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Are You Ready To Become a Successful DevOps Engineer? A Fresher Roadmap

How to Become a DevOps Engineer

For quite some time now, we’ve heard the term “DevOps” in software development. Most people commonly understand that DevOps is all about bringing together people, processes, and technology to enhance collaboration between development and operations teams. In simple terms, DevOps is about setting the goal of delivering software more efficiently.

Today, traditional business models just don’t cut it anymore. The days when teams worked in isolated silos, focusing on a narrow set of tasks, are behind us. Now, teams are more diverse, agile, and equipped to deliver relevant solutions. In today’s competitive environment, any organization engaged in software development—at any scale—needs DevOps to stay ahead. This is especially true for a digital transformation company, where rapid innovation and efficient workflows are essential to success.

In fact, DevOps professionals have become some of the most in-demand people in the IT world. Thinking about pursuing a career in DevOps? Want to become a DevOps engineer someday? You’re in the right place! In this article, we’ll walk you through a roadmap designed specifically for freshers. If you’re just starting out, this guide will give you the perfect introduction to all things DevOps.

What is DevOps? 

DevOps

DevOps is a software development practice that, as we’ve discussed, blends cultural philosophies, people, processes, and technology to enhance collaboration between dedicated software development teams. The main goal for a DevOps team is to deliver software quickly while continuously providing maximum value to customers.

In DevOps, teams focus on automating processes that were traditionally handled manually. They leverage a technology stack and advanced DevOps tools to build high-quality and reliable applications. These tools allow engineers to complete tasks—like code deployment or infrastructure provisioning—that would typically require assistance from other team members. This automation boosts team velocity and fosters an optimal working environment.

The Role of DevOps in Modern Software Development

DevOps in Modern Software Development

The role of DevOps involves six advanced stages, each playing a vital part in driving business success.

Effective Collaboration & Communication

DevOps fosters a culture of shared responsibility by breaking down barriers between development and operations. This creates an environment for better problem-solving and sparks innovation.

Improves Software Quality & Reliability

With DevOps, automated testing and continuous feedback loops help catch and resolve issues early in the development process, leading to more reliable and higher-quality software.

Optimize your Software Development Processes with Our DevOps Services

Optimize Software Scalability and Stability

Using practices like Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DevOps makes infrastructure management easier, which in turn boosts software scalability and business profitability.

Accelerates Software Delivery

DevOps embraces core practices that allow for more frequent and dependable releases. Faster deployments help businesses stay agile and respond quickly to market changes.

Reduces Overall Costs

One of the advantages of DevOps is the elimination of repetitive tasks, which cuts down on labor costs and reduces unnecessary resource use.

Encourages Continuous Learning

With a focus on continuous feedback and experimentation, DevOps helps teams adapt and evolve. This ensures they stay ahead of technological advancements and industry best practices.

Plus, the quicker you can resolve issues, the better your chances of avoiding major failures. 

What Qualifications Do You Need To Become a DevOps Engineer? 

How to Become a DevOps Engineer

They say that when it comes to building strong structures, it all starts with a solid foundation—and the same goes for a career in DevOps engineering. If you’re not sure where to begin, the key is first understanding the basics of computer science and how digital systems work.

A great starting point would be enrolling in a BE/BTech, BCA, or BSc course in computer science, or IT, or completing a major in CS from a reputable institution. While there are plenty of self-taught developers out there who have dedicated a lot of time to the field, they often lack the same focus and deep technical knowledge as someone who’s gone through a structured four-year program.

Some key technical subjects you’ll need to master over time include:

  • Operating Systems
  • Data Structures and Algorithms
  • Computer Networks
  • Distributed Systems (Advanced)

For anyone just starting out in DevOps, getting a basic understanding of these complex topics is crucial, as they will serve as the foundation of your journey.

Also Read: Top 10 DevOps Consulting Companies in the USA

What is the DevOps Mindset? 

DevOps Mindset

To kick off a career in DevOps, the first step is developing a DevOps mindset.

When it comes to the software development lifecycle, there are a few key things you’ll need to master, like collaboration, continuous learning, and seeing the bigger picture.

