How to Become a DevOps Engineer 2023

In this guide, I share my experience as a DevOps engineer in different organizations and tips for becoming a DevOps engineer. This is a comprehensive roadmap for starting a DevOps engineering career. The DevOps field is currently a very popular choice in the IT industry due to its high salary and career advancement potential. I'm often asked how to become a DevOps engineer. While some argue that there is no such thing as a “DevOps engineer” or “DevOps team,” the term has become widely accepted in the industry. It is crucial to understand the DevOps philosophy and not get hung up on titles.

This article also includes information about the different teams that DevOps engineers may belong to. There are many misconceptions about what DevOps encompasses, such as the idea that it is just about automation. However, DevOps is actually a philosophy that focuses on improving collaboration and communication between IT professionals, including developers, QA teams, performance teams, and more, through the automation of software delivery and infrastructure changes. According to Wikipedia, DevOps is “a culture, movement, or practice that emphasizes collaboration and communication among software developers and other information technology (IT) professionals while automating the process of software delivery and infrastructure change.” Over the past five years DevOps adoption has been steadily increasing over the years, as shown in the attached trend chart.

What is a DevOps Engineer?

A DevOps engineer is someone who has strong collaborative skills and is willing to adapt to new technologies and methods to support the implementation of DevOps practices in an organization. From a technical perspective, a DevOps engineer should have a good understanding of systems, automation tools, continuous integration tools, version control systems, monitoring and observability tools, networking, and project management software. The role of a DevOps engineer involves designing and developing continuous integration and continuous delivery pipelines that can handle small updates or releases with minimal human intervention. This requires a cultural shift in how different teams work, and may require sitting down with different teams to discuss pain points and work together to find solutions. The ultimate goal of DevOps engineers is to automate repetitive tasks and spend more time on engineering and innovation.

How to become a DevOps Engineer?

To be a successful DevOps engineer, you must understand the DevOps culture, where different teams work together for a common goal and there is a lack of blame culture among IT teams. As a DevOps engineer, you should be willing to help and collaborate with others without saying "that's not my job." While understanding the cultural aspects of DevOps can be challenging for freshers, it is important to focus on building a solid foundation in core IT concepts such as operating systems, networking, and programming. IT leaders and decision-makers should ensure that the entire team is educated on DevOps culture before introducing a DevOps toolset to avoid confusion and siled structures. Understanding DevOps culture can also help prevent the tendency to blame others for project problems and adopt a collaborative approach to problem solving and analysis, such as through blame-free postmortems. It is important to realize that DevOps is not just continuous integration/continuous delivery and infrastructure automation, but an overall philosophy focused on improving collaboration and communication among IT professionals. Puppet’s “State of DevOps” report is the recommended resource for engineers and leaders to learn about DevOps culture and practices.

learn linux

In today's world, it is very important to have a deep understanding and working knowledge of various Linux/Unix systems, especially those widely used by organizations such as RHEL, Centos, Ubuntu and CoreOS. According to a case study by the Linux Foundation, 90% of public cloud workloads run on Linux, and a study by Redhat shows the different Linux distributions used in public clouds. Focusing on learning Linux and becoming proficient in using terminal commands is very necessary because graphical user interfaces are not commonly used in the *nix world. You can spin up Linux servers using tools like Vagrant's VirtualBox or cloud services like AWS, GCP, or Azure to get hands-on experience using these systems.

To become proficient in Linux as a DevOps engineer, you must understand the following concepts:

Linux boot process
Systemd
How web servers like Apache, Nginx and Tomcat work
Linux process
SSH
different file systems
System logging, monitoring and troubleshooting
Key protocols such as SSL, TLS, TCP, UDP, FTP, SFTP, SCP and SSH
Service management, including how to create and configure services using Initd and Systemd
Setup and configuration of load balancers and reverse proxies such as Nginx and HA proxies, and the algorithms used in load balancing
How to optimize Linux performance
Set up and manage a database such as PostgreSQL
Troubleshooting Tips

In addition to understanding these concepts, it's also important to gain practical experience by learning how to troubleshoot by hosting static or dynamic websites on a web server, experimenting with different configurations, and breaking and fixing things.

