DevOps Roadmap

What is a DevOps Engineer?

A DevOps engineer is a versatile IT professional with comprehensive expertise in development and operations. They excel in coding, managing infrastructure, system administration, and utilizing DevOps toolchains. Alongside technical prowess, these engineers showcase strong interpersonal skills as they collaborate across organizational boundaries to foster a more unified work environment.

Their skill set extends to a deep comprehension of prevalent system architectures, provisioning, and administration. Additionally, they are well-versed in developer toolsets and practices, including employing source control, conducting code reviews, crafting unit tests, and embracing agile principles.

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DevOps Engineer Prerequisites and Qualifications

Prerequisites and qualifications for DevOps Engineers:

Academic Degrees

  • Undergraduate education, like a bachelor's degree, represents the initial university-level qualification attainable after completing Year 12. It offers comprehensive skill development and career training across multiple years, typically with an ATAR entry requirement.
  • Postgraduate degrees, including graduate diplomas and master's programs, provide advanced skills to either advance or switch careers. Generally, a relevant bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for entry into postgraduate studies.

TAFE / VET Courses

  • Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, such as certificates, diplomas, and advanced diplomas, equip individuals with practical skills tailored for the workforce.

Industry Certifications

  • Industry certifications enable individuals to learn and showcase specific skills. These certifications can enhance employability and may be acknowledged by industries in Australia or internationally. Some certifications have specific entry requirements.

DevOps Roadmap: How to Become a DevOps Engineer

A DevOps engineer roadmap necessitates a passion for coding, problem-solving abilities in development, a bachelor's degree, and practical experience.

How to Become a DevOps Engineer - Infographic

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Step 1: Master Programming

Developing proficiency in coding is crucial. Numerous online coding courses and boot camps offer programming course programs. Start with fundamental languages such as HTML, CSS, C++, Python, and JavaScript.

Step 2: Grasp Operating Systems

Familiarize yourself with major operating systems like Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Learn about hardware and essential functions. Understand memory and storage management, security, file and network management, command interpreter systems, and I/O device management.

Step 3: Attain a Bachelor's Degree

While skills often weigh more than education, a degree signifies a well-rounded education. Recommended degrees include computer science, software design, engineering, information technology, programming, or related fields.

Step 4: Obtain Certifications

Certifications validate skills for potential employers. Consider certifications like AWS Certified DevOps Engineer—Professional, Puppet Certified Professional, Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert, Docker Certified Associate (DCA), Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), or Architecting with Google Cloud Platform. Free DevOps courses are available from LinkedIn and Microsoft.

Step 5: Gain Practical Experience

Hands-on experience is vital. Work with developers, automate processes, secure internships, and engage in networking. Utilize platforms like GitHub to showcase coding projects and network with professionals in the field.

Step 6: Apply for DevOps Engineer Roles

With a degree, certifications, and experience, seek DevOps engineer positions. Compile a strong portfolio highlighting technical skills, certifications, and degrees. Leverage existing network connections and inquire about transitioning into DevOps positions.

Overall, dedication to learning, practical experience, and networking are essential to follow the roadmap for DevOps engineers.

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DevOps Engineer Roles and Responsibilities

The following sections will acquaint you with the roles and responsibilities of a DevOps engineer:

  • Diverse Responsibilities: The role of a DevOps engineer varies among organizations, typically involving a blend of release engineering, infrastructure provisioning, system administration, security, and DevOps advocacy.
  • Release Engineering: Involves tasks related to building and deploying application code. The methods and tools utilized depend on factors such as programming language, pipeline automation level, and the infrastructure's nature (on-premise or cloud). This can encompass managing CI/CD tools or developing custom build/deploy scripts.
  • Infrastructure Provisioning and System Administration: Encompasses deploying and maintaining servers, storage, and networking resources necessary for hosting applications. In on-premise settings, it may involve overseeing physical servers, storage devices, switches, and virtualization software. For cloud-based or hybrid setups, the focus shifts to provisioning and managing virtual instances of these components.

DevOps Advocacy: Often underestimated yet crucial, this role involves promoting and educating the DevOps culture within the organization. As a subject matter expert, the DevOps engineer guides and educates team members, aiding in the smooth transition to a DevOps mindset, which can otherwise be disruptive and perplexing for the engineering team.