At its heart, a DevOps mindset is about tearing down the barriers between development and operations teams. It’s about shared responsibility — both for those delivering the software and those managing its operations. DevOps serves as the bridge that connects them.

With this mindset, a DevOps engineer isn’t just focused on specific tasks—they’re thinking system-wide. This approach fosters an agile, responsive environment where performance thrives.

6 Core Pillars of DevOps in Software Development 

There are six core pillars of DevOps in software development.

Continuous Integration (CI): 

Continuous Integration

Continuous Integration is all about bringing code changes within a single central repository. 

The process is handled ideally multiple times a day. With every integration, CI is automatically tested to detect errors quickly. The CI approach is relatively simple. The idea is to minimize the code integration problems which are often encountered when developers merge changes into the main branch. 

CI usually happens at the end of a release cycle. 

On the contrary, CI further ensures that a certain developed software is up-to-date. 

It is rigorously tested & validated which ultimately reduces the likelihood of major problems which can arise during or after the launch of a software. 

Continuous Deployment (CD):

Continuous Deployment

Once the integration is handled, continuous deployment ensures that the software is constantly and automatically implemented with the changes, specifically one after the other. 

Sometimes, there are quick code changes which are required on the development side, and if changes are not implemented on time, it can lead to blockages within the production pipeline. 

This can eventually lead to bigger problems such as decreased software performance & responsiveness. CD ensures that the software is ready for deployment or delivery at any time of the release. 

Infrastructure as a Code (IaC): 

Infrastructure as a Code

IaC is the process of setting up a computing infrastructure where machine-readable definition files are fed within the system instead of running through physical hardware or any interactive configuration tool. 

The objective is to make sure the environment reduces the potential for committing human error. 

With IaC developers and operation teams, it becomes easier for businesses to automatically manage, monitor, and provision resources instead of taking the manual route of setting up & configuring resources. 

Automation:

DevOps Automation

Automation in DevOps software development is all about setting up an entire lifecycle. 

This usually involves continuous testing, integration, and infrastructure management. With automation, your software developers get reduced manual work, less chance of committing errors, and increased team agility & better performance which eventually contributes to the overall improvement. 

On the contrary, automation also helps development teams to better focus on complex tasks, for instance, they are more well-equipped to think critically and be innovative in building better solutions. 

For example, with automation, code management becomes a whole lot easier and you ensure that your code contributions do not have loops or degradations whatsoever. 

Automation also helps escalate the feedback process. 

Effective Collaboration & Communication: 

Collaboration and Communication

Effective collaboration is essential to build the perfect software solution. 

Proper communication is all about breaking silos and creating a culture where developers and operations are staffed correctly. In fact, all development lifecycle stages, whether it’s design or production, require a better understanding of challenges and perspectives, resulting in efficient problem-solving and innovation. There are plenty of tools such as chat applications, project management software tools & collaborative platforms which facilitate team members to connect and share information easily. 

Monitoring & Feedback: 

DevOps Monitoring

One more essential feature of DevOps is monitoring and feedback which is an essential pillar in software development. Developers mostly require stakeholders to monitor the business performance and application health continuously. 

Continuous monitoring brings real-time insights from application performance allowing teams to identify and address problems more quickly. 

Along with monitoring, feedback mechanisms in DevOps also play a significant role. 

Efficient feedback allows businesses to quickly collect data from different stages of the development process and use them to improve future iterations such as: 

  • Code Development Feedback: Early-stage feedback helps refine code quality and prevent issues before deployment.
  • Testing Feedback: Continuous testing feedback ensures the identification of bugs and performance issues before they reach production.
  • Deployment Feedback: Post-deployment feedback allows for rapid detection of any operational issues impacting user experience.
  • User Feedback: Gathering user feedback post-release helps in refining features and improving usability in future versions.
  • Performance Monitoring Feedback: Real-time performance data allows for proactive tuning of the application’s speed and reliability.
  • Security Feedback: Continuous security feedback identifies vulnerabilities and improves the overall security posture of the application.

