Platform Engineering: The Big Picture from Pluralsight

This course will help you explore platform engineering and discover how it can elevate cloud-native development, making developers' lives easier while achieving new heights in software delivery.

Many organizations have embraced DevOps and adopted technologies like Kubernetes, cloud computing, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform or Pulumi. Despite these efforts, they often face challenges in delivering on the promises of DevOps and cloud native. Platform engineering emerges as the next step in the evolution, breaking down barriers and empowering developers to bring software to the market faster and more efficiently. In this course, Platform Engineering: The Big Picture, you'll explore platform engineering and discover how it can elevate cloud-native development, making developers' lives easier while achieving new heights in software delivery. First, you’ll explore what platform engineering is and its benefits. Next, you’ll discover platform engineering tooling and architecture. Finally, you'll understand internal developer platforms, how to manage a platform as a product, and how to adopt platform engineering. When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge of platform engineering needed to take the next steps with it.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview

Understanding Platform Engineering

Understanding Platform Engineering Architecture and Tooling

Adopting Platform Engineering and Next Steps

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores platform engineering, which is standard in the cloud-native development industry

Builds a strong foundation for learners who are new to platform engineering

Taught by Steve Buchanan, who is recognized for their work in platform engineering

Indicates there are barriers to taking this course, such as subscriptions or exams may be costly for some students

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Platform Engineering: The Big Picture with these activities:

Review operating system basics

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Get a foundation in operating system structures and processes to understand the platform engineering concepts.

Browse courses on Operating Systems

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Go over OS principles like memory management and process scheduling
Look over the user interface and file management of different operating systems
Review popular operating systems through online tutorials

Follow tutorials on cloud computing platforms

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Familiarize yourself with cloud computing concepts and how they empower platform engineering.

Browse courses on Cloud Computing

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Go through vendor documentation on cloud platforms
Join online forums and discussion groups related to cloud computing
Follow YouTube channels or blogs dedicated to cloud computing tutorials

Read 'The Phoenix Project'

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Gain insights into DevOps practices and how platform engineering can improve software delivery.

View The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps,... on Amazon

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Read the book and take notes on key concepts
Summarize the main ideas and how they apply to platform engineering

Four other activities

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Attend workshops on platform engineering

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Engage with experts and gain hands-on experience in platform engineering.

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Research and identify relevant workshops
Register and actively participate in the workshops

Join a study group or discussion forum on platform engineering

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Engage with peers, share knowledge, and learn from others' experiences.

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Find or create a study group or online forum
Actively participate in discussions and share your knowledge

Build a sample platform engineering project

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Apply your knowledge to create a platform engineering solution, demonstrating your understanding.

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Identify a problem or need that platform engineering can address
Design and implement a solution using platform engineering principles
Test and iterate on your solution
Document your project and share your findings

Create a blog post or article on platform engineering

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Develop your understanding and share your knowledge by creating content on platform engineering.

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Choose a topic and research it thoroughly
Write and edit your content
Publish and promote your content

Career center

Learners who complete Platform Engineering: The Big Picture will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

DevOps Engineer

DevOps engineers are responsible for bridging the gap between development and operations teams. They work to automate and streamline the software development process, and they ensure that software is deployed and operated reliably and efficiently. Platform engineering is a key part of DevOps, and DevOps engineers with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to achieve even greater success. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful DevOps engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for DevOps Engineer

Software Engineer

Platform engineers design, build, and manage the internal tools and platforms that developers use to build and deploy software. Software engineers with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to work more efficiently and to deliver higher-quality software products. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful platform engineer.

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Cloud Engineer

Cloud engineers are responsible for designing, building, and managing cloud computing systems. They work to ensure that cloud-based applications are reliable, scalable, and secure. Platform engineering is a key part of cloud engineering, and cloud engineers with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and manage more effective cloud-based systems. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful cloud engineer.

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Site Reliability Engineer

Site reliability engineers (SREs) are responsible for ensuring the reliability and performance of software systems. They work to identify and mitigate risks, and they develop and implement strategies to improve system reliability. Platform engineering is a key part of SRE, and SREs with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and operate more reliable software systems. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful SRE.

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Systems Engineer

Systems engineers are responsible for designing, building, and managing complex systems. They work to ensure that systems are reliable, scalable, and secure. Platform engineering is a key part of systems engineering, and systems engineers with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and manage more effective systems. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful systems engineer.

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Technical Architect

Technical architects are responsible for designing and implementing technical solutions to business problems. They work with stakeholders to understand their needs, and they develop and implement technical solutions that meet those needs. Platform engineering is a key part of technical architecture, and technical architects with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and implement more effective technical solutions. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful technical architect.

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Data Engineer

Data engineers are responsible for designing, building, and managing data pipelines. They work to ensure that data is reliable, accessible, and secure. Platform engineering is a key part of data engineering, and data engineers with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and manage more effective data pipelines. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful data engineer.

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Network Engineer

Network engineers are responsible for designing, building, and managing computer networks. They work to ensure that networks are reliable, scalable, and secure. Platform engineering is a key part of network engineering, and network engineers with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and manage more effective networks. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful network engineer.

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Security Engineer

Security engineers are responsible for designing, building, and managing security systems. They work to protect systems from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats. Platform engineering is a key part of security engineering, and security engineers with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and manage more effective security systems. This course can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful security engineer.

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Systems Administrator

Systems administrators are responsible for maintaining and operating computer systems. They work to ensure that systems are reliable, scalable, and secure. Platform engineering is a key part of systems administration, and systems administrators with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to maintain and operate more effective systems. This course may help you develop some of the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful systems administrator.

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Database Administrator

Database administrators are responsible for maintaining and operating databases. They work to ensure that databases are reliable, scalable, and secure. Platform engineering is a key part of database administration, and database administrators with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to maintain and operate more effective databases. This course may help you develop some of the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful database administrator.

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Cloud Architect

Cloud architects are responsible for designing and implementing cloud computing solutions. They work with stakeholders to understand their needs, and they develop and implement cloud solutions that meet those needs. Platform engineering is a key part of cloud architecture, and cloud architects with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and implement more effective cloud solutions. This course may help you develop some of the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful cloud architect.

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Infrastructure Architect

Infrastructure architects are responsible for designing and implementing infrastructure solutions. They work with stakeholders to understand their needs, and they develop and implement infrastructure solutions that meet those needs. Platform engineering is a key part of infrastructure architecture, and infrastructure architects with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and implement more effective infrastructure solutions. This course may help you develop some of the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful infrastructure architect.

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DevSecOps Engineer

DevSecOps engineers are responsible for integrating security into the software development process. They work with development and operations teams to ensure that software is developed and deployed securely. Platform engineering is a key part of DevSecOps, and DevSecOps engineers with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and deploy more secure software. This course may help you develop some of the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful DevSecOps engineer.

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IT Manager

IT managers are responsible for planning, implementing, and managing IT systems. They work with stakeholders to understand their needs, and they develop and implement IT solutions that meet those needs. Platform engineering is a key part of IT management, and IT managers with a strong understanding of platform engineering can help their teams to build and implement more effective IT solutions. This course may help you develop some of the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful IT manager.

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