Python for DevOps: A Beginner’s Guide

Many people who want to become DevOps engineers wonder if they need to learn Python. In this blog post, we’ll explain why Python is important in the world of DevOps.

The world of Information Technology has changed a lot. Many tasks that used to be done manually by system administrators are now automated using tools and scripting languages. These tools include Chef, Puppet, Ansible, and others, while scripting languages like shell scripting, Python, and Ruby are also widely used.

The way people and teams work has evolved too. Concepts like DevOps and methodologies like Agile have led to greater collaboration among different teams and increased automation from software development to deployment. Tools such as Vagrant, Docker, and Kubernetes have made it easier for developers to set up and test development environments quickly.

Cloud computing has transformed the way servers are provisioned. You no longer need to wait for days to get a server ready for your application. With just a few clicks, you can have a server prepared for deployment. This process is made even smoother by writing automation scripts for server provisioning and configuration, and Python, especially using the AWS Boto library, is an example of how this is done.

So, what does Python have to do with DevOps? In the past, DevOps engineers mainly worked with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools. However, today, companies want customized tools and utilities to meet their specific CI/CD requirements. For instance, a Python script can be used to parse JSON data and test a function in the CI/CD process. This shift has led to more people getting involved in infrastructure operations, and CI/CD teams are required to create custom utilities and modules to enhance automation, releases, and monitoring. To develop these custom utilities, you need some programming knowledge, and Python is the preferred language for such tasks.

Additionally, with the rise of Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) projects, DevOps engineers often collaborate with ML engineers, data engineers, and data scientists. Python is a common language among these teams, and as a DevOps engineer, you might be responsible for writing small utility and ML pipeline scripts.

In summary, programming has become a necessary skill for DevOps engineers, and Python is an excellent language for this purpose. It’s worth noting that Python is a preferred choice in DevOps for scripting, as confirmed by the latest StackOverflow Developer Survey, where 49.28% of developers favored Python for scripting.

Why is Python important for DevOps?

Here are some key reasons:

• Python is a versatile scripting language with a wide range of libraries for system interactions, file and string manipulation, network management, and more.
• Learning Python allows you to create well-structured automation scripts, and most Linux systems already come with Python installed.
• Many DevOps teams use Python for building custom utilities, web applications for data visualization, and more because it’s easy to learn and can speed up development.
• Tools like Ansible are primarily written in Python, making it a valuable language for creating custom modules and scripts.
• During DevOps interviews, you’ll often be asked to solve programming challenges, and Python is a strong choice for clearing these interview rounds.

In order to learn Python for DevOps, if you’re a beginner, you can start with guided online courses or books that cover the fundamentals of Python. These courses are tailored to focus on Python for automation rather than application development.

Once you’ve grasped the basics, you can explore various Python libraries that are essential for DevOps tasks, including modules related to popular cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

To gain practical experience, you should work on real-world Python automation tasks. These might include parsing JSON files, making HTTP API calls, executing SQL statements, managing cloud resources, and more.

For those looking to deepen their Python skills, building web applications is a great way to learn. Starting with a simple micro-framework like Flask can help you understand how web applications function and provide valuable insights into both front-end and back-end development.

While Python is a popular choice in DevOps, it’s worth mentioning that Golang is emerging as an alternative. Many DevOps tools like Kubernetes, Terraform, and Docker are built using Golang, and companies often opt for Golang for building internal developer portals.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion,Python is a crucial language for DevOps engineers due to its versatility, ease of use, and widespread adoption. Learning Python is a great way to enhance your automation and scripting skills in the world of DevOps.