Rahul explains what platform engineering is, the business problems it solves, and how to knowSteve Buchanan explains what platform engineering is, the business problems it solves, and how to know if your organization is ready to roll it out yet. if your organization is ready to roll it out yet.
Developers often prefer focusing solely on coding, with tasks like managing infrastructure, setting up repositories, and configuring CI/CD pipelines sometimes feeling like distractions. Ideally, they’d concentrate on writing top-notch code, leaving operational details to others.
Platform engineering makes that possible. It streamlines the workflow, allowing developers to dedicate time to production value while avoiding common DevOps pitfalls.
What is Platform Engineering?
Platform engineering involves building self-service toolchains and workflows that let developers manage the software lifecycle independently. This system is known as a platform, anchored by an Internal Developer Platform (IDP). An IDP encompasses the technology and tools needed for development, with all configuration hidden to meet developers’ specific needs. Platform engineering teams treat the platform as a product and developers as internal customers.
Platform engineering is gaining traction as a rapidly growing field. Cloud providers like AWS and Azure now support it, and companies like Accenture are offering it as a service.
Why the Interest in Platform Engineering?
Platform engineering evolved alongside DevOps, which emerged about fifteen years ago. DevOps aimed to bridge gaps between developers and operations teams, promising faster software delivery. Although DevOps worked for some organizations, others encountered issues due to "anti-patterns" that derailed DevOps processes. One common issue is the "infrastructure burden," where developers are tasked with setting up DevOps structures and workflows without the resources to succeed.
How Internal Developer Platforms Address Infrastructure Gaps
If you’re familiar with ITIL’s service catalog, you’ll recognize the concept behind IDPs. Both serve as central portals for accessing tools and resources, promoting standardization and easy service discovery. IDPs provide developers with a self-service catalog of development tools and resources, enhancing transparency and collaboration.
Platform Engineering is Not DevOps Replacement
While platform engineering centralizes DevOps tools, it doesn’t replace DevOps. Instead, it enhances DevOps by resolving infrastructure gaps. This streamlines toolchains and workflows, helping DevOps meet its full potential.
Taking the ‘Golden Path’ and Using a Product Mindset
Platform engineering emphasizes "golden paths"—standardized workflows and tools that meet common developer needs. By managing IDPs as products and developers as customers, you ensure a high-quality platform that evolves with feedback, prioritized features, and ongoing improvements.
When to Consider Platform Engineering?
For organizations with around 20+ developers, platform engineering can enhance productivity. If you’re not ready, monitor this evolving field—it addresses critical DevOps challenges that aren’t going away.
Next Steps
Assess if platform engineering could benefit your team.
Pilot platform engineering for iteration.
Learn through resources like blog posts, user groups, and training.
For an in-depth exploration, check out my Pluralsight course, Platform Engineering: The Big Picture. It offers insights to help you get started with platform engineering.
Very nice
Good post