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DevOps Career Path

DevOps engineers currently rank among the highest-paid IT professionals. Organizations embracing DevOps practices are experiencing substantial growth and heightened performance. Consequently, many global enterprises are gravitating toward adopting this methodology. According to the Puppetlabs State of DevOps report, companies embracing DevOps principles can deploy their code up to 30 times more frequently than their industry counterparts.

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The report further highlights a significant 50% reduction in the likelihood of code failure among these DevOps-oriented companies. Job listings for DevOps roles on indeed.com have surged by 75%. Simultaneously, there has been a remarkable 50% increase in the mention of DevOps as a skill on linkedin.com.

DevOps Engineer Salary

As per indeed.com's salary structure graph, the demand for DevOps jobs began to surge notably around the middle of 2015, leading to a steep increase in DevOps engineer salaries in the US.

Information from PayScale.com indicates that qualified DevOps engineering professionals in the US command salaries starting at $93,000. PayScale.com reports an average salary of 6.5 lakhs for DevOps engineers in India. Additional data on DevOps salaries in India reveals an average annual salary of 6.0 lakhs, ranging between 4.2 lakhs and 12.5 lakhs annually.

Various factors such as geographical location, employing organization, skill set, and experience significantly influence salary discrepancies. After working as a DevOps engineer, individuals can explore diverse career paths, some of which are highlighted below.

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Tools and Technologies Every DevOps Engineer Should be Aware of

DevOps embodies a set of methodologies integrating software development (Dev) with IT operations (Ops) to streamline and automate software delivery. Many DevOps tools cater to various stages of the DevOps lifecycle, spanning development, testing, deployment, and monitoring.

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Following are the key DevOps tools every engineer should know:

1. Jenkins: A leading open-source automation server facilitating code building, testing, and deployment across multiple machines. Its extensive plugin ecosystem and integration capabilities make it versatile for continuous integration and delivery pipelines (CI/CD).

2. Docker: A containerization platform that packages applications and dependencies into lightweight containers. These containers ensure consistency and portability, simplifying application movement across development, testing, and production environments.

3. Ansible: An open-source automation tool for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. Its user-friendly, human-readable language makes defining automation tasks straightforward and accessible.

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4. Kubernetes: A container orchestration platform managing and scaling containerized applications. Offering features like automatic scaling, load balancing, and self-healing, Kubernetes is instrumental in deploying and overseeing microservices.

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5. Git and Git-based tools (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket): Vital for version control in DevOps, Git is a widely adopted distributed version control system. Platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket provide collaborative solutions for source code management, change tracking, and automation in the software development lifecycle.

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Conclusion

While these tools represent core components of DevOps, it's crucial to acknowledge the evolving nature of the DevOps landscape. The ideal toolset for a specific project or organization may vary, emphasizing the need for adaptability and continuous exploration of new tools and methodologies. Have a look at the Post Graduate Program in DevOps to hone the right skills and make you job-ready.

FAQs

Q1. Is DevOps still in demand in 2023?

In the field of IT, jobs are expected to rise above 15% between 2021 and 2031. DevOps is a rapidly growing field in the technology industry. Organizations worldwide are adopting DevOps practices to streamline software development and IT operations.

Q2. Does DevOps need coding?

Coding is a major skill required in DevOps. Without the skill, you won’t be able to work or automate tasks with code repositories.

Q3. What distinguishes DevOps from traditional software development methods?

DevOps is highly suited to a more agile and faster development process with frequent releases compared to traditional software development.

Q4. Is it possible to implement DevOps in startups or small businesses?

DevOps might look daunting for start-ups with specific resources, but to implement these practices as much as possible on our budget.

Q5. How long does it typically take to see results from DevOps practices?

The timeline for DevOps practices to demonstrate results can vary widely based on factors like organizational readiness, scope of implementation, and existing workflows. Generally, however, initial improvements and outcomes can often be noticed within a few months, with significant benefits materializing over 6-12 months of consistent DevOps implementation.

Q6. Which difficulties arise most frequently when using DevOps?

Some major difficulties while using DevOps include selecting the right DevOps Metrics, lack of cross-functional teams, the stringency of DevOps governance, and Choosing and adopting the right DevOps tools.

Q7. Will AI replace DevOps?

AI cannot replace DevOps. However, it can help with some software development tasks.

About the Author

Sana AfreenSana Afreen

Sana Afreen is a Senior Research Analyst at Simplilearn and works on several latest technologies. She holds a degree in B. Tech Computer Science. She has also achieved certification in Advanced SEO. Sana likes to explore new places for their cultures, traditions, and cuisines.

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