Roadmap – The Necessary Steps to Become a DevOps Engineer

DevOps Engineer Roadmap

Step #1 – Choosing a Programming Language

If you’re looking to start a career as a DevOps engineer, the first step is to learn programming languages. It’s essential to grasp the basics, as a DevOps engineer should be skilled in automation, integration, customization, and tackling various complexities.

DevOps Programming Languages

Getting familiar with popular programming languages like Python, R, or GoLang can be incredibly beneficial. As you progress in your career and encounter different projects, you may adapt to new concepts, but you’ll find that the underlying principles are often similar across languages.

Step #2 – You Must Know the Basics of Operating Systems 

Operating systems serve as the backbone of nearly every computing environment. To run software on any hardware, you need to establish a connection between the two. 

Operating Systems for DevOps

In DevOps engineering, particularly when managing applications and optimizing infrastructure, it’s crucial to become well-versed in operating systems before diving into any specific technology.

  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Ubuntu / Debian
    • RHEL / Derivatives: It is widely used in enterprises and derivatives like CentOS and Fedora offering similar features and compatibility.
    • SUSE Linux: SUSE Linux is favored for the enterprise-grade support it provides.
  • Unix
    • FreeBSD: FreeBSD is good with performance 
    • OpenBSD: OpenBSD is good with security
    • NetBSD: NetBSD is good with portability

Step # 3 – Command-Line Interface 

As a DevOps engineer, it’s crucial to get comfortable with the basics of the Command Line Interface (CLI). 

The CLI is especially important in DevOps because it provides access to advanced features often hidden in graphical user interfaces, giving you more precise control over systems and the best DevOps tools

Command Line Interface

It works across different environments and provides a deeper understanding of the systems your development teams are working on. 

If you’re managing servers through the CLI, here are a few key areas to focus on:

  • Scripting
  • Editors
  • Networking Tools
  • Process Monitoring
  • Performance Monitoring
  • Text Manipulation

Step # 4 – Version Control System & Hosting 

Have you mastered your preferred programming language? The next step in your DevOps journey is to get familiar with Version Control Systems (VCS). VCS and hosting solutions are key for managing code deployments and ensuring smooth collaboration.

Version Control System

Version Control Systems track changes in code and let multiple developers work on the same project at the same time without worrying about overwriting each other’s work. 

Concepts like branching, merging, and tagging are crucial in DevOps.

Popular Tools for Version Control:

  • Git: The most widely used VCS for distributed version control. Learn basic commands like commit, push, and pull, along with advanced features like rebasing and conflict resolution.
  • GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket: Platforms that host Git repositories and support collaboration. Get comfortable with pull requests, issue tracking, and code reviews on these platforms.

Understanding cloud hosting platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud is important for effectively deploying your application. This knowledge gives you an edge in managing DevOps pipelines, integrating VCS with CI/CD tools like Jenkins or Travis CI, and automating testing and deployment. 

It ensures your code is always deployable and helps provide faster, more reliable feedback.

Step # 5 – Learning About Cloud Providers 

The world of DevOps is vast and offers plenty of cloud computing options. If you want to run your applications in a well-hosted environment, it’s best to invest in one of the major cloud service providers

DevOps Cloud Providers

Some of the top names in cloud computing today are:

  • AWS: Amazon Web Services offers a variety of services, like EC2 and S3 for storage, Lambda for serverless options, and EKS for Kubernetes.
  • Azure: Microsoft’s Azure provides similar services to AWS, but stands out with Azure DevOps, which includes CI/CD tools, version control, and project management tools.
  • GCP (Google Cloud Platform): Google Cloud offers many of the same services as the others, but powered by Google’s technology.

Also Read: Azure DevOps vs AWS DevOps: Which Cloud Platform is Better for 2024?

If you’re aiming for a career in DevOps, it’s essential to understand the different cloud providers.

Step # 6 – Learning About Containerization – Dockers 

Pursuing a career in DevOps engineering also means you’ll need to understand containerization. One of the key tools for this is Docker. Docker helps package apps and download the necessary dependencies on the server to run any application you choose.

