REAL SYSTEMS. REAL FAILURES. REAL LESSONS.

DEVOPS
IN THE
TRENCHES.

A field guide to building, changing, securing, operating and leading production systems under pressure.

BY ANN FELIX   /   VERIQTA PRESS
Engineering judgment. Production realities. Lessons that last.
DevOps in the Trenches front book cover by Ann Felix
THE BOOK

Production doesn't care
how many tools you know.

When systems fail, what matters is the ability to understand the evidence, make difficult decisions, manage risk, and recover safely. DevOps in the Trenches goes beyond tools and tutorials to explore the engineering judgment behind reliable production systems.

01 / REAL SYSTEMS

See beyond the dashboard

Recognize the risks hidden behind successful deployments, healthy metrics, and apparently stable infrastructure.

02 / REAL FAILURES

Understand what breaks

Examine how automation, infrastructure, security, and organizational decisions can fail under pressure.

03 / REAL LESSONS

Build better judgment

Learn to evaluate trade-offs and make safer decisions when production systems are on the line.

BEYOND THE TUTORIAL

For engineers who know that production reliability requires more than working tools.

BUILT FOR ENGINEERS. BUILT FOR REAL DECISIONS.

What you'll learn

✓Recognize risks hidden behind successful deployments and healthy dashboards.
✓Understand why infrastructure, automation, and organizational decisions fail in production.
✓Evaluate engineering trade-offs involving reliability, security, cost, and scale.
✓Make better decisions during incidents, infrastructure changes, and recovery.
✓Identify weaknesses in ownership, operational processes, and system design.
✓Apply production lessons to improve engineering judgment and team practices.
A CLOSER LOOK

Inside the trenches.

Production-inspired scenarios, failure analysis, operational lessons, and practical decision frameworks. Explore what happens when infrastructure, automation, security, people, and organizational decisions meet under pressure.

InfrastructureKubernetesCloudSecurityObservabilityDatabases

A sample chapter will be made available here when it is published.

Back cover of DevOps in the Trenches
WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR

For the engineers
who keep systems running.

Written for engineers and technical leaders who want to think beyond tools and operate production systems with greater confidence.

DevOps Engineers
Site Reliability Engineers
Platform Engineers
Cloud Engineers
Infrastructure Engineers
Technical Leads & Managers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ann Felix

Ann Felix is a Senior DevOps Engineer, technical author, and founder of VERIQTA, an engineering education brand focused on DevOps, cloud computing, site reliability, and platform engineering.

Her work focuses on making complex engineering concepts accessible while emphasizing the operational realities, technical decisions, and challenges engineers encounter in production environments.

As the author of DevOps in the Trenches, Ann explores production-inspired failures, engineering trade-offs, and the judgment required to build and operate reliable systems.

She also leads VERIQTA PRESS, a publishing imprint dedicated to practical engineering books, technical knowledge, and professional development.

VERIQTA PRESS / FEATURED TITLE

Real systems.
Real failures.
Real lessons.

Not another DevOps tutorial. A field guide to engineering judgment when production is on the line.

DEVOPS IN THE TRENCHES · ANN FELIX

Three-dimensional hardcover mockup of DevOps in the Trenches by Ann Felix

Coming Soon

DevOps in the Trenches is preparing for release. The official purchase link and release details will be announced here.

Read a Sample on GitHub ↗

Questions about the book? Contact VERIQTA PRESS.

GOOD TO KNOW

Frequently asked questions.

Answers to the questions engineers and readers most often ask before purchasing.

What is DevOps in the Trenches about?

It explores production-inspired engineering scenarios, system failures, operational risk, and the decisions that help teams build and operate more reliable systems.

Who is this book written for?

DevOps, site reliability, platform, cloud, and infrastructure engineers, as well as technical leads and engineering managers who want to strengthen their production engineering judgment.

Is this book suitable for engineers early in their careers?

Yes. Foundational knowledge of infrastructure and DevOps concepts will help, but extensive production experience is not required to benefit from the lessons.

How is this book different from a traditional DevOps tutorial?

Rather than teaching commands or configuration steps, the book examines failure patterns, evidence, trade-offs, and decision-making under real-world operational pressure.

Are the production scenarios based on real incidents?

The book uses production-inspired scenarios reflecting realistic engineering challenges. They are not presented as verified accounts of specific incidents at named organizations unless explicitly stated.

Does the book include code, commands, or hands-on labs?

No. It focuses on engineering reasoning, production failures, operational lessons, and practical decision frameworks rather than scripts or step-by-step labs.

Where can I purchase DevOps in the Trenches?

Official purchasing information will be available on veriqtapress.com when the book is released. There is no active checkout on this page yet.

Is the book available in digital or print format?

A digital edition is planned. Any print edition or other formats will be announced only when confirmed.

How will I access the book after purchasing?

The product page and checkout will explain the delivery method and access instructions before you buy. Digital delivery is planned through Payhip.

Can I read the digital edition on different devices?

Device compatibility will depend on the final digital format and access method. Supported devices and reading requirements will be stated before purchase.

Can I purchase copies for my engineering team?

For multiple-reader or organizational licensing, contact VERIQTA PRESS at devops-in-the-trenches@veriqta.com. Personal-use purchases should not be redistributed.

What is the refund policy?

The applicable refund policy and any statutory consumer rights will be explained before checkout. No purchases are currently accepted on this page.