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What is Environment Variable?

A dynamic value stored outside the application code that configures behavior without hardcoding sensitive or environment-specific data.

Environment variables store configuration that changes between environments (development, staging, production). Common examples include DATABASE_URL, API_KEY, and DEBUG_MODE.

They keep secrets out of source code, following the twelve-factor app methodology. Tools like .env files, Docker environment settings, and cloud provider secret managers handle environment variable management.

Related Terms

Continuous Deployment
A practice where every code change that passes automated tests is automatically deployed to production.
Blue-Green Deployment
A deployment strategy using two identical environments where traffic is switched from the old version to the new one instantly.
API Gateway
A server that acts as the single entry point for API requests, handling routing, authentication, rate limiting, and monitoring.
Nginx
A high-performance web server and reverse proxy known for its stability, low resource usage, and ability to handle many concurrent connections.
Container Orchestration
The automated management of containerized applications including deployment, scaling, networking, and health monitoring across clusters.
Incident Management
The process of detecting, responding to, and resolving service disruptions to minimize impact and restore normal operations.
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