Welcome to the next step in your journey to becoming a platform engineer!

Platform engineering is a dynamic and multifaceted field that requires a diverse set of skills. In this blog post, we’ll explore the essential skills every platform engineer needs, along with practical examples and resources to help you develop these skills.

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1. Proficiency in Programming and Scripting

Platform engineers need strong programming and scripting skills to automate tasks and build tools.

Key Languages:

• Python: Widely used for scripting and automation.
• Go: Popular for building high-performance tools.
• Bash: Essential for shell scripting.

Example: Automating Infrastructure Deployment with Python

import boto3

ec2 = boto3.client('ec2')

def create_instance():
    response = ec2.run_instances(
        ImageId='ami-0abcdef1234567890',
        InstanceType='t2.micro',
        MinCount=1,
        MaxCount=1
    )
    print("EC2 Instance Created: ", response['Instances'][0]['InstanceId'])

create_instance()

Simple. You’ve just created a EC2 instance using python. Ok…there’s a little more to it. Read on.

Resources:

• Python for DevOps
• Go Programming Language

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2. Understanding of Cloud Platforms

Proficiency with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud is crucial for platform engineers.

Key Concepts:

• Compute Services: EC2, Azure VMs, Google Compute Engine.
• Storage Solutions: S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage.
• Networking: VPC, Subnets, Security Groups.

Example: Deploying a Web Server on AWS EC2

# Launch an EC2 instance
aws ec2 run-instances --image-id ami-09c5b2a6c0dda02e1 --instance-type t2.micro --key-name MyKeyPair

# Install Apache Web Server
ssh -i "MyKeyPair.pem" ec2-user@<instance-ip>
sudo zypper in apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

Above is a few command-line code snippets using the aws cli and ssh to create an openSUSE instance and install the apache web server.

Resources:

• AWS Training and Certification
• Microsoft Azure Learning Paths
• Google Cloud Training

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3. Familiarity with Containerization and Orchestration

Understanding Docker Podman and Kubernetes is essential for managing containerized applications.

Key Concepts:

• Podman: open source tool for developing, managing, and running containers
• Docker: Containerization platform to package applications.
• Kubernetes: Orchestration platform to manage containerized applications.

Example: Deploying a Docker Container

# Build Podman image
podman build -t my-app .

# Run Podman container
podman run -d -p 8080:80 my-app

Resources:

• Podman Documentation
• Docker Documentation
• Kubernetes Basics

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4. Knowledge of CI/CD Pipelines

CI/CD pipelines are the backbone of modern software development, ensuring continuous integration and delivery.

Key Tools:

• Jenkins: Popular CI/CD automation server.
• GitHub Actions: Integrated CI/CD service in GitHub.
• GitLab CI: Integrated CI/CD tool in GitLab.

Example: Simple Jenkins Pipeline

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                sh 'mvn clean package'
            }
        }
        stage('Test') {
            steps {
                sh 'mvn test'
            }
        }
        stage('Deploy') {
            steps {
                sh 'mvn deploy'
            }
        }
    }
}

Resources:

• Jenkins Documentation
• GitHub Actions Documentation
• GitLab CI/CD Documentation

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5. Monitoring and Logging

Effective monitoring and logging are crucial for maintaining the health and performance of systems.

Key Tools:

• Prometheus: Monitoring and alerting toolkit.
• Grafana: Data visualization and monitoring with support for Prometheus.
• ELK Stack: Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana for logging and search.

Example: Basic Prometheus Configuration

global:
  scrape_interval: 15s

scrape_configs:
  - job_name: 'prometheus'
    static_configs:
      - targets: ['localhost:9090']

Resources:

• Prometheus Documentation
• Grafana Documentation
• ELK Stack Guide

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6. Security Best Practices

Security is a critical aspect of platform engineering, ensuring systems are protected from threats.

Key Practices:

• IAM (Identity and Access Management): Managing user access and permissions.
• Network Security: Configuring firewalls and security groups.
• Secret Management: Storing and managing sensitive information.

Example: AWS IAM Policy

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": "s3:*",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*"
    }
  ]
}

Resources:

• AWS IAM Best Practices
• Azure Security Documentation
• HashiCorp Vault

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Conclusion

Developing these essential skills will provide a strong foundation for your career as a platform engineer. From programming and cloud platforms to CI/CD and security, mastering these areas will enable you to build robust, scalable, and efficient platforms.

Additional Resources:

• DevOps and SRE Fundamentals
• Platform Engineering on LinkedIn Learning

Stay tuned for more detailed guides and tutorials on each of these skills. Happy learning and coding!

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