Docker for DevOps

These days, every cloud-based organization uses Docker to package and deploy applications. As a DevOps engineer, you’ll work with Docker by writing simple Dockerfiles and storing the necessary information.

A few essential things that you should be aware of, especially when it comes to Docking are: 

  • You should know how to run containers
  • You are capable of inspecting active containers
  • You must be aware of the concepts of Docker Networking
  • You should know about Docker Volumes
  • You must know how to create Dockerfiles using the Dockerize apps
  • You are able to run multiple containers using Docker-Compose
  • You know how to work with Docker Repository

Step #7 – A Basic Know-How of CI/CD Tools

If you’re on your way to becoming a DevOps engineer, it’s essential to get comfortable with CI/CD tools. These tools are vital for automating and streamlining workflows, making testing easier, and ensuring that applications are deployed faster.

DevOps CI CD Tools

Here are some key areas to focus on:

  • Writing automation scripts for testing and deployment
  • Setting up monitoring and feedback cycles
  • Learning best practices
  • Setting up notifications to channels (like Slack, Discord, etc.)

Tools to Learn:

  • GitLab CI
  • Jenkins
  • GitHub Actions
  • CircleCI

Step #8 – Container Orchestration

DevOps Container Orchestration

Containers are crucial because they can scale up or down based on usage, thanks to container orchestration tools. 

As a DevOps engineer, you’ll need to create multiple replicas of a container, and popular tools for this include Kubernetes and Docker Swarm. 

These open-source platforms help automate, scale, and manage containerized applications.

Step #9 – Networking & Security Protocols

Networking and security are fundamental aspects of effective DevOps practices. Most tasks are handled through servers and advanced production environments.

DevOps Security Protocols

You’ll need to manage and troubleshoot infrastructure, deploy and manage microservices, and handle cloud-based deployments—all while ensuring these environments are secure.

Here are a few concepts to learn on your DevOps journey:

  • FTP/SFTP
  • HTTP/HTTPS
  • SSL/TLS
  • DNS
  • SSH
  • Various protocols

As a DevOps engineer, building a strong foundation in networking and implementing the right security measures is just as critical as mastering CI/CD tools.

This requires in-depth training and a solid understanding of these critical topics, along with hands-on experience in configuring and managing secure networks.

Step #10 – Setting Up Firewalls, Proxy, and Servers

To increase the security and performance of your infrastructure, you’ll need firewalls to control unauthorized access to your servers.

Firewalls Proxy Server

Understanding how to set up proxy servers and load balancers is also essential. Plus, knowing how to install certificates plays a vital role in your development journey.

Here’s what you should be familiar with:

  • Firewall: Acts as a barrier between your internal network and potential external threats, filtering traffic to block unauthorized access while allowing legitimate connections.
  • Proxy: Serves as an intermediary between users and the internet, enhancing security by masking internal IP addresses and caching content for better response times.
  • Web Servers: Tools like Apache or NGINX handle application hosting. Proper setup ensures your application can efficiently manage traffic and stay accessible to users.

Step # 11 – Understanding Serverless Implementation

The next step in your DevOps roadmap is to familiarize yourself with serverless computing. In a cloud computing model where resources are dynamically allocated and provisioned, serverless implementations let DevOps developers focus on what they do best—writing code.

Serverless Architecture

Instead of getting bogged down with resource allocation or server management, you can streamline your workflow. As a DevOps engineer, here are a few important topics you should be aware of:

  • Cloudflare
  • AWS Lambda
  • Azure Functions
  • Vercel

Step #12 – Infrastructure Provisioning

Infrastructure provisioning is a critical skill for a DevOps engineer, as it involves setting up and managing the underlying resources necessary for application deployment.

DevOps Infrastructure

You’ll need to familiarize yourself with tools that automate this process, which may improve efficiency and reduce the percentage of human error.

Tools such as Terraform, which is actually a popular tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure.

With AWS CloudFormation, AWS’s IaC tool allows you to model and set up AWS resources. Ansible is primarily a configuration management tool, it can also assist with provisioning infrastructure.

