Heroku Platform Overview

🎚️

Adjust Technical Level

Select your expertise level to customize content

Heroku is a fully managed container-based cloud platform that abstracts away infrastructure management through a developer-friendly workflow and powerful ecosystem. It supports multiple programming languages, offers integrated data services, and provides a rich set of developer tools for continuous integration and delivery. Heroku's platform handles critical operational tasks like provisioning, configuration, scaling, and high availability, enabling development teams to focus on creating and rapidly iterating on applications.

Heroku Core Concepts

Technical Architecture

Technical

Heroku Business Value

Heroku provides substantial business value through its developer-focused platform:

Key Business Benefits

• Developer Productivity: Eliminate infrastructure management tasks so developers can focus on writing code that delivers business value.
• Faster Time to Market: Streamlined deployment workflows enable rapid iteration and shorter development cycles.
• Operational Simplicity: Automated operations reduce the need for dedicated DevOps resources.
• Scalability: Easily scale applications to handle increased traffic or processing needs.
• Ecosystem Integration: Quick access to a wide range of data services and third-party add-ons.

Business Model

• Pay-as-you-go Pricing: Pay for actual compute resources and add-ons used.
• Dyno Hours: Applications consume dyno hours based on the number and size of running dynos.
• Free Tier: Limited free resources for small projects, prototypes, or learning.
• Enterprise Plans: Advanced features, support, and compliance for enterprise customers.
• Add-on Marketplace: Third-party services available on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Business Use Cases

• Startups: Launch MVPs quickly without infrastructure investment.
• Digital Agencies: Manage multiple client projects efficiently.
• Enterprise App Development: Accelerate internal application development.
• SaaS Products: Build and scale software-as-a-service offerings.
• Proof of Concepts: Rapidly validate new product ideas with minimal overhead.
• Marketing Campaigns: Deploy short-lived campaign sites and applications.

Business Perspective

Non-Technical

Heroku Technical Foundation

Heroku's platform is built on several key technical concepts:

Platform Components

• Dynos: Lightweight Linux containers that run application processes. They are isolated, ephemeral, and disposable execution environments.
• Dyno Formation: The collection of running dynos that power an application, which can include web dynos (handling HTTP traffic) and worker dynos (processing background jobs).
• Buildpacks: Scripts that bundle dependencies and prepare your application to run on Heroku. They detect the language and framework of your application and install necessary dependencies.
• Slugs: Compressed and pre-packaged copies of your application optimized for distribution to the dyno manager.
• Add-ons: Third-party cloud services that can be instantly provisioned and integrated with your application.

Application Execution Model

• Dyno Manager: Maintains and monitors the dynos that run your application.
• Process Types: Defined in a Procfile, specifies the command to start each type of process your application may run.
• Release: A combination of a slug and a set of configuration variables.
• Routing: HTTP Router routes requests to the appropriate web dynos.
• Scaling: Horizontal scaling by adding more dynos, vertical scaling by changing dyno types.

Infrastructure Characteristics

• Ephemeral Filesystem: Dynos have an ephemeral filesystem that does not persist across restarts or deployments.
• Configuration Variables: Environment variables used to configure application behavior.
• Logging: All output to stdout and stderr is captured in the Logplex system.
• Regional Deployment: Applications can be deployed to different geographic regions.
• Runtime: The execution environment that runs your application code (e.g., Python, Ruby, Node.js).

Deployment and Management

• Git-based Workflow: Push code to Heroku's Git repositories to trigger builds and deployments.
• Heroku CLI: Command-line interface for managing applications.
• Heroku Dashboard: Web interface for application management.
• Review Apps: Temporary apps created for each pull request for testing.
• Pipelines: Groups of Heroku apps sharing the same codebase organized into development stages.

