In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive tech industry, DevOps engineers play a pivotal role in facilitating the efficient and smooth delivery of software and applications. They bridge the gap between development and operations, ensuring that DevOps teams collaborate seamlessly, and the software development lifecycle remains agile.

Here are some major areas in DevOps:

• Systems administration

SysAdmin involves working within multi-user IT environments to optimise processes and performance. Generally, engineers in systems administration are tasked to build and manage applications, servers, and their supporting infrastructure. Some key skills required for SysAdmin include systems performance monitoring and maintenance, troubleshooting, system security deployment, and LAN and WAN management.

• Network and storage management

Network managers are tasked to set up, manage, and maintain an organisation’s computer networks. Depending on your existing network, your business may be utilising physical data centres or cloud servers. Therefore, you must find an engineer experienced in working with networks similar to yours. For example, cloud engineers are well-versed in cloud environments such as AWS or Google Cloud.

Moreover, you must consider an engineer’s skills in network administration and configuration, troubleshooting, and hardware and software maintenance.

• Automation

DevOps automation is an excellent solution for optimising your processes and reducing costs. A qualified DevOps automation engineer has not only the basic skills for development and IT operations but also expertise in modern automation tools and the future of DevOps.

Other important skills to look out for include configuration deployment and management, identification of tools and opportunities for different processes, and troubleshooting automation problems.

What Are Critical Skills of DevOps Engineer?

DevOps engineers possess a unique set of skills and characteristics that set them apart in the world of IT. In this article, we will delve into DevOps best practices and the key characteristics that define a DevOps engineer.

1. Technical Proficiency

At the core of a DevOps engineer’s skill set is a strong foundation in various technical domains. This includes expertise in scripting and coding, particularly in languages like Python, Ruby, or Bash. They should also be well-versed in automation tools, containerization (e.g., Docker), and configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet).

2. Versatility

DevOps engineers need to be versatile, adapting to multiple roles and challenges. They must not only understand the development process but also be capable of managing and maintaining the production environment. This versatility ensures that they can contribute to all phases of the software development lifecycle.

3. Collaboration

Collaboration is a hallmark of DevOps. DevOps engineers are effective communicators who facilitate cooperation between development and operations teams. They can bridge the gap between these traditionally separate entities, encouraging cross-functional teams to work together harmoniously.

4. Problem-Solving Skills

The ability to troubleshoot and solve problems efficiently is essential for a DevOps engineer. They must diagnose issues in complex systems, pinpoint their root causes, and implement solutions rapidly to maintain system reliability and performance.

5. Automation Mindset

Automation is at the heart of DevOps practices. DevOps engineers are adept at automating repetitive and manual tasks, from code integration and deployment to infrastructure provisioning. This not only saves time but also reduces the likelihood of human errors.

6. Continuous Learning

The tech landscape evolves rapidly, and DevOps engineers must keep pace with new tools, technologies, and best practices. A commitment to continuous learning is a defining characteristic, ensuring they remain at the forefront of industry advancements.

7. Embracing DevOps Culture

Beyond technical skills, a DevOps engineer should fully embrace the DevOps culture and principles. This includes fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and sharing among team members, as well as a dedication to delivering quality software to end-users.

8. Security Awareness

With the increasing frequency of cybersecurity threats, DevOps engineers must have a strong awareness of security best practices. They should be proactive in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in the software development process. DevSecOps is key in ensuring Cloud security and should be on your list of priorities.

9. Resilience and Adaptability

In the world of DevOps, things don’t always go as planned. DevOps engineers need to be resilient, capable of dealing with unexpected challenges and adapting to evolving project requirements and timelines.

10. Documentation Skills

To ensure effective collaboration and knowledge sharing, DevOps engineers must be diligent in documenting their work, processes, and configurations. Well-maintained documentation is vital for maintaining system reliability and for onboarding new team members.

What Are Key Technical Skills of DevOps Engineer?

From a technical standpoint, DevOps engineers need to have the following skills:

• Scripting and Coding Skills:
  • Proficiency in scripting languages like Python, Ruby, Bash, or PowerShell.
  • Knowledge of version control systems such as Git.

• Automation Tools and Frameworks:
  • Expertise in automation tools, such as Ansible, Puppet, Chef, or Terraform.
  • Experience with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools like CloudFormation, ARM templates, or Terraform.

• Containerization:
  • Mastery of containerization technologies like Docker.
  • Knowledge of container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes.

• Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD):
  • Experience with CI/CD pipelines and tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, CircleCI, or GitLab CI/CD.
  • Understanding of build and deployment automation processes.

• Cloud Platforms:
  • Proficiency in cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
  • Skills in provisioning and managing cloud resources.

• Monitoring and Logging:
  • Familiarity with monitoring tools like Prometheus, Grafana, Nagios, or Zabbix.
  • Knowledge of log management tools such as ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) or Splunk.

• Collaboration Tools:
  • Use of collaboration and communication tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Atlassian Confluence.
  • Knowledge of issue tracking systems, such as Jira or Trello.

• Security Awareness:
  • Awareness of security best practices, including knowledge of vulnerabilities and how to address them.
  • Familiarity with security testing tools like OWASP ZAP.

• Database Management:
  • Proficiency in database management systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or NoSQL databases.
  • Knowledge of database deployment and maintenance.
    
• Networking Fundamentals:
  • Understanding of networking concepts, including DNS, load balancing, and firewalls.
  • Ability to configure and manage network components.

• Version Control and Collaboration:
  • Expertise in version control systems such as Git.
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills to work with cross-functional teams.
    
• Ethical AI and Bias Awareness (for Machine Learning DevOps):
  • Understanding of ethical AI practices, including bias detection and fairness in machine learning models.
    
• Continuous Learning:
  • Commitment to staying updated with emerging technologies and industry best practices.

How Can a DevOps Engineer Help Your Business Grow?

DevOps engineers need to balance technical expertise with soft skills, allowing them to effectively manage and automate various aspects of the software development and deployment process while fostering a collaborative, efficient, and secure environment. To be able to choose the right DevOps engineers, you need to be aware of the risks and rewards of outsourcing DevOps.

Our experienced DevOps engineers can help you streamline processes and deliver applications at the pace of your business!