What does a DevOps Engineer do?

definition

The term “DevOps” is made up of the terms development and IT operations. A DevOps Engineer is a developer and an administrator in one, i.e. a mixture of a software developer and a system engineer. As a DevOps Engineer you should be react as quickly as possible and act upon accordingly. To achieve this, it is primarily important that development and IT work together and that processes are coordinated.

Skills you Need as a DevOps Engineer

• Programming languages like PHP, JavaScript, Java, Python
• Understanding of different OS concepts (Virtualization, Service-, Process- & Startup Management)
• Manage servers
• Server Setup
• Infrastructure as Code
• Software and Application Monitoring Cloud Design Patterns

What are the Typical Tasks?

• Designing and creating scripts and development tools
• Programming and monitoring
• Administration

What Does a Working Day Look Like?

In the morning, you have a short daily meeting with the team to discuss the day’s agenda. After that you can answer the incoming mails. Most of the time there are some phone calls with customers or team members.

Then we usually work on existing projects. Here, some things become visible in the monitoring dashboard that require quick action. The goal is to get these small obstacles out of the way.
During the day, smaller or larger problems occur again and again. Then you have to solve them immediately if possible, or at least within the day. It takes a lot of creativity and patience to deal with some difficulties.

In the evening, a daily meeting takes place in which everyone describes the day’s tasks and challenges. Together we look for solutions and optimizations. When you did everything and the to-dos for the next day are clear, a successful day is over.

What Special Skills do you Need as a DevOps Engineer?

In addition to technical and professional knowledge, other important competencies are independent work and soft skills. These include teamwork and communication skills in line with the DevOps culture of bringing together previously disparate departments. The work of DevOps Engineers should always be aligned with the entire team. Finally a lifelong willingness to learn is essential, as in most IT sectors, since this area is constantly changing.