Heroku Platform Architecture

100%

🔍 Use Ctrl+Scroll to zoom

Legend

Components

Application

Deployment Pipeline

Runtime Environment

Add-ons & Services

External Actors

Connection Types

Process Flow

Deploying Applications on Heroku

Git Deployment

Git-based Deployment

Technical Implementation

Technical

Git-based deployment provides significant business value through simplicity and developer familiarity:

Business Benefits

• Streamlined Workflow: Developers use familiar Git commands, reducing learning curve
• Fast Iterations: Quick deployment enables rapid testing and feedback cycles
• Version Control Integration: Complete history of deployments tied to your code repository
• Deployment Reliability: Consistent, repeatable deployment process reduces errors
• Team Collaboration: Multiple developers can deploy using the same workflow

Productivity Impact

• Reduce deployment time from hours to minutes
• Eliminate configuration drift between environments
• Lower training costs by leveraging existing Git knowledge
• Enable developers to deploy without operations assistance
• Automate the entire path from code to production

Risk Mitigation

• Easy Rollbacks: Quickly revert to previous versions if issues arise
• Deployment Visibility: Clear logs of who deployed what and when
• Consistent Environments: Same build process for all environments reduces surprises
• Isolated Changes: Each deployment is a discrete unit, making problem identification easier

Business Value

Non-Technical

Git-based deployment is the primary method for deploying applications to Heroku. The process involves pushing your code to a Heroku Git remote, which triggers the build and deployment process.

Setup Process

1. Create a Heroku application: heroku create
2. This adds a Git remote: heroku to your local repository
3. Push code to the remote: git push heroku main
4. Heroku receives the code and starts the build process

Build Process

1. Heroku detects the appropriate buildpack based on your code
2. Buildpack installs dependencies and compiles your application
3. The result is a slug, a compressed version of your application
4. The slug is deployed to a dyno and your application starts

Advanced Git Workflows

• Deploying Branches: git push heroku feature-branch:main
• Multiple Environments: Add multiple remotes (staging, production)
• Automatic Deploys: Connect GitHub repository for automatic deployments
• Release Phase: Run tasks before deployment is complete (migrations)

Example Commands:

# Initialize a Git repository git init # Create a Heroku app heroku create my-example-app # Deploy your application git push heroku main # View deployment logs heroku logs --tail # Scale your application heroku ps:scale web=2 # Add a remote for staging environment heroku git:remote -a my-staging-app -r staging git push staging main

Container Deployment

Container-based Deployment

Technical Implementation

Technical

Container-based deployment provides enhanced flexibility and control while maintaining Heroku's managed platform benefits:

Business Advantages

• Environment Control: Complete control over the runtime environment
• Dependency Management: Install custom system packages and dependencies
• Consistency: Same container runs locally, in CI/CD, and in production
• Portability: Containers can be moved between platforms if needed
• Compliance: Meet specific security or regulatory requirements

Strategic Benefits

• Skills Leverage: Utilize existing Docker expertise in your team
• Migration Path: Easier migration between environments or platforms
• Hybrid Strategy: Use containers for complex apps, buildpacks for simpler ones
• Technology Flexibility: Support for languages or frameworks not covered by standard buildpacks

Use Case Alignment

• Legacy Applications: Deploy applications with complex dependencies
• Custom Stacks: Use specific versions of languages or libraries
• Multi-container Apps: Define different containers for different components
• Enterprise Requirements: Meet specific security or compliance needs
• CI/CD Integration: Seamlessly integrate with container-based CI/CD pipelines

Business Value

Non-Technical

Heroku supports container-based deployments through Docker, allowing you to deploy applications using custom container images instead of buildpacks.

Container Registry Workflow

1. Create a Dockerfile defining your application's container
2. Build the Docker image locally
3. Push the image to Heroku's Container Registry
4. Release the image to your application

Key Components

• Dockerfile: Defines the container environment and application setup
• heroku.yml: Optional file to define the build process and process types
• Container Registry: Heroku's Docker registry (registry.heroku.com)
• Process Types: Define different processes your container can run (web, worker)

Container Requirements

• Container must listen on the port specified by $PORT environment variable
• Container should handle SIGTERM signals for graceful shutdown
• Application should write logs to stdout/stderr
• Use an ephemeral filesystem pattern (not relying on persistent local storage)

Example Commands:

# Log in to Container Registry heroku container:login # Build and push the Docker image heroku container:push web # Release the image to your app heroku container:release web # Example heroku.yml file # --- build: docker: web: Dockerfile worker: worker/Dockerfile run: web: node server.js worker: node worker.js

Pipelines

Heroku Pipelines

Technical Implementation

Technical

Pipelines deliver substantial business value by formalizing the promotion process from development to production:

Business Impact

• Release Confidence: Systematic progression through environments reduces deployment risks
• Quality Assurance: Consistent testing process before production deployment
• Deployment Speed: Streamlined promotion process without rebuilding applications
• Team Collaboration: Clear visibility into application state across environments
• Governance Support: Enforced promotion path supports change management requirements

