As a beginner DevOps engineer, it can be overwhelming
As a beginner DevOps engineer, it’s essential to understand that the landscape constantly evolves, and there will always be new tools, processes, and practices to learn. However, by focusing on the below mentioned areas, you can build a solid foundation for your DevOps journey.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these areas:
- Version control: Version control is the backbone of software development, and Git is today’s most popular version control system. As a DevOps engineer, you will be working with code, and understanding how to use Git and GitHub is crucial. You should learn how to create and manage repositories, work with branches and pull requests, and resolve merge conflicts.
- Scripting and automation: Automation is at the heart of DevOps, and scripting languages like Python, Bash, and PowerShell are essential for automating repetitive tasks. As a beginner DevOps engineer, you should learn to write scripts to automate tasks like provisioning and configuring servers, deploying applications, and monitoring infrastructure.
- CI/CD Pipeline: Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) is a set of practices used to automate the process of building, testing, and deploying software. Familiarize yourself with popular CI/CD tools like Jenkins, CircleCI, Travis CI, GitLab CI/CD, and understand how to set up a pipeline to automate software building, testing, and deployment.
- Cloud platforms: Cloud computing is a critical component of modern DevOps, and cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are essential for deploying and managing applications. As a beginner DevOps engineer, learn how to use a cloud platform and the associated tools and services, such as EC2, S3, and CloudWatch on AWS.
- Infrastructure as code (IaC): Infrastructure as code (IaC) is a practice of defining and managing infrastructure using code. Tools like Terraform and CloudFormation allow DevOps engineers to define their infrastructure as code and automate the deployment and management of their infrastructure. Learn to use IaC tools to manage infrastructure like servers, databases, and load balancers.
- Collaboration and communication: DevOps is about teamwork and communication between development and operations teams. As a DevOps engineer, you should learn to communicate effectively, work in a group, and use collaboration tools like Slack and Jira. Understand how to use these tools to track issues, assign tasks, and communicate with team members.
As a beginner DevOps engineer, focusing on these fundamental areas is crucial to building a solid foundation for your DevOps journey. However, don’t forget that DevOps is a continuous learning process; there will always be new tools, techniques, and practices to learn. You can become a successful DevOps engineer with a curious, open mindset and a willingness to learn and adapt.