In the fast-paced and ever-changing world of technology, the term “Platform Engineering” is often subject to a narrow interpretation, confined to the spheres of infrastructure and systems management. Because of this, it could be perceived as an exclusively technical domain, dominated by servers, clusters, and networks.
This limited view, however, does not give proper justice to the inherent richness and complexity of this field, a universe in which technology, innovation, and human engineering converge. Platform engineering extends far beyond the foundations of infrastructure, embracing a broad spectrum of technologies, practices, and philosophies that define the modern landscape of software development and systems architecture. Cloud infrastructure management, in particular, is only one piece of the puzzle.
In this article, we will briefly explain the relationship between infrastructure and platform engineering, and then focus on the other fundamental pillars that are not always immediately considered.
In this digital age, infrastructures have become more agile, scalable, and distributed, evolving toward increasingly sophisticated computing models such as cloud computing, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud. Without a doubt, infrastructure management is one of the primary aspects to be considered (and probably one of the most important ones). Tools such as Kubernetes and infrastructure as code (IaC) tools have revolutionized the flexibility with which platform Engineers can build and manage these infrastructures, freeing them from traditional constraints and allowing them to focus on innovation and value addition.
But what distinguishes a platform engineering environment is not only the architecture on which it is based (or which it allows to be managed), but how this architecture is used to empower and simplify the work of developers and ops to make their work not only more efficient but also more rewarding and creative…
Read the full article, which originally appeared on ITOps Times, here, and to learn more about Kubernetes and the cloud native ecosystem, attend KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe in Paris from March 19-22.