Efficiency Gains

• Developer Productivity: Pull request environments for quick feedback
• Testing Efficiency: Isolated environments for each feature or change
• Communication: Shared URLs for review apps facilitate stakeholder feedback
• Release Management: Controlled, predictable release process
• Error Reduction: Identical slugs between environments prevent environment-specific bugs

Business Process Alignment

• Agile Methodologies: Support for feature branches and iterative development
• DevOps Practices: Automated progression through environments
• Production Safeguards: Clear separation between environments with controlled promotion
• Stakeholder Involvement: Easy access to review apps for non-technical team members
• Continuous Delivery: Streamlined path from code commit to production deployment

Business Value

Non-Technical

Heroku Pipelines provide a continuous delivery workflow for moving code from development to production through a series of stages.

Pipeline Structure

• Stages: Typically include development, staging, and production
• Apps: Heroku applications assigned to different stages
• Promotions: Process of moving code from one stage to the next
• Review Apps: Temporary apps created automatically for GitHub pull requests

Key Features

• GitHub Integration: Connect pipeline to a GitHub repository
• Automatic Deployments: Auto-deploy from specified branches
• Review Apps: Create temporary apps for each pull request
• Promotions: Promote slugs from one stage to another without rebuilding
• CI Integration: Run tests before promoting to higher environments

Workflow Example

1. Developer creates a pull request against the main branch
2. Heroku automatically creates a Review App for the pull request
3. After review and merge, code is automatically deployed to staging
4. After testing in staging, application is promoted to production
5. Promotion moves the exact same slug, ensuring consistency

Example Commands:

# Create a pipeline heroku pipelines:create my-pipeline --stage staging -a my-staging-app # Add an app to a pipeline heroku pipelines:add my-pipeline -a my-development-app --stage development # Promote an app to the next stage heroku pipelines:promote -a my-staging-app # Enable review apps heroku reviewapps:enable -p my-pipeline --autodeploy --autodestroy # Open current pipeline in dashboard heroku pipelines:open

Scaling Applications on Heroku

Technical Scaling Options

Technical

Business Scaling Strategy

Effective scaling on Heroku requires balancing performance needs with cost considerations:

Cost-Effective Scaling Patterns

• Start Small, Scale Fast: Begin with minimal resources and scale as needed
• Performance Monitoring: Use metrics to determine when scaling is necessary
• Workload Distribution: Separate web and background processes for optimal resource allocation
• Auto-scaling: Automatically adjust to traffic patterns without manual intervention
• Off-Peak Scaling: Scale down during periods of low activity

Business Growth Alignment

• Seasonal Scaling: Adjust resources for seasonal business patterns
• Marketing Campaign Support: Scale before anticipated traffic spikes
• Global Audience Considerations: Consider time zone patterns in scaling strategy
• Feature Launch Planning: Coordinate scaling with new feature releases
• Gradual User Onboarding: Control growth with waitlists or phased rollouts

Financial Planning for Scaling

• Predictable Base Costs: Maintain a baseline of always-on resources
• Variable Scaling Costs: Budget for additional resources during peak periods
• Scale-Driven Pricing Tiers: Anticipate moving to higher platform tiers as you scale
• ROI Analysis: Balance performance improvements against increased costs
• Reserved Capacity: Consider Enterprise agreements for predictable, high-scale needs

Enterprise Scaling Considerations

• Private Spaces: Isolated network environments for enterprise applications
• Compliance Requirements: Scale while maintaining regulatory compliance
• SLA Guarantees: Higher tiers provide stronger uptime guarantees
• Team Collaboration: Enterprise teams can manage scaling across multiple applications
• Centralized Billing: Manage costs across multiple applications in one place

Business Scaling Considerations

Non-Technical

Scaling Mechanisms

Heroku provides multiple scaling dimensions to handle different types of application growth:

Horizontal Scaling (Concurrency)

• Dyno Scaling: Add more dynos to handle increased loadheroku ps:scale web=5 worker=3
• Auto-scaling: Automatically adjust dyno count based on metrics (available on Performance and Enterprise tiers)
• Process Types: Distribute workload across different process types (web, worker, etc.)
• Request Distribution: Heroku's router automatically distributes requests across web dynos

Vertical Scaling (Resources)

