Platform Engineering

Platform engineering is the practice of building and maintaining the infrastructure and tools that enable the development and deployment of software applications. This includes everything from the servers and networks that host the applications to the databases that store their data to the APIs and SDKs that allow them to communicate with other systems. The main difference between modern platform engineering and automation created during the virtualization era is that modern platform engineering is typically architected using modern cloud-native, micro-service, based architecture, and patterns. This API-first approach allows for easier reusability, allowing platform engineers to adjust the process flow to match the organization’s infrastructure provisioning and maintenance standards.

One of the critical advantages of platform engineering is that it allows organizations to focus on building and delivering their core products and services rather than worrying about the underlying infrastructure. By abstracting away the complexities of deploying and scaling applications, platform engineers make it possible for developers to move faster and be more productive.

An additional aspect of platform engineering is the use of infrastructure as code. Rather than manually configuring servers and networks, platform engineers use declarative code (manifests) and automation to provision, configure, and manage the infrastructure. This allows them to quickly and easily make changes, roll out new features, and scale their systems to meet the needs of their users.

Platform engineers also play a critical role in ensuring the security of the applications and systems they manage. They are responsible for implementing security best practices and guidelines, such as securing access to servers and networks, encrypting sensitive data, and monitoring for threats and vulnerabilities.

In addition to these technical responsibilities, platform engineers also work closely with other teams, such as development, operations, and security, to ensure that the platform meets the organization’s needs. They also play a crucial role in shaping the organization's platform and infrastructure management strategy.

Overall, platform engineering is an emerging practice that enables organizations to deliver software applications quickly and efficiently while ensuring their systems' security and reliability. It is a complex and challenging field that requires a deep understanding of software development and deployment's technical and business aspects.

In today's fast-paced business environment, platform engineering is becoming increasingly important as more and more organizations realize “IT is the Business.” Platform engineers are in high demand, especially for infrastructure and applications deployed outside the data center or public cloud. For those interested in a career in platform engineering, a strong background in computer science, software engineering, cloud-native architecture, and systems administration is a must.

Platform engineering is an emerging discipline that involves building and maintaining the infrastructure and tools that enable the development and deployment of software applications using the same architecture patterns developed over the last several years for cloud-native applications but at the infrastructure automation layer. With the growing importance of software in today's business environment, the platform engineer role will remain in high demand during the downturn in the economy.