Step #13 – Configuration Management

Configuration management ensures that all systems are correctly configured and are monitored and controlled properly. This tool is essential for maintaining system stability and compliance. A DevOps engineer is responsible for automating configurations for servers and making sure they are correctly deployed. 

Configuration Management

There are several tools that help a DevOps engineer to learn and adapt to configuration management. There are tools such as Ansible which are used for automating software provisioning, configuration management, and application deployment. 

Another tool called the Puppet is also used for a code-based approach to manage server configurations. Also, there’s a tool called Chef which works the same way as Puppet does and uses a code-based approach to manage servers. 

Step #14 – Infrastructure Monitoring

One of the important tasks for a DevOps engineer is to ensure the infrastructure performs as expected. With effective infrastructure monitoring, a DevOps engineer is much better equipped to identify potential problems which may affect the users.

Infrastructure Monitoring

With effective real-time monitoring, it becomes significantly easier to attain real-time insights into the infrastructure health. You can use a number of tools such as Prometheus, an open-source system monitoring and alerting toolkit.

On the contrary, Grafana which is often used with Prometheus brings adequate visualization for monitoring data. There is also a tool called Nagios, a monitoring tool which provides alerts for system failures & is designed to take care of performance issues.

Step #15 – Application Monitoring

Application monitoring focuses on the performance & availability of software applications. Effective application monitoring is important because it helps software developers meet user expectations and ensure the app functions correctly. A DevOps engineer usually performs user experience monitoring where they understand how an application performs from a user’s perspective.

Application Monitoring

For effective application monitoring, here are a few important tools which are quite essential; especially when you want to grow yourself as a DevOps engineer.

  • New Relic: New Relic is just one of those tools which you leverage in performance monitoring for applications in real-time.
  • Dynatrace: The Dynatrace brings full-stack monitoring capabilities to the table.
  • AppDynamics: This tool commonly focuses on application performance management and monitoring.

Step #16 – Continuous Learning and Community Engagement

Finally, becoming a proficient DevOps engineer requires a commitment to continuous learning and staying updated with industry trends.

Learning and Community Engagement

Engaging with the community can enhance your knowledge and expose you to best practices.

  • Stay Updated: You can always choose to follow blogs, podcasts, and online courses to keep your skills sharp.
  • Community Engagement: You can also participate in forums such as Stack Overflow, DevOps-specific groups on LinkedIn, or local meetups to network with other professionals.
  • Certifications: There are a few relevant certifications (e.g., AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, Docker Certified Associate) which will validate your skills and knowledge.

Why DevOps is Crucial for Fresher Engineers? 

DevOps for Fresh Engineers

DevOps is crucial for fresher engineers because it equips them with a holistic understanding of the software development lifecycle, blending development and operations skills.

By learning DevOps, freshers can work more efficiently in cross-functional teams, automate repetitive tasks, and quickly respond to real-time issues.

This hands-on exposure to continuous integration, testing, and deployment prepares them for the fast-paced demands of modern software development.

At the same time, it also enables them to adapt to different problem-solving abilities making them altogether more versatile and valuable for employees.

Concluding Thoughts 

Here’s the thing about DevOps, it’s vital because it bridges the gap between development and operations. That’s not all, it also establishes effective collaboration among teams, streamlines the software development process, and enhances the overall speed and efficiency of product deliveries.

What makes DevOps good is how DevOps engineers can integrate automation and take care of continuous testing, and yet drive innovation allowing businesses to quickly adapt and change market demands.

To ensure high-quality and secure software, DevOps boosts productivity and reduces the time required to market it. Ready to accelerate your software development process with easy integration & effective automation? Partner with Branex to build, test, and deploy your perfect software. 

Contact us today to hire DevOps engineers to optimize your workflow and drive continuous innovation.

Ashad Rehman

Ashad is a tech-savvy wordsmith. He translates complex topics into clear, engaging narratives, empowering readers to navigate the ever-evolving tech landscape with confidence. Read his informative articles and get an enjoyable journey in the heart of the tech world.