• Dyno Types: Choose dyno sizes with different CPU and RAM allocations
  • Free: 512MB RAM, 1x CPU share
  • Hobby: 512MB RAM, 1x CPU share (no sleep)
  • Standard-1X: 512MB RAM, 1x CPU share
  • Standard-2X: 1GB RAM, 2x CPU share
  • Performance-M: 2.5GB RAM, 4x CPU share
  • Performance-L: 14GB RAM, 8x CPU share
• Database Plans: Scale database resources independently of application resources
• Add-on Resources: Scale individual add-ons based on specific requirements

Architectural Scaling

• Caching Strategies: Implement Redis or Memcached for caching
• Database Read Replicas: Distribute database read load
• Background Processing: Offload heavy processing to worker dynos
• Content Delivery Networks: Use CDNs for static assets
• Microservices: Split large applications into multiple smaller Heroku apps

Monitoring and Optimization

• Metrics Dashboard: Monitor application performance and resource usage
• Log Analysis: Identify bottlenecks through application logs
• Application Performance Monitoring: Use New Relic, AppSignal, or other APM tools
• Database Optimization: Monitor and optimize database queries
• Request Queue Time: Monitor request queuing to determine when to scale

Data Services and Add-ons

Heroku Postgres

Heroku Postgres

Technical Implementation

Technical

Heroku Postgres delivers substantial business value through its fully managed approach to database operations:

Operational Benefits

• Zero Administration: No need for database administrators for routine operations
• High Reliability: Enterprise-grade SLAs with automatic failover
• Data Protection: Automated backups and point-in-time recovery
• Security Compliance: Data encryption and security controls built-in
• Monitoring: Integrated metrics and alerting

Development Workflow Benefits

• Database Forking: Easily create development databases from production data
• Isolated Testing: Test schema changes in isolation
• Data Sharing: Share query results with non-technical stakeholders
• Seamless Scaling: Upgrade database plans as your application grows
• Integration: Works seamlessly with Heroku applications

Business Case Considerations

• TCO Reduction: Lower total cost compared to self-managing databases
• Focus on Core Business: Development teams can focus on application features
• Risk Reduction: Professional database management reduces operational risks
• Flexible Growth: Start small and scale as your business grows
• Predictable Costs: Clear pricing tiers for financial planning

Industry Applications

• SaaS Applications: Reliable database for customer-facing services
• E-commerce: Scalable storage for product catalogs and orders
• Content Management: Robust storage for content-heavy applications
• Analytics: Powerful SQL capabilities for business intelligence
• Mobile Backends: Reliable data storage for mobile applications

Business Value

Non-Technical

Heroku Postgres is a managed SQL database service based on PostgreSQL, providing reliable, secure, and scalable database solutions.

Key Features

• Database Plans: Multiple tiers from hobby to enterprise-grade
• Automated Backups: Daily backups with configurable retention periods
• Point-in-time Recovery: Restore to any moment in the past (within retention period)
• Follower Databases: Read-only replicas for read scaling
• Fork: Create development copies of production databases
• Dataclips: Share SQL query results
• Postgres Extensions: Support for many PostgreSQL extensions
• Credential Rotation: Easily rotate database credentials

Technical Specifications

• Hardware: Plans range from shared instances to dedicated instances with up to 488GB RAM
• Connection Limits: Vary by plan (20 to 500+ connections)
• Storage: Ranges from 1GB to multiple TB based on plan
• High Availability: Premium tiers include automatic failover
• Data Encryption: Data encrypted at rest and in transit

Example Commands:

# Provision a database heroku addons:create heroku-postgresql:hobby-dev # View database information heroku pg:info # Connect to the database heroku pg:psql # Create a follower database heroku addons:create heroku-postgresql:standard-0 --follow DATABASE_URL # Create a database fork heroku pg:fork HEROKU_POSTGRESQL_URL --to my-new-app::DATABASE_URL # Backup a database heroku pg:backups:capture # Schedule automatic backups heroku pg:backups:schedule DATABASE_URL --at "02:00 America/New_York"

Heroku Redis

Heroku Redis

Technical Implementation

Technical

Heroku Redis delivers significant business value by enhancing application performance and enabling real-time features:

Performance Optimization

• Application Speed: Dramatic reduction in response times for cached data
• Database Load Reduction: Offload frequent queries from primary database
• User Experience: Faster page loads and application interactions
• Scalability: Handle higher traffic volumes without proportional infrastructure increases
• Cost Efficiency: Reduce database costs by caching frequent queries

