- Designing & implementing the infrastructure
Platform engineers design and implement the infrastructure that an application will run on. They select the appropriate hardware and software components, configure the networking and storage resources, and create security policies. They also consider factors like reliability and disaster recovery when designing the infrastructure to ensure that the infrastructure is scalable and can handle the expected load.
- Monitoring the infrastructure performance
Once the infrastructure is in place, the Platform Engineer must monitor its performance to check whether the application is running smoothly. They use various tools and techniques to monitor the infrastructure, such as log analysis, performance metrics, and alerts. If any issues are detected, the Platform Engineer investigates and resolves them as quickly as possible to minimize the impact on the application's performance.
- Automating the product development lifecycle
Platform Engineers automate the testing, deployment and configuration management processes to focus on more strategic tasks like infrastructure design and monitoring.A platform engineer is expected to create an automated deployment process that can perform all tasks automatically, using tools such as configuration management software, continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and container orchestration platforms.
- Making appropriate updates in infrastructure and applications
Platform engineers maintain the underlying infrastructure including hardware, software, and storage resources to ensure the infrastructure’s reliability, scalability, and security. As new vulnerabilities are discovered, the engineers keep the infrastructure up-to-date with the latest patches and security updates to mitigate potential risks. They also test the updates before deploying them to ensure that they don’t impact the application's performance negatively.
- Debugging and resolving application issues
Platform engineers identify the root cause of the issues and then work on implementing the required changes to fix them.
- Keeping up with the latest trends in the industry
Platform engineers must keep up with the emerging technologies to ensure that the infrastructure and applications they manage are up-to-date and efficient. Keeping up with the latest trends also helps identify opportunities to improve the application's performance and reduce costs.
- Coordinating with team members to discuss technicalities
Platform engineers work closely with other members of the development team, such as software engineers and QA analysts, to discuss technical issues and find solutions that meet the infrastructure’s needs. Effective communication and collaboration help them develop and maintain the applications successfully.