DevOps Roadmap - The Beginner Guide

What is DevOps

In recent years, DevOps has surged in popularity and has become ingrained in the software development lifecycle as a culture. For newbie eager to embark on their DevOps journey, it's important not to feel intimidated or rush into adopting tools and platforms hastily. Instead, take the time to grasp the essence of DevOps and what it entails before delving into specific tools and technologies. Understanding the fundamental principles and values of DevOps will lay a solid foundation for navigating the complexities of the DevOps landscape effectively

I love how the concept of DevOps and Devops culture was defined by Atlassian DevOps Culture - Atlassian

DevOps is a cultural shift. Full stop. It’s not a matter of simply adopting agile planning or automated testing or continuous delivery, although those practices are certainly important. DevOps culture is all about a shared understanding between developers and operations, and sharing responsibility for the software they build. That means increasing transparency, communication, and collaboration across development, IT/operations, and "the business".

The Focus Roadmap

The focus roadmap outlines a structured pathway that highlights various key areas and fundamental concepts essential for DevOps professionals. It serves as a guide, breaking down the broad field of DevOps into manageable sections, each focusing on specific skills, tools, and practices.

The Road Map

It provides a clear and structured flow map, helping you visualize the progression of skills and knowledge you need to acquire, starting from the basics and advancing gradually. The roadmap also highlights essential tools and technologies, offering a curated list of industry-standard solutions that you can begin exploring and mastering right away.

The DevOps Concept

1. Agile Framework: Agile is a software development methodology emphasizing iterative development, collaboration, and flexibility. DevOps engineers should understand Agile principles such as delivering working software frequently, responding to change, and fostering collaboration between cross-functional teams.

2. Linux: Linux is a widely used open-source operating system favored for its stability, security, and flexibility. DevOps engineers should have a strong command of Linux systems as many servers and cloud environments run on Linux. Proficiency in Linux shell scripting, system administration, and troubleshooting is essential for managing infrastructure and automating tasks in a DevOps environment.

3. Git (Version Control): Git is a distributed version control system that enables teams to manage and track changes to source code efficiently. DevOps engineers should be proficient in Git to facilitate collaboration, track changes, and manage code branches effectively. They leverage Git to implement continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, ensuring the smooth delivery of software updates.

4. Infrastructure: Infrastructure encompasses the hardware, software, networks, databases, and other services required to support the deployment and operation of applications. DevOps engineers are responsible for designing, provisioning, configuring, and managing infrastructure resources efficiently. They leverage automation tools, infrastructure as code (IaC), and cloud services to build scalable, resilient, and cost-effective infrastructure solutions.

5. Containerization involves encapsulating applications and their dependencies into lightweight, portable containers that can run consistently across different environments. DevOps engineers should have expertise in containerization technologies such as Docker and container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. They utilize containers to package, deploy, and manage applications seamlessly, improving scalability, resource utilization, and deployment consistency.

6. CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment): CI/CD is a DevOps practice that involves automating the process of integrating code changes, running tests, and deploying applications frequently and reliably. DevOps engineers design and implement CI/CD pipelines using tools like Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GitLab CI, or CircleCI to streamline the software delivery process, accelerate time to market, and ensure the quality of releases.

   Popular Options: GitActions, Jenkins, and Azure DevOps

7. Cloud: Cloud computing platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google, not limited to the three, also Digital Ocean and others. Cloud provides scalable infrastructure and services on-demand. DevOps engineers leverage cloud services to build, deploy, and manage applications efficiently. They utilize cloud resources for computing, storage, networking, and other services, enabling rapid innovation, elasticity, and cost optimization. Popular Options - AWS and Azure

8. Infrastructure as Code (IaC): IaC is the practice of managing and provisioning infrastructure resources through code and automation tools. DevOps engineers use frameworks like Terraform, Cloud Formation, Azure Resource Manager, and Google Cloud Deployment Manager to define infrastructure configurations declaratively, allowing for versioning, repeatability, and consistency. IaC enables infrastructure to be treated as code, facilitating automation, scalability, and agility in the deployment process. Recommendation- Terraform

9. Configuration Management: Configuration management involves automating the setup, configuration, and maintenance of servers and applications to ensure consistency and reliability. DevOps engineers utilize tools like Puppet, Chef, or Ansible to manage configurations, enforce compliance, and orchestrate changes across infrastructure components. Configuration management streamlines operations, reduces manual errors, and enhances infrastructure agility in a DevOps environment. Recommendation- Ansible

With a proficiency level in the above, you can broadly proceed to entry-level roles while enriching your proficiency level to expertise.

On the advanced level, it is also good to learn Security practices in DevOps, advanced scripting and automation, monitoring, and Observability.

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References: roadmap.sh/DevOps