Business Capability Enablement

• Real-time Features: Enable chat, notifications, and live updates
• Session Management: Reliable user session handling across scaled applications
• Distributed Locking: Coordinate processes across multiple dynos
• Temporary Data: Efficient handling of short-lived data without database overhead
• Feature Flags: Implement dynamic feature toggling

Operational Benefits

• Managed Service: No need for Redis administration expertise
• Monitoring: Built-in metrics and alerting
• Automatic Recovery: Service recovers automatically from most failures
• Data Persistence: Optional persistence for data durability
• Security: Encrypted connections and secure credential management

Implementation Considerations

• Time to Market: Quick implementation of performance optimizations
• Incremental Adoption: Start with simple caching, then expand to more advanced use cases
• Technical Debt Reduction: Solve performance bottlenecks without major refactoring
• Risk Mitigation: Improve reliability during traffic spikes
• Competitive Advantage: Enable real-time features that competitors may lack

Business Value

Non-Technical

Heroku Redis is a managed in-memory data store service that provides high performance, reliability, and low latency for applications requiring caching, session management, and real-time features.

Key Features

• Redis Versions: Support for modern Redis versions
• Multiple Plans: Options ranging from hobby to premium tiers
• Automated Backups: Regular backups for premium plans
• Persistence Options: Configure RDB or AOF persistence
• Metrics: Memory usage, connection count, hit rates, etc.
• Secure Connections: TLS encryption for data in transit
• Redis Eviction Policies: Configurable memory management

Common Use Cases

• Caching: Store frequent queries or computation results
• Session Storage: Fast, distributed session management
• Rate Limiting: Implement API rate limiting
• Leaderboards: Fast sorted sets for rankings
• Real-time Analytics: Counters and time-series data
• Job Queues: Background job processing with Redis-based queues
• Pub/Sub: Real-time messaging between application components

Example Commands:

# Provision Redis heroku addons:create heroku-redis:hobby-dev # View Redis information heroku redis:info # Connect to Redis CLI heroku redis:cli # Enable keyspace notifications heroku redis:keyspace-notifications KEA # Set maximum memory policy heroku redis:maxmemory-policy allkeys-lru # Monitor Redis commands heroku redis:monitor # View Redis metrics heroku addons:open heroku-redis

Add-on Marketplace

Heroku Add-on Ecosystem

Technical Implementation

Technical

The Heroku add-on ecosystem provides substantial business value through instant access to specialized services:

Business Acceleration

• Time to Market: Instantly add production-ready services without setup time
• Focus on Core: Outsource specialized functionality to experts
• Cost Efficiency: Pay-as-you-go pricing aligns costs with usage
• Reduced Risk: Enterprise-grade services with established reliability
• Simplified Operations: Consolidated management through Heroku

Business Capability Enhancement

• Enhanced Analytics: Add powerful monitoring and analytics
• Customer Communications: Integrate email, SMS, and voice capabilities
• Performance Optimization: Implement caching and performance monitoring
• Security Enhancement: Add authentication and security scanning
• Business Intelligence: Implement logging and data analysis

Decision Factors

• Build vs. Buy Analysis: Often less expensive than building in-house
• Expertise Gap Bridging: Access specialized services without specialized staff
• Scaling Confidence: Services designed to scale with your application
• Experimentation: Try services with minimal commitment
• Ecosystem Integration: Services pre-integrated with Heroku platform

Strategic Advantages

• Flexible Architecture: Easily adapt your application as requirements change
• Competitive Features: Quickly implement capabilities your competitors have
• Skill Leverage: Focus team on core business logic rather than infrastructure
• Future-Proofing: Easily switch services as better options emerge
• Incremental Investment: Start with basic plans and upgrade as needed

Business Value

Non-Technical

Heroku's add-on marketplace provides a wide range of third-party services that can be instantly provisioned and integrated with your application.

