Essential Skills for a Platform Engineer

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.

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.

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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.

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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

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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'
            }
        }
    }
}

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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']

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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/*"
    }
  ]
}

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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:

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