The world of software development technology is constantly evolving. This is especially true for DevOps, a discipline that intersects with numerous domains of software development. DevOps practitioners of every skill level—be it seasoned professionals or aspiring newcomers—find themselves in a constant race to keep pace with the shifting landscape.
In 2024, in particular, has seen the emergence of one of the most disruptive technologies in many years: generative AI tools. These tools have an ever-expanding list of potential use-cases, including several within software development and DevOps.
However, AI isn’t ready to replace humans in software systems just yet! There’s still plenty of need for software and DevOps engineers to be involved in the design and deployment of modern, complex application architectures. DevOps engineers need to be well-versed in a variety of technologies, tools, and design paradigms to be effective in helping developers be more productive and to deliver software faster.
Focus Areas
- Know how to configure, run, and debug Docker for local development.
- Be familiar with common security mistakes and issues.
- Know how to configure, run, and manage Kubernetes. Tools like minikube can help provide local environments.
- Build a strong depth of knowledge around Terraform. Spend time learning some of the more complex features like functions, expressions, and loops.
- Understand how to utilize Terraform at scale. At minimum, this should involve shared version control repositories, change management with multiple engineers, and CI/CD automation across multiple environments and regions.
- Consider adopting a management platform like Terraform Cloud or Spacelift to help with scaling up.