Add-on Categories

• Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch
• Monitoring: New Relic, AppSignal, Rollbar, Sentry
• Logging: Papertrail, Logentries, Loggly
• Caching: Memcached, Redis
• Search: Elasticsearch, Algolia
• Email Delivery: SendGrid, Mailgun, SparkPost
• SMS and Voice: Twilio
• Queuing: CloudAMQP (RabbitMQ), IronMQ
• Scheduling: Heroku Scheduler, Advanced Scheduler
• Security: SSL, Blackfire, Auth0

Add-on Integration

• Provisioning: One-command service provisioning
• Configuration: Automatic environment variable setup
• SSO Access: Single sign-on to add-on dashboards
• Plan Management: Easy upgrading/downgrading of service plans
• Billing Integration: Consolidated billing through Heroku

Technical Integration Pattern

1. Provision add-on through Heroku CLI or Dashboard
2. Heroku sets environment variables with connection details
3. Application uses environment variables to connect to service
4. Add-on dashboard accessible through Heroku Dashboard

Example Commands:

# Find available add-ons heroku addons # Get information about an add-on heroku addons:info papertrail # Provision an add-on heroku addons:create newrelic:wayne # Open add-on dashboard heroku addons:open newrelic # Upgrade an add-on plan heroku addons:upgrade papertrail:choklad # Remove an add-on heroku addons:destroy papertrail

Enterprise Features

Feature	Free/Hobby Tier	Production Tier	Enterprise Tier	Business Impact
Private Spaces	Not Available	Not Available	Dedicated, isolated network environments	Data security, compliance, and network performance
Preboot	Not Available	Available	Available	Zero-downtime deployments for improved user experience
App Metrics	Basic	Enhanced	Full suite with longer retention	Performance insight and optimization
Autoscaling	Not Available	Available for Performance dynos	Advanced with custom rules	Cost optimization and handling traffic spikes
Extended Logging	24 hours	7 days	Customizable retention	Troubleshooting and compliance requirements
Shield Advanced Security	Not Available	Not Available	Available	Enhanced security for regulated industries
Single Sign-On	Not Available	Not Available	SAML-based SSO integration	Enterprise identity management
Enterprise Support	Community	Standard support	24/7 premium support with SLAs	Business continuity and risk reduction
Dedicated Teams	Basic collaboration	Team collaboration	Enterprise team management	Governance and access control
CI/CD Integration	Basic GitHub integration	GitHub and third-party CI	Enterprise CI/CD integration	Development workflow optimization
Custom Runtime Environments	Standard stacks only	Standard stacks only	Custom Heroku-16/18/20 stacks	Legacy application support and compliance
Compliance & Certifications	Limited	SOC 2, ISO 27001	Enhanced compliance (HIPAA, PCI, etc.)	Regulatory requirements and risk management

Monitoring and Operations

Logging

Heroku Logging System

Technical Implementation

Technical

Effective logging delivers substantial business value through improved operations and problem resolution:

Operational Benefits

• Real-time Visibility: Immediate insight into application behavior
• Faster Troubleshooting: Reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR) for issues
• Proactive Monitoring: Identify issues before they affect users
• Performance Insight: Identify slow requests and bottlenecks
• Deployment Verification: Confirm successful deployments and changes

Business Impact

• Reduced Downtime: Faster issue identification and resolution
• User Experience: Identify and fix user-facing issues quickly
• Resource Optimization: Understand application behavior for better scaling
• Development Efficiency: Provide developers with clear debugging information
• Post-incident Analysis: Understand root causes to prevent recurrence

Advanced Use Cases

• Business Intelligence: Analyze user behavior and feature usage
• Audit Trails: Track sensitive operations for compliance
• Security Monitoring: Identify suspicious patterns or attack attempts
• SLA Monitoring: Track performance against service level agreements
• Capacity Planning: Use historical patterns to plan infrastructure needs

Implementation Strategy

• Start Simple: Begin with built-in logging
• Add Structure: Implement structured logging formats
• Centralize Storage: Set up log drains for retention
• Add Analysis: Implement log analysis tools
• Create Alerts: Set up notifications for important events

Business Value

Non-Technical

Heroku's logging system (Logplex) collects and routes log streams from all components of your application, providing a unified view of application activity.

