Platform Engineering in 2022: The Developer Experience Revolution

Core Concepts

1. Platform Architecture

Platform architecture is a crucial aspect of platform engineering. It encompasses the design and structure of the platform, ensuring it meets the needs of developers and the organization. The key components of platform architecture include:

• Services: This includes the infrastructure, deployment, and monitoring aspects of the platform. Infrastructure refers to the underlying systems and tools that support the platform, such as servers, storage, and networks. Deployment involves the processes and tools used to release software applications onto the platform. Monitoring is critical for ensuring the platform’s performance, identifying issues, and making data-driven decisions. A well-designed service component ensures that the platform is scalable, reliable, and efficient.
• Developer Experience: This aspect focuses on enhancing the productivity and efficiency of developers using the platform. It consists of three primary elements: self-service capabilities, automation, and documentation. Self-service capabilities enable developers to manage their own workflows and access resources without relying on others. Automation streamlines repetitive tasks, freeing up developers to focus on more complex problems. Comprehensive documentation ensures that developers can easily understand and use the platform’s features. By providing a seamless developer experience, organizations can increase developer satisfaction, reduce turnover, and improve overall software quality.
• Governance: Governance is essential for ensuring the platform operates within established policies, complies with regulatory requirements, and maintains robust security measures. It involves defining policies that guide the use of the platform, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations, and implementing security controls to protect the platform and its users. Effective governance ensures that the platform is secure, compliant, and aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives.

2. Platform Infrastructure

Platform infrastructure is the foundation of the platform, providing the necessary resources and tools for developers to build and deploy their applications. It includes the physical and virtual components that support the platform, such as servers, storage, and networking equipment. The key components of platform infrastructure include:

• Compute: This includes the servers and virtual machines that run the platform’s applications. It’s important to ensure that the platform has enough compute resources to handle the expected workload, and that these resources are distributed in a way that ensures high availability and fault tolerance.
• Storage: This includes the storage systems that hold the platform’s data. It’s important to ensure that the platform has enough storage capacity to handle the expected data volume, and that this data is backed up and protected from loss.
• Networking: This includes the network equipment that connects the platform’s components. It’s important to ensure that the platform’s network is fast, reliable, and secure, and that it can handle the expected network traffic.

3. Platform Deployment

Platform deployment is the process of releasing software applications onto the platform. It includes the tools and processes that developers use to build, test, and release their applications. The key components of platform deployment include:

• Build Tools: These are the tools that developers use to build their applications. It’s important to ensure that these tools are fast, reliable, and easy to use, and that they produce high-quality applications.
• Testing Tools: These are the tools that developers use to test their applications. It’s important to ensure that these tools are fast, reliable, and easy to use, and that they produce accurate test results.
• Release Tools: These are the tools that developers use to release their applications. It’s important to ensure that these tools are fast, reliable, and easy to use, and that they produce accurate release results.

4. Platform Monitoring

Platform monitoring is the process of tracking the performance and health of the platform. It includes the tools and processes that developers use to monitor the platform’s components and applications. The key components of platform monitoring include:

• Performance Monitoring: This involves tracking the performance of the platform’s components and applications. It’s important to ensure that the platform’s performance is fast, reliable, and scalable, and that it can handle the expected workload.
• Health Monitoring: This involves tracking the health of the platform’s components and applications. It’s important to ensure that the platform’s components and applications are healthy, and that they are not experiencing any issues.
• Security Monitoring: This involves tracking the security of the platform’s components and applications. It’s important to ensure that the platform’s components and applications are secure, and that they are not vulnerable to attack.

5. Platform Governance

Platform governance is the process of ensuring that the platform operates within established policies, complies with regulatory requirements, and maintains robust security measures. It includes the tools and processes that developers use to ensure that the platform is secure, compliant, and aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives. The key components of platform governance include:

• Policy Management: This involves defining policies that guide the use of the platform. It’s important to ensure that these policies are clear, fair, and enforceable, and that they are aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives.
• Regulatory Compliance: This involves ensuring that the platform complies with regulatory requirements, such as GDPR and HIPAA. It’s important to ensure that the platform is secure, compliant, and aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives.
• Security Management: This involves implementing security controls to protect the platform and its users. It’s important to ensure that the platform is secure, compliant, and aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives.