For VPs of Engineering, the quest for a faster, more efficient, and more reliable software delivery process is never-ending. For years, DevOps has been the dominant paradigm for achieving this goal. However, a new trend is emerging that promises to take software delivery to the next level: platform engineering. This article provides an introduction to platform engineering and explores whether it is the new DevOps.
At its core, platform engineering is about building and managing an internal developer platform (IDP) that provides developers with a self-service, curated, and automated experience for building, deploying, and running their applications. The goal of platform engineering is to reduce the cognitive load on developers by abstracting away the complexity of the underlying infrastructure. This allows developers to focus on what they do best: writing code. For a deeper dive into the developer experience, see our article on what is developer experience (DevEx).
What is Platform Engineering?
Platform engineering is a discipline that applies the principles of product management and software engineering to the development of an internal developer platform. The IDP is a product that is designed to meet the needs of its customers: the developers. The key characteristics of an IDP include:
- Self-Service: Developers can provision their own infrastructure and deploy their own applications without having to go through a central operations team.
- Curated and Automated: The IDP provides a curated set of tools and services that are pre-configured and automated to ensure consistency and to reduce the risk of errors.
- Golden Paths: The IDP provides a set of ‘golden paths’ that represent the recommended way of doing things. This helps to ensure that all applications are built and deployed in a consistent and compliant manner.
Is Platform Engineering the New DevOps?
The short answer is no. Platform engineering is not a replacement for DevOps; it’s an evolution of it. DevOps is a cultural movement that is focused on breaking down silos and on fostering a culture of collaboration. Platform engineering is a specific engineering discipline that provides the tools and the automation to support a DevOps culture. In other words, platform engineering is how you do DevOps at scale. For a deeper dive into the relationship between DevOps and SRE, see our article on SRE vs. DevOps.
The Benefits of Platform Engineering
The key benefits of platform engineering include:
- Increased Developer Productivity: By reducing the cognitive load on developers, platform engineering can significantly increase their productivity.
- Faster Time to Market: By automating the software delivery process, platform engineering can help you to get new features to market faster.
- Improved Reliability: By providing a consistent and automated environment, platform engineering can help you to improve the reliability of your applications.
- Enhanced Security and Compliance: By providing a curated set of tools and services, platform engineering can help you to ensure that all applications are built and deployed in a secure and compliant manner.
| Characteristic | DevOps | Platform Engineering |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Culture and collaboration | Tools and automation |
| Goal | Break down silos and improve collaboration. | Reduce cognitive load and improve developer productivity. |
| Approach | A set of principles and practices. | A specific engineering discipline. |
| Key Artifact | A CI/CD pipeline. | An internal developer platform (IDP). |
Conclusion
Platform engineering is a powerful new trend that is transforming the way that organizations build and deliver software. By building an internal developer platform that provides a self-service, curated, and automated experience, you can significantly improve developer productivity, accelerate time to market, and improve the reliability and security of your applications. While platform engineering is not a replacement for DevOps, it is a powerful enabler of it. By combining the cultural principles of DevOps with the engineering discipline of platform engineering, you can build a high-performing engineering organization that is a true competitive advantage for your business. For a deeper dive into the metrics that matter, see our article on the DevOps metrics that matter.
