Make developers fly; Principles for platform engineering - Mahavir Teraiya

Learn how to create a decentralized developer platform that empowers developers to build, deploy, and manage their own software without relying on the central platform team, and discover the key principles and benefits of this approach.

Key takeaways
  • Platform engineering is about creating a decentralized developer platform that empowers developers to build, deploy, and manage their own software without relying on the central platform team.
  • The traditional model of platform engineering is centralized, slow, and inflexible, which can lead to frustration and inefficiency among developers.
  • A decentralized platform engineering approach involves providing developers with the tools and resources they need to build and deploy their own software, while still maintaining control and oversight from the central platform team.
  • The VDux (Very Decentralized UX) principle is a key concept in platform engineering, which involves providing developers with a self-serve platform that allows them to build and deploy their own software without relying on the central platform team.
  • The principles of good platform engineering include:
    • Decentralization: empowering developers to build and deploy their own software
    • Customization: allowing developers to customize their own software and environment
    • Collaboration: facilitating collaboration between developers and the central platform team
    • Transparency: providing transparency into the platform and its capabilities
    • Scalability: allowing the platform to scale with the needs of the developers
  • The key benefits of a decentralized platform engineering approach include:
    • Increased developer productivity and efficiency
    • Improved collaboration and knowledge sharing between developers and the central platform team
    • Faster time-to-market for new software and features
    • Increased flexibility and adaptability in response to changing business needs
  • The challenges of implementing a decentralized platform engineering approach include:
    • Balancing the need for control and oversight with the need for autonomy and flexibility
    • Ensuring that the platform is scalable and can handle the needs of a large number of developers
    • Providing adequate training and support to developers
    • Ensuring that the platform is secure and compliant with relevant regulations
  • The AWS platform provides a range of tools and services that can be used to implement a decentralized platform engineering approach, including:
    • CloudFormation: a service that allows developers to define and deploy infrastructure as code
    • CodePipeline: a service that allows developers to automate the build, test, and deployment of their software
    • CodeBuild: a service that allows developers to automate the build and testing of their software
    • CodeCommit: a service that allows developers to manage their source code and collaborate with other developers