Learn how infrastructure components work

As a DevOps engineer, it's critical to have a broad understanding of the infrastructure components that make up your organization, whether they are located in a cloud environment or in an on-premises data center. This understanding will enable you to ask the right questions and collaborate effectively with network and security teams. For example, having a solid foundation in infrastructure knowledge enables you to provide details about initial troubleshooting efforts rather than simply stating that something isn't working. This can help facilitate a more productive and efficient resolution process.

Learn cloud computing and virtualization

Cloud computing and virtualization are the foundation of modern DevOps practices. In order to gain a solid understanding of these concepts, it is recommended to start by learning virtualization using tools such as Virtualbox and Vagrant, which can lay the foundation for cloud computing. When it comes to cloud computing, learning and becoming certified on cloud platforms is crucial, although it’s important to note that simply passing a certification exam using exam dumps will not necessarily add value to your skill set. Instead, active learning and understanding of the material is recommended. According to a report by Statista, AWS currently holds the majority of the public cloud market share.

To become proficient in cloud computing, it is recommended to choose a public cloud platform such as AWS and learn about all its core infrastructure services through hands-on experience and experimentation. You can also learn a lot by watching AWS re:Invent videos and seeing how other organizations use AWS services to host their applications. These videos provide valuable insights into how to run production workloads on AWS that may not be gained through online training courses. If you plan to become a GCP certifier, you can watch the Google Next video to learn more about the platform. Certification exams can serve as a way to assess your knowledge and skills on a specific cloud platform.

Learning to automate configuration

Infrastructure automation tools have become an important aspect of modern organizations, and immutable infrastructure models are often used for infrastructure deployment. According to a report by Redhat, many organizations are investing in automation initiatives. From configuring servers to configuring and deploying applications, automation is essential. To learn automation tools, it is recommended to first learn the basics from official documentation or courses, and then gain practical experience by manually configuring the system before writing automation scripts. Learning test-driven infrastructure development and using testing tools such as Ansible-test and terratest is also crucial. Community modules can serve as a valuable reference for learning complex logic, but when using these modules it is important to understand what each piece of code does.

Learn container orchestration and distributed systems

Distributed systems are an important part of scalable infrastructure, and many tools for microservices, such as Kubernetes, are distributed in nature. Therefore, it is crucial to have a solid understanding of distributed systems concepts. Container technologies, such as Docker or Podman, are also becoming increasingly common, and gaining practical knowledge in this area can give you a competitive advantage in the job market. Once you have a good understanding of containers, you can start learning about container orchestration tools such as Kubernetes and Docker Swarm, which are well suited for microservices-based architectures. Kubernetes is particularly popular, with increased search trends and interest among engineers and recent college graduates. There are various Kubernetes certification options such as CKA, CKAD, and CKS that allow you to specialize in a specific area. Service mesh is a more advanced topic in the container world. It is recommended to build a solid foundation in container orchestration and microservices-based architecture before learning service mesh tools. The CNCF Foundation provides many service mesh tools, and it is useful to research and choose the tool that is best for you.

Logging, monitoring and observability

Observability, logging, and monitoring are fundamental components of any infrastructure. All applications deployed in the infrastructure produce logs and metrics, which are typically stored in a logging infrastructure based on the organization's architecture and design. Common logging stacks include Splunk and ELK, while there are also SaaS options like Loggly. When it comes to monitoring, there are open source tools like Prometheus and Nagios, as well as enterprise options like AppDynamics, Datadog, and SignalFx. Developers, operations teams, and security teams rely on logging systems to monitor, troubleshoot, and audit applications and infrastructure, and log data is critical to AIOPS. Mission-critical applications are often monitored 24/7 using dashboards that display data from log sources or application metrics. Alerting systems are also used to trigger notifications via methods such as Slack, Jira tickets, email, ServiceNow incident tickets, or phone calls. As a DevOps engineer, it is important to query logs and troubleshoot issues in non-production and production environments. Having a deep understanding of regular expressions is useful for querying logs in any logging tool.

