How to become a DevOps Engineer?

The DevOps engineer is one of the positions that has garnered quite a bit of attention in recent years. For a better understanding of what such an engineer does, it’s important to know what DevOps actually means. In today’s article, we’ll explain all the details.

DevOps – what is it?

DevOps is a concept that is explained in slightly different ways by almost every expert or professional literature. In simple terms, however, it can be said that it’s a specialized method dealing with software development. Its main aim is to improve collaboration and communication between developers and other specialists.

The term DevOps is relatively new. The term was first coined around 2007 when experts began expressing concerns about the traditional software development model. It operated in a way that developers who wrote code worked independently and separately from those who deployed and further processed the code. Such processes often led to unnecessary errors or complications that could have been avoided with communication.

The term DevOps originated from two English terms, namely development and operations, reflecting the integration of these disciplines into one continuous process.

The growing significance of DevOps

The DevOps method brings numerous advantages, which is why it has become popular among many companies, organizations, and enterprises. The greatest of these is regular communication among experts working within the IT field. This increases the accuracy of results and reduces costs for financially demanding repairs.

Currently, there is high demand for experienced DevOps engineers, especially in the banking and telecommunications sectors. However, interest is slowly increasing among companies operating in the e-commerce sector as well.

How does DevOps work?

DevOps involves developers and IT operations working together throughout the product lifecycle to increase the speed and quality of software. It’s a new way of working that brings many benefits to teams and organizations operating in the IT field, or organizations that utilize various programs or software, such as banks or e-commerce platforms.

Within the DevOps model, traditional development teams and other specialized professionals closely collaborate or merge into one. In this team, engineers work together throughout the entire lifecycle of the application, from development and testing to deployment and operation. They communicate with each other and thus achieve the most accurate and best results.

DevOps teams use multiple tools to automate and accelerate processes, helping to increase reliability and ensure better results. Currently, there is a wide range of different tools available, ensuring that every professional finds what they need.

What does a DevOps engineer do?

The job description of a DevOps specialist is quite diverse. However, his main task is to help bridge the gap or rift that may arise between some experts or teams. The DevOps engineer communicates with everyone, thereby increasing productivity and work efficiency.

The DevOps engineer also ensures that the final outcome is of high quality and precisely meets the needs of the company or client. Other tasks included in the job description are:

• ensuring smooth flow of information,
• creating project infrastructure,
• selecting optimal technology,
• managing project iterations.

DevOps specialists utilize various tools that help automate work processes and, at the same time, enable them to monitor the work of individual employees.

The qualities of a DevOps engineer

Anyone looking to become a DevOps engineer must possess several qualities. Among them are:

• Basic programming knowledge – A DevOps specialist must have a grasp of programming fundamentals to ensure that other team members are proceeding correctly and that the outcome meets not only the given task but also the required quality.
• Knowledge of basic protocols and network services – In this case, the same principle applies as with programming. Only when the engineer knows at least the basics can they determine whether other workers are proceeding correctly.
• Knowledge of programming languages – A DevOps engineer doesn’t need to be a senior Java developer to perform this job. Basic knowledge of popular and well-known programming languages such as Java, Python, or C++ should not be missing.
• Communication skills – Since a DevOps specialist aims to bridge the gap between various workers who may have otherwise worked individually or in smaller separate teams, they must be able to communicate effectively to avoid communication noise that could lead to unnecessary complications.

Other qualities and skills depend on the environment in which the DevOps engineer will work and what they will be working on. For example, DevOps experts in the banking sector must have different specific qualities than those working in the online retail sector.

Techniques of DevOps

DevOps engineers use various techniques and practices, such as:

• monitoring,
• continuous integration, continuous delivery, continuous deployment,
• containerization.

monitoring

This technique monitors individual workflow processes and alerts you to any issues or complications that may arise. In addition to alerting you, the system can also guide you to the error, saving you a lot of time and money. Instead of tedious searching, you can dive straight into problem-solving.

When it comes to monitoring, it’s important to remember that if you want it to truly bring all the mentioned benefits, you must set it up correctly.

