges in achieving observability include the fragmentation of telemetry data across multiple tools, which leads to increased Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) due to context switching and manual data correlation. Despite the existence of expensive SaaS platforms and complex DIY stacks, both solutions have significant drawbacks, such as high costs and maintenance burdens. Qovery Observe aims to address these challenges by providing a unified, zero-maintenance observability solution that integrates logs, metrics, and events directly into the deployment platform, reducing context-switching overhead and facilitating faster diagnosis. This approach enables teams to transition from reactive firefighting to proactive system health management, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency and collaboration across development, operations, and security teams.