Learn security best practices (DevSecOps)

DevSecOps involves incorporating security practices into every stage of the DevOps process. The traditional model of centralized security teams needs to shift to a federated model that allows each delivery team to consider appropriate security controls within their DevOps practices. A key aspect of DevSecOps is a shift-left approach to security, which involves considering security during the design and development phases. The Cloud Security Alliance recommends designing security in from the beginning rather than trying to add it in later. The Six Pillars of DevSecOps published by the Cloud Security Alliance outline key practices for incorporating security into DevOps. Secrets management of applications and infrastructure components should follow standard security practices, and zero-trust security practices may also be considered. Hashicorp Vault is a tool for secrets management that provides various workflows for managing environmental secrets. The API Security Status Report released by Salt Security shows that API attacks have increased significantly, with a 681% increase in recent years.

Learn to code and script

DevOps engineers need strong scripting skills because they frequently use scripts in their CI/CD workflows. It's a good idea to learn common scripting languages such as Bash/Shell, Python, and Golang. It is also helpful for DevOps engineers to have a good understanding of programming and APIs in order to troubleshoot and collaborate with developers effectively. It is beneficial for DevOps engineers to develop their own applications from scratch in order to better understand the development process and the components involved. Custom functionality may also require coding or scripting skills.

These languages are often used in automation tools and processes and can help you customize and extend the functionality of these tools to meet the needs of your organization. Additionally, having a good understanding of programming and APIs can help you work more effectively with developers and understand complex technologies like Kubernetes. It also helps to have experience developing an application from scratch, as this can give you a deeper understanding of the development process and help you interact with developers more effectively. Golang is particularly popular in the DevOps world, with many tools and technologies written in this language.

Learn Git, GitOps and write documentation

In short, GitOps is a way of using Git and continuous deployment tools to manage the operation of cloud-native applications. It is designed to be developer-friendly, leveraging tools that developers are already familiar with. This is a growing practice within the industry and is expected to become more widely used in the future. It is crucial for DevOps engineers to understand GitOps and how to use it to manage infrastructure and applications.

As a DevOps engineer, it's important to document your work, especially when it comes to the code base. A README file can clearly explain the purpose and use of the code, which is helpful to you and others who may want to use it in the future. Documenting your work helps ensure that important information is not lost or forgotten, and makes it easier for others to understand and use your code.

Understand the end-to-end application delivery lifecycle

To understand the application delivery process, you must be familiar with continuous integration, delivery, and deployment. It's helpful to read how these concepts work together during the development, build, test, deployment, approval, and verification processes.

Some key points related to the application development and release lifecycle include planning and approval processes, security and compliance measures, configuration and secrets management, quality assurance and testing, monitoring and performance measurement, and release to production and handling potential rollbacks. process. Understanding these topics can help you understand how applications are developed and released in different organizations.

DevOps vs. SRE

Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) is a set of practices and philosophy focused on improving the reliability and stability of software systems through better development and operations practices. It was developed at Google to emphasize the importance of collaboration between development and operations teams to deliver better software faster. SRE and DevOps do not conflict, but are complementary approaches aimed at breaking down organizational barriers and improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of software development and operations.

Different types of “DevOps teams”

Various teams within an organization may be labeled "DevOps," but their roles and responsibilities may differ. The central platform team is responsible for provisioning infrastructure on demand and ensuring that production systems are available around the clock through ongoing support and monitoring.

DevOps teams work closely with developers to handle end-to-end application delivery.
Application operations teams focus on deploying and managing applications within a specific domain, such as the payments team.
The SRE team focuses on automation, availability, performance and other operational aspects, working closely with developers to solve problems.
A dedicated support team handles production support tickets and routes issues to the appropriate team based on severity.

