Platform Engineering — What it is, Why it is trending

Platform engineering has become a critical discipline within the realm of software development, particularly as organizations scale and their technological needs become more complex.

In a recent Gartner survey the consulting firm conducted, 75% of respondents said their organizations have already adopted platform engineering, although just 44% have formalized, structured approaches. “We see this as a strategic priority to improve developer experience and productivity.”

Unlike the traditional approaches that often lead to fragmented and siloed development processes, platform engineering aims to streamline and standardize the development environment, making it easier for teams to collaborate and innovate.

This blog will delve into what platform engineering is, its benefits, and how low-code platforms are revolutionizing this field.

What is Platform Engineering?

Platform engineering involves designing, building, and maintaining toolchains and workflows that enable self-service capabilities for software engineering teams. This is achieved through internal developer platforms (IDPs) that integrate necessary tools and services, allowing developers to efficiently build, deploy, and manage applications.

This integrated product is designed to handle operational necessities, allowing developers to focus on building and deploying code efficiently.

Where Does Platform Engineering Come into Play?

Platform engineering is essential for both startups and large enterprises:

• Startups and Small Teams: Early-stage companies benefit from quickly establishing a robust development environment that adapts as they grow, helping avoid technical debt from ad-hoc solutions.
• Large Enterprises: For larger organizations, platform engineering provides a standardized environment supporting scalability and efficiency, addressing the complexities of integrating multiple teams and technologies.

BSH Home Appliances reorganized its IT setup by creating a digital platform services team, including three global platform engineering teams and four regional platform and operations teams. This restructuring resulted in faster software development, more cost-effective operations, more reliable applications, and a 70% drop in critical incidents — from 50 per month to just 15​ (Puppet)​.

Platform engineering at Genpact has helped build a common pipeline and methodology for every product, addressing the challenge of finding and retaining skilled talent. This approach standardizes processes and enhances productivity across the organization​

Key Responsibilities of Platform Engineers

Platform engineers play a crucial role in building a robust foundation for software development. Their responsibilities typically include:

1. Infrastructure Provisioning: Setting up and managing the infrastructure, including servers, networks, storage systems, and cloud services.
2. Automation and Configuration Management: Developing tools for automating deployment, configuration, and management of infrastructure components.
3. Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD): Maintaining systems that automate software integration, testing, and deployment.
4. Reusable Components: Creating reusable tools and self-service capabilities to improve developer productivity.
5. Scalability and Performance: Designing systems to handle increasing workloads and ensure optimal performance.
6. Monitoring and Alerting: Implementing monitoring tools to track system health and performance.
7. Security and Compliance: Ensuring the platform and its data are secure and compliant with regulations.
8. Documentation and Support: Documenting platform architecture and best practices, and providing support to developers.

Evolution of Platform Engineering — Cloud Computing and DevOps

Historically, developers relied heavily on system administrators for infrastructure and operational needs, leading to inefficiencies. The advent of cloud computing and the DevOps movement sought to address this by promoting a more integrated approach, where developers could deploy and run their applications end-to-end. However, the complexity of modern, cloud-native setups has highlighted the limitations of this approach for many organizations.

This gap led to the rise of platform engineering, where specialized teams create Internal Developer Platforms. These platforms provide developers with the necessary abstractions to run their applications efficiently, catering to both senior and junior developers.

Benefits of Platform Engineering

Implementing platform engineering brings numerous benefits, including:

1. Increased Developer Productivity: A standardized and automated environment reduces the cognitive load on developers, allowing them to focus on writing code and delivering features.
2. Faster Time to Market: Automated workflows and self-service capabilities enable development teams to quickly build, test, and deploy applications, reducing the time it takes to bring new features to market.
3. Improved Collaboration: A unified platform fosters better collaboration between development, operations, and security teams, ensuring everyone uses the same tools and processes.
4. Enhanced Security and Compliance: Integrated security and compliance tools ensure that all applications adhere to the required standards, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities and non-compliance.

Challenges in Implementing Platform Engineering

1. Cultural Resistance: Shifting to a platform engineering approach requires a cultural change within the organization, which can be met with resistance.
2. Initial Investment: Building a comprehensive internal developer platform requires significant initial investment in terms of time, resources, and expertise.
3. Complexity: Managing and maintaining a platform that integrates multiple tools and services can be complex, requiring dedicated platform engineering teams.

Leveraging Low-Code Platforms in Platform Engineering

Low-code platforms are transforming the way organizations implement self-service operations in platform engineering.

Low-code platforms facilitate a composable architecture, allowing developers to create reusable components for faster application development. This approach not only accelerates the build process but also ensures that these components adhere to stringent non-functional requirements, such as security and scalability. By integrating these reusable components within a low-code environment, organizations can maintain high standards while streamlining development, thus supporting an engineering approach that is both efficient and robust.

A Fortune 500 media company implemented a low-code platform to streamline its development process. By providing developers with a self-service interface, they were able to configure deployment pipelines, provision infrastructure, and manage releases independently. This led to frequent updates, rapid deployment cycles, and continuous innovation, enhancing the company’s competitiveness in the market.

How Low-Code Platforms Support Platform Engineering

1. Composable Architecture: Modern low-code platforms support composable architecture, allowing developers to create reusable components that meet stringent non-functional requirements like security and scalability.
2. Automation: These platforms come with built-in tools for automating workflows, configuration management, and CI/CD pipelines.
3. Scalability: Low-code platforms are designed to handle scaling needs seamlessly.
4. Security and Compliance: They incorporate robust security features to protect data and ensure compliance with regulations.

Real-World Applications of Low-Code in Platform Engineering

1. Fetching Logs: Developers can set up self-service tools to fetch logs without relying on the operations team.
2. Ticket Management: Self-service ticket management tools enable developers to open, close, and update tickets directly.
3. Infrastructure Provisioning: Low-code platforms can automate infrastructure provisioning, allowing developers to set up servers and networks on demand.
4. Updating User Accounts: Self-service tools for updating user accounts reduce IT workload and ensure timely updates.

Implementing Self-Service Operations: Practical Steps

1. Identify Routine Tasks: Start by identifying routine tasks that can be automated or managed independently.
2. Choose the Right Tools: Select low-code platforms and other tools that integrate seamlessly with your existing tech stack.
3. Train Your Teams: Provide adequate training to ensure effective use of self-service tools.
4. Monitor and Iterate: Continuously monitor the impact and make necessary adjustments based on feedback.

Conclusion

Platform engineering, supported by modern low-code solutions, is a powerful strategy for enhancing developer efficiency and autonomy. By implementing self-service operations and fostering a culture of self-sufficiency, organizations can streamline their workflows, reduce bottlenecks, and drive innovation. As the tech landscape continues to evolve, adopting platform engineering practices will be crucial for staying competitive and agile.

Implementing these insights can significantly improve your organization’s efficiency and productivity. If you’re interested in exploring how DronaHQ can help you implement these strategies, feel free to reach out. We’re here to help you make the most of your platform engineering efforts.