Heroku

Pushing code and letting the platform run it

Heroku is a container-based cloud platform, a service that hosts applications so developers do not have to look after servers. A developer pushes code, and the platform builds it and runs it. The company says this is the simplest path to getting an app to market, and that its fully managed design lets teams stay focused on the product rather than infrastructure.

Dynos, the unit that runs everything

Every Heroku app runs in dynos, which are isolated Linux containers that carry out a command the developer specifies. Heroku packages an app's code and dependencies into a slug during the build step, and each dyno provides compute, memory, an operating system and a temporary filesystem. The platform manages dyno health and cycles them to keep apps working. An app can be split into process types that decide what code runs in which dyno, and when demand rises the number, size and type of dynos can be changed straight away. In Private Spaces, high-performance dynos communicate over a private network.

Data and extensions

Heroku Postgres is a managed PostgreSQL database service, and Heroku Key-Value Store is a managed Redis-style data service. The platform stretches further through over 150 outside add-ons and more than 380 open-source buildpacks, and a buildpack makes it possible to run code in whichever language works on Linux.

Delivery and teamwork

Pipelines and review apps give teams continuous delivery tools, with a disposable test application for each pull request and fast rollback of code or databases. Heroku Teams provides collaboration controls for people, app permissions and delivery, and app metrics show how services perform. Heroku says it is audited against PCI, HIPAA, ISO and SOC requirements.

Who uses it

The platform is offered for projects of every size, from small hobby apps to large ecommerce sites, with scaling that can reach global traffic.