Let us be honest. When you first search for “how to learn DevOps” a list of tools comes up. You will see things like Ansible, AWS, Git, monitoring tools, Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins and Terraform. You will also see things like pipelines for CI/CD.It can feel like opening a toolbox and finding a lot of tools inside. You might be thinking, “Do I really need to know all of these DevOps tools?”The truth is that memorizing DevOps tools will not help you learn DevOps. Experienced engineers do not just memorize DevOps tools. DevOps is about knowing how software moves from a developer’s laptop to an environment.Everything makes sense once you know that journey of the software. The DevOps tools help with getting in the way of the software journey.
Do not try to learn everything at once if you want to get into DevOps. Begin with things, stay curious and learn more each time about DevOps through online DevOps course Let us talk about how to start learning DevOps.Before you go after DevOps tools learn the basics of DevOps.One mistake that many beginners make is jumping into DevOps tools like Kubernetes. They look good on resumes, which makes them tempting to learn. It can be hard to learn these DevOps tools if you do not know the basics of DevOps.
To get started with DevOps you need to know about the software development lifecycle. Picture a programmer writing code for a software.
DevOps practices make this trip of the software easier.
Learning Git is a place to start learning DevOps. Git is what makes development workflows work for the software. It helps programmers keep track of versions of the software code, work with others and keep track of changes to the software code.Next are the basics of Linux. Linux is the operating system for servers that run the software. You can feel more confident when working with infrastructure for the software if you know how to navigate directories, manage files, install software and understand how the Linux system works.Next there are CI/CD pipelines for the software. They take care of things like making apps for the software running tests for the software and sending out updates for the software.
Taking a DevOps course can help you get ready to use DevOps tools by giving you a solid base in DevOps. These classes teach the basics of Git, Linux, CI/CD and the cloud in a way that’s easy to understand about DevOps.
At this point keep in mind that the goal is not to learn every DevOps tool. The goal is to learn how software is delivered using DevOps.
Learn by working on DevOps projects for the software.
It is helpful to read about DevOps. Building something is the way to really understand DevOps. DevOps is a field that requires hands-on work with the software.Docker is a place to start learning DevOps. Docker helps you package apps for the software with all the things they need to run so they work in all environments for the software.Once you know how to use Docker for the software look into CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions or Jenkins for the software. These tools do things automatically for the software.Learning about cloud platforms like AWS, Azure or Google Cloud is another step for the software. When you know how apps for the software are deployed in the cloud you can see the infrastructure for the software.
You do not need to work on projects to learn DevOps. Do something to begin learning DevOps. Make a web app for the software, put it in a GitHub repository for the software, package it with Docker for the software and then use a CI/CD pipeline to deploy the software.Lessons can be learned from small projects for the software. They help you see how the different parts of DevOps work together for the software.
Think Like a DevOps Engineer and Stay Consistent
Learning DevOps is a journey that changes over time. As cloud platforms get better and automation practices get better new DevOps tools come out for the software.Automation, collaboration and continuous improvement are all parts of a DevOps engineers mindset for the software.Ask yourself “Can this be automated for the software?” every time you do something with the software. DevOps engineers are always looking for ways to use scripts and automation pipelines to get work done for the software.
Writing down what you learn helps. Make GitHub repositories for the projects and experiments you work on for the software. Share your scripts for deployment, container setups and pipeline configurations for the software.
