What Does a DevOps Engineer Do?

What exactly is a DevOps Engineer and what does the position look like?

A DevOps Engineer is the link between Development and Operations. It is a modern term that falls under the category of Agile and Scrum. But what does this function really entail? In this article we tell you everything about what exactly a DevOps Engineer does.

What is DevOps?

DevOps is a combination of two words - or actually two fields: Development and Operations (management).

The goal of DevOps is to ensure streamlined software development and implementation. To achieve this, DevOps brings together people, processes and technologies to deliver value to customers quickly and consistently.

The DevOps process consists of eight steps that are continuously repeated . These steps are: plan, code, build, test, release, deploy, manage, and monitor. The process is repeated again with new additions, releases and the like.

What is a DevOps Engineer?

A DevOps Engineer is involved in the development cycle of software products. From development to release and maintaining the software: as a DevOps Engineer you are involved in the entire process.

The term DevOps is relatively new and originated from the agile methodology to develop software as efficiently as possible. The functions of a system administrator and developer are, as it were, combined in DevOps. Because a DevOps Engineer is involved in the entire development - and not just individual parts - projects can be completed faster and almost error-free.

What does a DevOps Engineer do?

A DevOps is responsible for the complete software development cycle. Developing new functionalities, maintenance releases, quality testing, product deliveries and ongoing checks: it's all part of the job.

In this position you are the link between Development and Operations. You involve all components together to develop and implement faster, while maintaining reliability and security. You carry out the tasks and responsibilities of a Developer and a System Administrator, so to speak .

This is how a good DevOps Engineer ensures:

• The development of new functionalities
• Automate and optimize software and systems
• Performing maintenance releases
• Performing tests and automating tests
• Configuration management and information security
• Solving technical problems
• Monitoring and running storage platforms
• Devising and developing smart IT solutions and processes
• Implementing new tools and processes

What do you need to be able to do in this position?

As a DevOps Engineer, it is important that you have good knowledge of a number of things:

• The methodology of project management
• Software development and automation tools
• Open-source tools and technologies to manage source code
• Knowledge of IT operations to drive integration and implementation processes
• Common tools that DevOps Engineers work with include: Windows Server, Puppet, Linux, Ansible, AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, Datadog and Docker.

In addition, a DevOps Engineer has knowledge of various programming languages . Examples include: C#, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Bash, Golang, Python and Ruby .

It is also important that you also have good soft skills. It is important that you have strong communication skills and can work well in a team . You have an open attitude and problem-solving ability to maintain consistently good interaction between the teams.