It is crucial for experienced candidates to understand the specific responsibilities of a DevOps team before joining an organization.

Development Engineer Roles and Responsibilities

To paraphrase: As a DevOps engineer, it is crucial to understand your roles and responsibilities in your new organization. This will help you align your study and career goals with the work you will be doing.

Solve key problems:

What are the day-to-day project activities?
Is there any active automation work, or is it a maintenance project?
What DevOps tools are currently used in the project?
Are there any new migration or development activities underway?
What is the future roadmap for the project?
How long will it take to have on-call support? Is there compensation for on-call support?
Will there be rotating night shifts?
Are working hours fixed or do they change when projects change?
Is there a culture of working on weekends?
Ask about the size of the team... sure, don't want to get burned! "!"

Some key things to consider include day-to-day project activities, DevOps tools being used, the project’s future roadmap, and team size. You should also be aware of on-call support and potential night or rotating shifts. It’s also crucial to consider the culture around weekend work. Depending on the team you join, your responsibilities may include platform engineering, application development and support, or maintenance and troubleshooting. It's also crucial to be aware of the impact your work has on your health and happiness.

As a DevOps engineer, it's important to understand that most automation efforts are one-time activities. However, one must also be prepared to participate in on-call activities in support of projects, with some exceptions. Depending on the team you're on, your responsibilities may vary. For example, if you're part of a platform engineering team, you might be involved in ongoing development and innovation as part of building platform tools. If you're part of an AppOps team, you likely work with tools developed by the platform team and have the opportunity to participate in daily meetings to learn about the project. If you're part of a support team, you may have a game manual to help troubleshoot issues, but may have less opportunity to participate in design discussions. When considering a DevOps engineer position, it is important to consider the type of team you will be part of.

DevOps Engineer FAQs

How to get into DevOps?

There are several ways to get into DevOps. If you're already working in development, QA, performance, or support, you can learn infrastructure automation and CI/CD to transition to DevOps. If you are just starting out, you should focus on learning programming, operating system concepts, cloud computing, and container technology. It's also helpful to work on real-world projects before applying for DevOps jobs.

Does a DevOps role require coding?

It depends on the specific project you are working on. Some DevOps positions may require coding skills to develop custom solutions for infrastructure automation and CI/CD. Generally speaking, it's a good idea to have some coding knowledge, as many DevOps interviews include coding or scripting rounds.

What does a DevOps engineer do?

DevOps engineers work with developers and cross-functional teams to streamline CI/CD processes and automate repetitive tasks. They are also responsible for troubleshooting and monitoring production and non-production platforms and applications.

What skills are required for DevOps?

There are several skills that are important for DevOps roles, including programming, operating system concepts, distributed systems, networking, monitoring, troubleshooting, container technology, infrastructure automation, configuration management, version control, and familiarity with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins , GitLab CI and GitHub Actions.

What are the best certifications for DevOps engineers?

There are many certifications for DevOps engineers, and the one that's best for you will depend on your interests and career goals. For example, if you want to work in cloud technology, a cloud certification may be most beneficial, whereas if you are interested in container technology, a Kubernetes certification may be more helpful. It's a good idea to research different certification options and choose one that aligns with your interests and career goals.

Document your learning outcomes

Documenting your learning journey and sharing it with others is crucial as it helps others and creates a personal brand for yourself. Setting up a blog on a platform like WordPress or Medium takes less than 30 minutes, and as you learn new DevOps concepts and tools, writing about them can serve as a reference for yourself and others. Sharing your articles in LinkedIn groups, Dzone, or other online communities can also help expand your reach. in conclusion

It should be noted that the tools and processes involved in DevOps are not limited to those mentioned in this article. There are many other open source tools and technologies that can be used in this field. When deciding to start your DevOps journey, consider your goals and interests and focus on which tools and technologies would be helpful.

Best DevOps learning resources: