In the procedure of developing an app, software or program, a software developer plays an important role. The whole procedure takes time and there are numerous steps to pass through. In the end, the cost of developing quality software is tolerable by every company but they can’t manage the time taken in this procedure. Due to this, the continuous moving era of technology required something faster and way more reliable.
Here comes the role of a DevOps developer or a DevOps engineer. Putting in simple words, DevOps is the practice of software development in less time and focusing on automation. The primary skill of a DevOps developer is “Automation,” where the practice of continuous delivery of software and focusing on all the other parts make him highly profitable to an IT company. The demand is at a high pace and the shortage of professional DevOps engineers is making companies pay incredible salary packages. In addition to this, companies are paying high to the professionals who get certified in the DevOps certification course and showcase their clear understanding of its concepts and tools.
So, if you want to be a DevOps developer or engineer, then it is the best opportunity to seize. But, the question that comes to mind is, where to begin, how, and what are the key requirements? Well, don’t worry as we are here to explain some of the important factors like eligibility criteria, roles, career options, top colleges and all the key aspects that you should know about.
Where to Begin?
A DevOps developer is no one else than a software engineer who has expertise in several fields. DevOps is a practice but, it is a widely popular term and IT companies are having a huge demand for the same. The key knowledge required by an applicant should be –
- Knowledge of Development (Dev)
- Knowledge of Operation (Ops)
Someone with knowledge of both worlds will be termed as a DevOps developer and he/she can obtain a range of benefits after getting a job with this title. DevOps practice offers a range of advantages and some of the major benefits are –
- Software/Program/App is always complete and ready for delivery.
- Fast feedback and improvements are always taken into consideration.
- The operation throughput is always going to be better for the company.
- In a fast operation, risks are lower.
Now you know the essential parts of DevOps practice and it will be enough to help you understand that how to attain such a remarkable position.
Eligibility Criteria – Minimum Requirement
Becoming a software engineer is a must for a DevOps developer but if you are a Network Engineer then the chances of becoming a DevOps developer are still there. To get this job profile or the tile of being a “DevOps Engineer”, you need –
- Candidate must have complete Software engineering.
- Candidates with Network engineering are also eligible.
- At least 2 years of experience working on the programming language.
Along with these things, a software/network engineer would have to master several skills. We are discussing all the skills in detail ahead.
Skills Required to Become a DevOps Developer
A DevOps developer must possess the essential skills and there are many to master. After becoming a software engineer, one should focus on attaining the below-given skills. The catch is, you don’t need all the skills at once as you can keep harnessing skills in each department mentioned below –
- Programming Skills
A software engineer is a master of programming language but it doesn’t matter that he/she knows all the coding languages. To attain the position of DevOps developer, the applicant must master the basics of given skills –
These are all the common programming languages that are a must for every DevOps developer. You can harness command on more language based on the experience you gained in the previous years.
Having the skill to write, debug and work on programming language makes you a prominent option as a project will not bounce between different people to get completed. A single person is working on the entire code and developing it effectively.
On the other hand, knowing all the common programming language betters the Development Lifecycle. It will also enhance the overall productivity which is better for a programming company. As you are working on a large project, the responsibility is huge and you are forced to use the dedicated programming language.
- System Administrator Work Experience
If you have experience of working in an IT company then you may know about the System Administrator role. In actuality, a system administrator has a lot of work to do and he is building, deploying, debugging, testing, and fixing the servers. The task is always on day to day basis.
Knowing about the critical issues, checking the health of the system on daily basis and automating the part of the server is the primary responsibility. With that said, the software engineer must know the method to deploy and check the server properly. So, it is easy to say that a software engineer with system administrator skill is necessary to become a DevOps developer.
Having at least two years of experience is necessary to reach on DevOps position but it isn’t important to have experience in all of the fields, we are mentioning. If you have basic knowledge of System Administrator work then you are eligible.
- Dealing with Network and Storage
As you can find that DevOps developers are focusing on the server part of an IT company and checking all the connection, data, storage, and network is the crucial part for sure. So, the key requirement for a DevOps developer is to know about basic computer networking.
Being able to handle the traffic in real-time, familiarity with APIs, protocols, and the ability to take the solid decision is crucial. So, the job is not limited to software engineer only. A network engineer with knowledge of server maintenance can also opt for the post of DevOps engineer. No doubt that there are some other basic skills to master but this job is easy to target.
Gaining scripting knowledge, how to configure the program and the ability to deploy tools are important skills to master. If you want to get better in this field, equipping with Linus and OpenStack would be an excellent choice. There are many areas to work on to enhance the overall skills.
- Managing the Infrastructure and Compliances
New systems are designed to create a productive server tool and they must be able to follow the DevOps workflow. But, you can find that there are legacy systems that require attention. Configuring a secure, balanced, scalable and compliant system is necessary to boost the workflow.
No doubt that the whole work is focused on existing enterprises and no data gets disturbed during the work. Putting it in simple words, many tasks are done manually but doing it automated can boost productivity but shows some risks. A DevOps developer focus on eliminating such compliances and offering much productivity.
Managing the cluster while working on tools might be hard but if you have enough knowledge of managing the infrastructure, server and getting rid of compliance along with the knowledge of programming language, then DevOps is the perfect job profile to target.
- Working on Automation Tools
As you are working on several tools in the entire job, the important one is Automation and it is the challenging one in beginning. There are many automation tools and the popular ones are Puppet, Jenkins, Kubernetes, etc. If you are working on the automation part, then you will be focusing on generating code, building tools, testing their capabilities, finding flaws and deploying them.
But, all this task should be automated by the tools you create. Even the monitoring and the post-production part of testing each factor must be automated. Having this amount of automation will help in getting continuous integration and availing better, faster and productive results. There will be continuous testing, integration and programming part that a DevOps developer will focus on.
- Additional Factors
Above mentioned are the top five qualities or traits that every DevOps developer have. However, there are many other skills they possess. No doubt that having all these skills during the time of getting on the DevOps position is possible. Engineers learn and master these skills over time. The other traits are –
- Security
- Virtualization and cloud
- Testing
- Good communication skills
Being able to create better security software for server, managing the cloud data, testing all the server/systems and good communication skills are must for every DevOps developer.
Conclusion
Being in the position of DevOps developer is tough and require years of experience. But, if you want to attain this position then you would have to pass a long journey. A fresher in Software engineering can’t get a DevOps position directly but mastering side skills and focusing on all the given traits can help.
Experience is a must for every DevOps developer and you can gain experience by working in an IT company. You can learn about the work of other engineers and start gaining more knowledge. Once you have all the skills, it will be easy and you can seize this job profile with your efforts.
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