Key Components

• Log Sources:
  • Application logs (stdout/stderr)
  • System logs (dyno events, crashes)
  • Router logs (HTTP requests)
  • Add-on logs (database events, etc.)
  • Build and release logs
• Log Formats:
  • Timestamped entries with source prefixes
  • Router logs include request method, path, status code, and timing
  • System events include dyno lifecycle information
• Retention and Access:
  • Limited retention in Logplex (free tier: 1500 lines, paid: varies)
  • Real-time log streaming via CLI
  • Log drain integration for external storage
  • Add-on integrations for advanced analysis

Best Practices

• Write logs to stdout/stderr rather than files
• Use structured logging (JSON) for machine parsing
• Include request IDs in logs for request tracing
• Set up log drains for long-term storage
• Use log-focused add-ons for analysis

Example Commands:

# View recent logs heroku logs # Stream logs in real-time heroku logs --tail # Filter logs by source heroku logs --source app # View logs with timestamps heroku logs --timestamp # Set up a log drain to external service heroku drains:add syslog+tls://logs.papertrailapp.com:12345 # List configured log drains heroku drains # View only router logs heroku logs --source router

Metrics

Heroku Metrics

Technical Implementation

Technical

Effective metrics monitoring translates directly to business value through improved performance and reliability:

Performance Optimization

• User Experience: Identify and resolve slow response times
• Resource Efficiency: Optimize dyno usage and configuration
• Cost Management: Right-size resources based on actual usage patterns
• Capacity Planning: Make data-driven decisions about scaling needs
• Database Tuning: Optimize database performance based on metrics

Operational Excellence

• Proactive Detection: Identify issues before they impact users
• Incident Response: Faster diagnosis during outages or slowdowns
• Change Validation: Verify the impact of code or configuration changes
• Scaling Decisions: Make informed decisions about when to scale
• SLA Monitoring: Ensure service levels meet business requirements

Business Insights

• Usage Patterns: Understand when and how users interact with your application
• Feature Performance: Identify which features are most resource-intensive
• Business Metrics: Correlate technical metrics with business outcomes
• Customer Impact: Understand how performance affects user behavior
• ROI Analysis: Evaluate the impact of performance improvements

Strategic Implementation

• Baseline Establishment: Define normal performance patterns
• Alerting Strategy: Set up alerts for deviations from normal
• Performance SLAs: Establish internal performance targets
• Continuous Improvement: Regular review of metrics to identify optimization opportunities
• Cross-team Visibility: Share metrics with all stakeholders to align priorities

Business Value

Non-Technical

Heroku Metrics provides visibility into application performance and resource utilization, helping identify bottlenecks and optimization opportunities.

Available Metrics

• Dyno Metrics:
  • Memory usage (total, RSS, swap, quota)
  • CPU load (quotas, percentages)
  • Dyno restarts and crashes
  • Dyno boot time
• Web Request Metrics:
  • Throughput (requests per minute)
  • Response time (median, 95th, 99th percentiles)
  • HTTP status code distribution
  • Request queue time
• Database Metrics:
  • Connection count
  • Table and index sizes
  • Cache hit rates
  • Query performance statistics

Metrics Access

• Dashboard: Graphical view in Heroku Dashboard
• CLI: Command-line access to metrics data
• Metrics API: Programmatic access to metrics
• Third-party Integration: Export to external monitoring tools
• Custom Metrics: Application-defined metrics with log-based or APM solutions

Example Commands and Patterns:

# View application metrics in browser heroku metrics:web --app my-app # View memory usage heroku metrics:memory --app my-app # Open metrics dashboard in browser heroku metrics:dashboard --app my-app # Export metrics to Librato (example of external integration) heroku addons:create librato:development # Create custom metrics using logging (example pattern) console.log("measure#db.query.time=42ms"); console.log("count#db.query=1");

Conclusion

Heroku provides a comprehensive platform that balances developer productivity with operational robustness. By abstracting away infrastructure management, Heroku enables teams to focus on writing code that delivers business value rather than managing servers. The platform's key strengths include:

1. Developer Experience: Git-based deployments, buildpacks, and a clean CLI make the development workflow simple and efficient.

2. Operational Simplicity: Managed runtime, automatic scaling, and integrated monitoring reduce operational overhead.

3. Ecosystem Integration: Add-on marketplace provides instant access to databases, monitoring, and other supporting services.

4. Flexible Scaling: Multiple dimensions of scaling support applications from prototype to enterprise-scale.

5. Enterprise Readiness: Advanced features like Private Spaces, Shield, and SSO support enterprise requirements.

Whether you're a startup launching an MVP or an enterprise building internal tools, Heroku's platform provides a balance of simplicity and power that can accelerate your development process and simplify operations. The platform's pay-as-you-go model allows you to start small and scale as your needs grow, making it suitable for a wide range of applications and organizations.