Continuous integration, Continuous delivery, Continuous deployment

This technique is often referred to by the abbreviations CI/CD. Continuous integration, or CI, involves automatic versioning, checking, and subsequent reporting of builds.

The second technique is Continuous Delivery, or CD. In this case, it’s the process where changes in applications are tested before being sent to the repository to ensure they don’t contain errors. Additionally, we shouldn’t forget about Continuous Deployment, which refers to the automatic sending of changes from the repository to production.

Containerization

This method is used to isolate processes from the rest of the software. The advantage of containers is that they can be started and stopped very quickly and easily, making it easier to create, deploy, and run applications.

When you decide to create a container, you should follow the rule – one container = one service. Subsequently, you must also consider three fundamental principles of containerization, namely:

• standardization,
• simplicity,
• isolation.

DevOps Cycle

DevOps is characterized by continuity, which is why many experts represent it in the form of an endless loop. With it, they can demonstrate the individual phases of the DevOps lifecycle, which influence each other. In this case as well, the phases and their number vary depending on the source you’re reading.

The DevOps cycle typically consists of:

Discovery

Within the preparation phase, individual teams must explore the specific area they will be working in, document all ideas, communicate amongst themselves, and establish priorities. Ideas must align with strategic objectives and what the customer, client, or superior desires.

Planning

Once all the ideas have been written down, the teams need to sit down together and plan the steps so that the processes are quick and efficient. In case of needs, a DevOps engineer can divide the work into smaller parts and assign it to individual team members.

Building

When teams start working on individual tasks, it’s essential for them to communicate with each other. Only then can precise and high-quality results be ensured. To improve communication, there is a DevOps engineer available who should address disputes or various complications.

Testing

When individual tasks merge into one and the first version of the software is created, the initial testing can take place. Automated tests will reveal any issues and areas for improvement.

Deployment

The next step in the lifecycle is deploying the successfully tested code into production. Using this method, teams can regularly introduce new features that expand the software’s usability.

The operation

The services of DevOps teams also include implementation, configuration, and maintenance of the entire IT infrastructure. In this case as well, individual experts must collaborate to ensure a fast and seamless process.

Observation

By diligently observing, teams can proactively identify issues and address them before they affect the speed or functionality of the final product. Observation and alerting can be facilitated by various practical tools, saving time and energy for the workers involved.

Ongoing evaluation and feedback

DevOps teams should evaluate each version of the product. The evaluation should include all information about the pros and cons of the software. In this way, team members can improve their processes and avoid some errors in the future.

The evaluation should also include feedback from customers or clients who will be using the software.

Benefits of DevOps

DevOps offers a multitude of advantages, making it highly popular among many companies and organizations. Here are its major advantages:

Speed

Teams utilizing DevOps deliver outputs much faster and at higher quality than those not practicing DevOps. The 2019 DORA report found that professional DevOps teams deploy new projects 208 times more frequently and 106 times faster than regular teams. DevOps enables not only accelerating individual processes but also regularly testing and improving all outputs.

Better collaboration

The essence of DevOps lies in enhancing collaboration among individual workers and teams engaged in the same task or project. Regular communication saves time, accelerates processes, prevents communication noise, and achieves more precise and higher-quality results.

Rapid deployment

Thanks to constant communication among team members and streamlining their work, it’s possible to deploy the final products much more quickly. This way, testing can be initiated sooner and conducted at more regular intervals.

Quality and reliability

Continuous communication and regular testing increase the quality and reliability of the resulting product. Individual teams thus avoid unnecessary errors that could cause issues either during testing or later during the use of the software or application.

Safety

A significant benefit is also security, which is built into the product through active security audits and repeated testing of work procedures and the entire application or other end product.

Become a DevOps engineer too!

DevOps is a job position that attracts many people. But no wonder. Besides the diverse and quite interesting job content, there is currently high demand for DevOps engineers. The skills you will need typically vary depending on the field you choose to work in. Certainly, you must have a solid foundation in programming.

Do you think the DevOps Engineer job offer is perfect for you? Take a look at our offer and start doing something you enjoy.